.

Abstract

Occupation of nesting boxes by small-sized vertebrates in an area of the Atlantic Forest in southern Brazil, and their viability of use. Several animals of the Atlantic Forest depend on natural cavities for repro- duction, shelter or feeding. Some aspects of their ecology can be examined with the use of nesting boxes. This study was developed with 48 nesting boxes confectioned with “Tetra Pak” package. Four areas of the Atlantic Forest of southern Brazil, in four different successional stages, were sampled from August 2001 to August 2003. We aimed to verify: 1) the occupation of nesting boxes by small vertebrates, 2) the preference of the species for nesting boxes fixed at 2 or 4 m above the ground and for the position of the entrance hole (frontal or lateral), and 3) the viability of use of these nesting boxes in field research. Four species were found in the boxes: a tree frog (Hyla sp., one occupation), a green lizard (Enyalius iheringi, one occupation), the saffron finch (Sicalis flaveola, twenty-three occupations), and the wooly tailed mouse opossum (Micoureus paraguayanus, five occupations). Most occupa tions occurred in areas of early successional stages. There were
no preferences for the height and position of the entrance hole. The nesting boxes proved to be relatively durable and useful in field research on small cavity-dependent vertebrates.