Noteworthy records of jaguar (Panthera onca), tayra (Eira barbara), and paca (Cuniculus paca) from southern Mexico

Abstract

Large and medium-sized mammal species are important from an ecological, conservation, and socioeconomic perspective. In southern Mexico, camera trapping in community-based wildlife monitoring projects provide records that extend the range of jaguar Panthera onca (Linnaeus 1758), tayra Eira Barbara (Linnaeus 1758), and paca Cuniculus paca (Linnaeus 1766) for the central area of State of Oaxaca. Also, these records extend the altitudinal distribution range of tayra and paca, and add the pine-oak forest as a habitat for them. Camera trapping in community-based wildlife monitoring projects is a valuable way to increase knowledge of the natural history of large and medium-sized mammals. RESUMENLos mamíferos de talla mediana y grande destacan por su importancia ecológica, socioeconómica y de conservación. En el sur de México, fototrampeos usados en proyectos de monitoreo comunitario proveyeron evidencia fotográfica que extienden la distribución geográfica del jaguar Panthera onca (Linnaeus 1758), tayra Eira Barbara (Linnaeus 1758), y paca Cuniculus paca (Linnaeus 1766) para la región central del Estado de Oaxaca. Estos registros también extienden la distribución altitudinal de la tayra y la paca, e incorporan el bosque de pino-encino como hábitat para éstas. El fototrampeo usado en proyectos de monitoreo comunitario muestra ser de utilidad para incrementar el conocimiento de mamíferos de talla mediana y grande.

Medium and large-sized mammals in montane habitats of Oaxaca, México

“…In the case of C. paca our record extends their geographical distribution at 80 km western of historical records in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (Goodwin 1969) and 35 km southern of citizen science records in the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca (GBIF 2020; Figure 3b). It is known that C. paca distributes along the Atlantic versant in México (Emmons 2016), but recently the species was recorded in a pine-oak forest in the central Oaxaca (Padilla-Gómez et al 2019). Besides, records obtained throughout citizen science show C. paca is distributed in southern parts of the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca subprovince (GBIF 2020).…”

Human footprint effects on the distribution of the spotted lowland paca (Cuniculus paca)

“…The spotted paca is an endemic species from America and one of the largest rodents in the world (Emmons 2016). It is distributed from southern Mexico to northern Argentina, from sea level to up to 2800 m elevation (Padilla-Gómez et al 2019). This caviomorph frugivore is an important seed disperser, as well as prey for large carnivores (e. g., jaguar and puma; Figueroa-de León et al 2016).…”