We provide the first records of Strobilurus torquatus from the Brazilian state of Paraíba and review its distribution based on specimens available in Brazilian collections and published data. This result emphasizes the need for more surveys on reptiles at this region.
Background and Aim: The brown-throated sloth (Bradypus variegatus) is widely distributed in three biomes: The Amazon, Atlantic Forest, and Caatinga. Some subpopulations are isolated in urban areas in Brazil, usually in squares and small woods. Due to the scarcity of reference values, an investigation was carried out on the hematology and blood biochemistry of brown-throated sloths from urban areas.
Materials and Methods: Blood was collected by venipuncture in the femoral vein from 19 brown-throated sloths for hematological and biochemical analyses, living in two municipalities; Teófilo Otoni (TO) (Minas Gerais State) and Rio Tinto (RT) (Paraíba state), in the Atlantic Forest biome, Brazil. The samples were analyzed in specialized veterinary laboratories using automatic cell counters and slide fixation staining methods.
Results: The two subpopulations of brown-throated sloths had no significant differences in most hematological values, with the exception of a higher leukocyte concentration (p<0.01) in the RT sub-population. The difference in leukocyte concentration suggests an idiosyncratic effect, as the animals were healthy and the stress of the capture was acute, not chronic. The concentrations of urea, creatinine, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were similar (p<0.05) in brown-throated sloths from TO and RT. Likewise, the liver enzyme concentrations (ALP, alanine transaminase [ALT], and aspartate transaminase [AST]) did not differ between the two subpopulations (p<0.05).
Conclusion: Compared to another study, brown-throated sloths from TO and RT have higher plasma concentrations of ALT and ALP, suggestive of a hepatic overload. Hematological and blood biochemical findings of TO and RT can be used as clinical reference values for brown-throated sloths living in an urban environment.
Primates are affected by fluctuations in ambient temperatures, mostly through thermoregulatory costs and changes in the availability of food. In the present study, we investigate whether the ambient temperature and proxies of food availability affect the activity period of marmosets (Callithrix spp.). We predicted that: (i) at colder sites, marmosets would spend more time at sleeping sites; (ii) midday resting bouts would be longer at hotter sites; (iii) the onset/cessation of activity and resting behavior at midday would be more closely related to temperature than food availability, and (iv) highly exudativorous groups would have higher total levels of resting.We compiled data on the onset and cessation of activity and the time spent resting at midday from seven marmoset studies from sites with a wide range of temperatures. We used generalized linear mixed models to verify the relationship between the dependent variables (lag between dawn and the onset of activities, lag between cessation of activities and dusk, and proportion of resting during midday) and the
The study of local ecological knowledge (LEK) fosters a better understanding of the relationship between humans and the environment. We assessed respondents' ecological knowledge of primates in a rural community located near the Atlantic Forest remnants in the state of Paraíba, Brazil. Populations of Alouatta belzebul (red-handed howler monkeys), Sapajus flavius (blonde capuchins), and Callithrix jacchus (the common marmoset) inhabit the region. We conducted 200 semi-structured interviews and applied thematic content analysis, with weighting, to the responses to quantify the LEK. Respondents showed a low LEK, despite the community's proximity to forest remnants. However, the LEK was significantly higher among men, as well as among those who had a greater degree of contact with the primates. Age did not influence LEK. The studied community apparently does not intensively exploit the forest resources nor does it economically depend on primates, which may explain these individuals' low levels of knowledge about these animals. Such data may support future studies, as well as environmental education and action plans, especially for A. belzebul and S. flavius, both of which are endangered species and targets of the National Action Plan for the Conservation of the Primates of the Northeast.
The brown-throated three-toed sloth Bradypus variegates Schinz, 1825 (Pilosa: Bradypodidae) is an arboreal mammal with wide distribution in the neotropical region. However, the presence of this species in urban environments has attracted attention due to the threats that this environment can offer to this species. In this context, the present study investigated the impacts over brown-throated three toed sloth’s population living in an urban area of Rio Tinto, Paraíba, as well as, analyze data from Wildlife Screening Center (Centro de Triagem de Animais Silvestres - CETAS) and the conservation units of Paraíba, to understanding threats and main factors that led individuals to these institutions. From 2011 to 2014 a sloth’s population was studied at João Pessoa Square in Rio Tinto. From 2010 to 2015 was analyzed data from CETAS, Guaribas Biological Reserve (GBR), Barra do Rio Mamanguape Environmental Protection Area (BRM-EPA) and Arruda Câmara Municipal Zoobotanical Park (AC-MZP).The place that most registered the receipt of sloths was CETAS (65.5%), followed by GBR (17.8%), AC-MZP (15%), and BRM-EPA (1.8%). Offspring were significantly more impacted than adults, because were recorded highest number of injured and dead individuals in CETAS. Offspring not survived also at João Pessoa Square in Rio Tinto (urban environment) until the reproductive phase, due to falls or the rejection of their mothers during parental care. The urbanized matrix causes changes in the parental care of the mother sloths, implying the early abandonment of their offspring. In addition, inadequate introductions of sloths at João Pessoa Square causing malnutrition in individuals due to the lack of insufficient nutrients available, and electric shocks caused by high voltage wires, resulting in death or limb amputation of adult sloths. To minimize these impacts, urban environments needs to be controlled, through tree pruning, prohibit the introductions of sloths and increase the diversity of plant species in this area.
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