A community-based survey of mammals in the Río Sapo basin, El Salvador

Abstract

Introduction: El Salvador is one of the most densely populated and most deforested countries of the American continent, where social insecurity make field research difficult. Here we present an experience in which rural and indigenous communities were part of a mammal survey. Objectives: To identify the mammals of Río Sapo basin, and establish the potential of local communities in scientific studies of mammals in El Salvador. Methods: We studied 17 sites in Joateca and Arambala, Río Sapo basin; 14 volunteers were organized, including local former hunters, forest owners, indigenous communities, and researchers. Fieldwork was done from August 2018 to December 2019. Mammals were identified during field visits and with camera traps. We also included the socio-cultural importance of wildlife within the Kakawira-Lenca indigenous worldview. Results: Twenty-two species were identified, including six that are threatened or endangered. We expanded the local range of Tamandua mexicana and Pecari tajacu for the department of Morazán, also, we added Glaucomys volans to the country's species list. We list traditional uses of mammals of the Kakawira-Lenca culture and report the indigenous names of 15 species. Conclusion: The participation of local communities is a valid option for field work in El Salvador, and probably in other areas where social insecurity makes field research dangerous.

New records of Lontra longicaudis (Olfers, 1818) (Carnivora, Mustelidae) in El Salvador

“…Río Sapo has records from various years (Owen and Girón 2012;Argueta-Rivera et al 2020) and in different sectors (middle and low basin). It is possibly that low human disturbance in this river has benefited this species, supporting the management and conservation proposals for this area, as suggested by Argueta-Rivera et al (2020) and Morales-Rivas et al (2020).…”

“…In the Central American region, only a few studies report on the distribution (e.g., Chehébar 1990;Aceituno et al 2015;Rheingantz and Trinca 2015), diet, and habitat selection (Spínola-Parallada and Vaughan-Dickhaut 1995;Platt and Rainwater 2011;Navarro-Picado et al 2017) of this species. In El Salvador, the presence of this species has been reported in the scientific literature from only five localities: Río Sensunapán, Río Sucio, Río La Palma, and two records in the middle and lower basin in the Río Sapo (Burt and Stirton 1961;Owen et al 1991;Owen and Girón 2012;Argueta-Rivera et al 2020), and there are no recent publications on distribution patterns or the conservation status of L. longicaudis in the country. Therefore, we document new records of L. longicau dis in El Salvador and other data to better determine the distribution patterns of this species in El Salvador.…”