The Cerrado mammals are the third richest in the country, featuring 194 species of land mammals, 30 families and nine orders. The bats are the most diverse with 81 species. It is estimated that 41% of Cerrado species belong to the order Chiroptera (AGUIAR et al.), Followed by rodents, with 51 species. A total of 45 species can be considered medium or large size (weighing more than 1kg).
In Cerrado biome 19 species of endemic mammals are found, relatively low compared to other groups. The low number of endemic species are due to the fact that the Cerrado shares most of its species with the adjacent biome (MARINHO-FILHO, 2007). In this context, the gallery forests play a very important role, allowing the movement of mammals within and between adjacent biome. In a biogeographical perspective, CARMIGNOTTO (2004) suggested a pattern of distribution of small mammals in five faunal regions. Another peculiarity of mammals is related to the distribution of wealth, being higher in open areas of Cerrado (MACHADO et al., 2008).
