Mammals of the Saracá-Taquera National Forest, northwestern Pará, Brazil

Abstract

The Amazonian rainforest harbors one of the most diverse mammal faunas found anywhere in the world, although this fauna is still poorly known. Inventories are essential for the understanding of the biology and ecology of species, and provide basic data for conservation. Over 15 years of sampling in the Saracá-Taquera National Forest, we recorded 72 species of small (nonvolant), medium, and large mammals belonging to 30 families in 10 orders. These taxa included 29 species endemic to the Amazon biome, and 14 classified as threatened with extinction. Overall, the mammalian species richness recorded in the present study was equal to or greater than that recorded in other Amazonian studies, reflecting high levels of diversity on a biogeographic scale. This reinforces the importance of this national forest for the maintenance of the region's mammalian fauna. Some of the species were recorded in the region for the first time, thus extending their known geographic distribution.

New records of Odocoileus virginianus Zimmermann 1780 (Artiodactyla: Cervidae) from northern Brazil

“…The record from Laranjal do Jari, Amapá, is the first record of O. virginianus below the equator line for Brazil. Calaça et al (2018) reported the presence of O. virginianus for the Saracá-Taquera National Forest, in northwest Pará, but based only in tracks and interviews with the local population. The species may well occur there, but further evidence must be provided.…”