Penguin colony–steppe small mammal assemblage dataset

Abstract

This dataset contains raw live-trapping and camera-trapping records collected in Cabo dos Bahías Natural Protected Area (Patagonia, Argentina) as part of the study “Penguin colony–steppe divergence shapes coastal small mammal assemblages and enhances regional diversity.” Sampling was conducted within a Magellanic penguin colony and in the surrounding Patagonian steppe. The dataset is organized into two sheets. The Live_Trapping_Data sheet (4,200 records) includes trap-level observations from standardized seasonal campaigns. Variables include environment (colony or surrounding area), trap set, subset (transect grouping), sampling date, season, trap point, and capture outcome (success or captured species). These data allow reconstruction of capture effort, species composition, and habitat-specific assemblage structure. The Camera_Trapping_Data sheet (358 records) contains independent photographic detections from fixed camera stations distributed across both environments. Variables include environment, camera point, date, and hour of detection. These records support analyses of temporal activity patterns and habitat-specific capture dynamics related to weather. Together, the dataset enables replication of analyses on habitat divergence, community composition, and spatial structure of small mammal assemblages in a coastal–terrestrial system influenced by seabird colony dynamics.