Large and medium-sized mammals of the Humaitá Forest Reserve, southwestern Amazonia, state of Acre, Brazil

Abstract

Large and medium-sized mammals are essential to forest ecosystems as they are responsible for prey population control, seed dispersal and predation. A mammal survey was conducted in the Humaitá Forest Reserve (HFR), a 20 km² forest fragment located in the southeastern part of the state. The survey was carried out using census transects, camera traps, and occasional records such as bones and footprints. In all, 27 species of large to medium-sized mammals were recorded for the RFH, representing 48% of those expected for the region. Dasyprocta fuliginosa, Pecari tajacu and Didelphis marsupialis were the species with the highest number of records with camera traps. The occurrence of two species of cats (Leopardus pardalis and Puma concolor) and three endangered species (Callimico goeldii, Myrmecophaga tridactyla and Priodontes maximus) are important records for the RFH. The results may aid future research on the ecology, biogeography and conservation of mammals in the region.

Terrestrial mammal assemblages in protected and human impacted areas in Northern Brazilian Amazonia

“…Following Ahumada et al (2011), Munari et al (2011 and Botelho et al (2012), once we determined the camera trap points in the four areas, we subsequently searched for spots close to animal trails, footprints and mud holes to maximize image capture. Additionally, we also had to avoid those trails that were seasonally or eventually flooded to prevent camera damage.…”

“…Richness and diversity of terrestrial large mammals in the Neotropics is higher in strictly protected areas that are surrounded by other undisturbed forests than in those subject to deforestation and hunting in its surroundings, and is lowest in highly impacted areas (Tobler et al 2008, Ahumada et al 2011, Pickles et al 2011, Botelho et al 2012, Santos and Oliveira 2012, Carvalho et al 2014, Melo et al 2015, Meyer et al 2015. In strictly protected areas that are surrounded by other undisturbed forests, Carnivora and Artiodactyla are among the richest mammalian orders Oliveira 2012, Carvalho et al 2014), whereas in protected areas that are subjected to anthropogenic impacts in its surroundings, although Carnivora may still be the most speciose order, Rodentia and Xenarthra may replace Artiodactyla and become the most species-rich orders (Ahumada et al 2013, Michalski et al 2015, Lizcano et al 2016).…”

“…In strictly protected areas that are surrounded by other undisturbed forests, Carnivora and Artiodactyla are among the richest mammalian orders Oliveira 2012, Carvalho et al 2014), whereas in protected areas that are subjected to anthropogenic impacts in its surroundings, although Carnivora may still be the most speciose order, Rodentia and Xenarthra may replace Artiodactyla and become the most species-rich orders (Ahumada et al 2013, Michalski et al 2015, Lizcano et al 2016). This could be the result of a time-lag between deforestation and/or hunting, and species extirpation, or result from location, resources availability, species resilience and proximate benefits of secondary vegetation (Tobler et al 2008, Pickles et al 2011, Botelho et al 2012, Galetti et al 2015, Melo et al 2015, Meyer et al 2015.…”

“…is normally the most abundant (Tobler et al 2008, Botelho et al 2012, Michalski et al 2015, Lizcano et al 2016). Studies of medium-sized and large mammals in the State of Roraima are relatively recent and the focus has been mainly on the mammals of protected areas, such as Maracá Ecological Station (Mendes Pontes 1997, 1999, Fragoso 1998, Mendes Pontes et al 2007, and the Waimiri-Atroari (Mazurek et al 2000), Yanomami and Macuxi Indian reserves (Fragoso 2004).…”

Abundance and composition of the medium to large-sized mammals in a private area of a REDD+ project in Acre, Brazil

“…Studies on medium and large mammals in the state of Acre have been carried out mainly in public protected areas, and use a variety of sampling methods to record the existing fauna, from census surveys, linear transects (Calouro 2005), track counting (Borges et al 2014), camera-traps (Botelho et al 2012) to other methods (Borges et al 2015).…”