Habitat loss and subsistence hunting are two of the main activities that affect wildlife in frontier areas. We compared subsistence hunting patterns in four villages with different ethnic composition and degree of habitat disturbance in the vicinity of Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, Campeche, Mexico. We also compared differences between some of these villages in harvest composition and prey availability to determine hunting preferences. We used a Landsat TM satellite image to analyze the degree of disturbance around the villages. We conducted periodic surveys of subsistence hunting and prey availability. Wildlife availability was assessed monthly on nine transects (3000 m) established in the vicinity of three villages. The relative amount of disturbed habitat was smaller in an indigenous Maya village (IV) and larger in a mestizo village (MV). The two mixed-composition villages (MCVs) had intermediate levels of disturbance. Ten species, four large and six small, of birds and mammals accounted for 97% of the hunting records. Hunting was more intense in IV and less intense in MCV1. The three village types had different hunting preferences. The habitat-mosaic composition in the vicinity of the villages influenced prey availability and subsistence-hunting preferences. Changes in the habitat mosaic were caused by the size of the holding and by ethnic composition. In spite of longer settlement time, the habitat mosaic in the vicinity of IV was less transformed than that of the other sites. Their larger holding size and greater diversity of economic activities may explain why the Mayas at IV have transformed the landscape less than the other groups and can hunt more and larger prey.El Mosaico de Hábitats, la Disponibilidad de Presas y la Cacería en la Selva Tropical de Calakmul, México Resumen: La pérdida de hábitat y la cacería de subsistencia son dos de las principales actividades humanas que tienen un efecto negativo sobre la fauna en las fronteras de la colonización. En el presente estudio comparamos los patrones de cacería de subsistencia en cuatro poblados con diferente composición étnica y diferente grado de perturbación del hábitat en los alrededores de la Reserva de la Biosfera de Calakmul en Campeche, México. Entre algunos de estos poblados, también comparamos las diferencias en la composición de la caza y la disponibilidad de presas para determinar preferencias. Utilizamos imágenes de satélite Landsat TM para analizar el grado de perturbación alrededor de los poblados. Llevamos a cabo registros de la cacería de subsistencia y de la disponibilidad de las presas. La disponibilidad de las presas se evaluó mensualmente en nueve transectos de 3000 m cada uno, establecidos en la cercanía de tres poblados. Comparativamente, el área de hábitat perturbado fue menor en la comunidad con población indígena maya (IV) y mayor en la comunidad con población mestiza (MV). Los dos poblados con composición poblacional mixta (MVC1 y MVC2) presentaron niveles intermedios de perturbación. Diez especies (4 grandes y 6 pequeñas) de aves...

Habitat loss and subsistence hunting are two of the main activities that affect wildlife in frontier areas. We compared subsistence hunting patterns in four villages with different ethnic composition and degree of habitat disturbance in the vicinity of Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, Campeche, Mexico. We also compared differences between some of these villages in harvest composition and prey availability to determine hunting preferences. We used a Landsat TM satellite image to analyze the degree of disturbance around the villages. We conducted periodic surveys of subsistence hunting and prey availability. Wildlife availability was assessed monthly on nine transects (3000 m) established in the vicinity of three villages. The relative amount of disturbed habitat was smaller in an indigenous Maya village (IV) and larger in a mestizo village (MV). The two mixed-composition villages (MCVs) had intermediate levels of disturbance. Ten species, four large and six small, of birds and mammals accounted for 97% of the hunting records. Hunting was more intense in IV and less intense in MCV1. The three village types had different hunting preferences. The habitat-mosaic composition in the vicinity of the villages influenced prey availability and subsistence-hunting preferences. Changes in the habitat mosaic were caused by the size of the holding and by ethnic composition. In spite of longer settlement time, the habitat mosaic in the vicinity of IV was less transformed than that of the other sites. Their larger holding size and greater diversity of economic activities may explain why the Mayas at IV have transformed the landscape less than the other groups and can hunt more and larger prey.El Mosaico de Hábitats, la Disponibilidad de Presas y la Cacería en la Selva Tropical de Calakmul, México Resumen: La pérdida de hábitat y la cacería de subsistencia son dos de las principales actividades humanas que tienen un efecto negativo sobre la fauna en las fronteras de la colonización. En el presente estudio comparamos los patrones de cacería de subsistencia en cuatro poblados con diferente composición étnica y diferente grado de perturbación del hábitat en los alrededores de la Reserva de la Biosfera de Calakmul en Campeche, México. Entre algunos de estos poblados, también comparamos las diferencias en la composición de la caza y la disponibilidad de presas para determinar preferencias. Utilizamos imágenes de satélite Landsat TM para analizar el grado de perturbación alrededor de los poblados. Llevamos a cabo registros de la cacería de subsistencia y de la disponibilidad de las presas. La disponibilidad de las presas se evaluó mensualmente en nueve transectos de 3000 m cada uno, establecidos en la cercanía de tres poblados. Comparativamente, el área de hábitat perturbado fue menor en la comunidad con población indígena maya (IV) y mayor en la comunidad con población mestiza (MV). Los dos poblados con composición poblacional mixta (MVC1 y MVC2) presentaron niveles intermedios de perturbación. Diez especies (4 grandes y 6 pequeñas) de aves...

Influenza, a zoonosis caused by various influenza A virus subtypes, affects a wide range of species, including humans. Pig cells express both sialyl-α-2,3-Gal and sialyl-α-2,6-Gal receptors, which make them susceptible to infection by avian and human viruses, respectively. To date, it is not known whether wild pigs in Mexico are affected by influenza virus subtypes, nor whether this would make them a potential risk of influenza transmission to humans. In this work, 61 hogs from two municipalities in Campeche, Mexico, were sampled. Hemagglutination inhibition assays were performed in 61 serum samples, and positive results were found for human H1N1 (11.47%), swine H1N1 (8.19%), and avian H5N2 (1.63%) virus variants. qRT-PCR assays were performed on the nasal swab, tracheal, and lung samples, and 19.67% of all hogs were positive to these assays. An avian H5N2 virus, first reported in 1994, was identified by sequencing. Our results demonstrate that wild pigs are participating in the exposure, transmission, maintenance, and possible diversification of influenza viruses in fragmented habitats, highlighting the synanthropic behavior of this species, which has been poorly studied in Mexico.

Despite the risks associated, some species choose to shield behind a predator to decrease predation risk by another predator. In this study, we demonstrate how Baird’s tapirs (Tapirus bairdii) use humans as a “shield” to reduce the risk of being preyed upon by jaguars (Panthera onca). We collected georeferenced photographic records of 23 tapirs (seven of them injured) sighted near human settlements (0 to 5 km) in the Calakmul region of Mexico from 2008 to 2019. Using multidimensional scale analysis, we determined which possible factors (tapir health status, injuries, distance to the settlement, as well as seasonality) are related to the decision of tapirs to approach human settlements. To support our claims of jaguars’ attacks, we described the pattern of injuries believed to have been inflicted by jaguars on tapirs, and we analysed photographs and videos of species of the genus Panthera attacking larger prey than themselves to establish a pattern of injuries and compare it to the injuries observed on tapirs. Our study shows that tapir sightings near human settlements are related to health deterioration, injuries by jaguars and seasonality. The injuries found on tapirs are similar to those caused by other big cats on large prey, providing strong support for jaguar-inflicted wounds. Further studies should investigate whether the increasing human presence in different habitats in the Neotropical region could be influencing the behaviour and distribution of prey and predators.