Record of the silky anteater (Cyclopes didactylus; Xenarthra: Cyclopedidae) in the Atlantic Forest of Rio Grande do Norte state, northeastern Brazil

Abstract

Information on the distribution of the silky anteater (Cyclopes didactylus) is scarce, especially in the Atlantic Forest of northeastern Brazil, where the species is considered Data Deficient (DD) by the IUCN. We present the first georeferenced record of C. didactylus for the Atlantic Forest of Rio Grande do Norte, northeastern Brazil. A resident found the animal in 2008 near a Private Reserve of Natural Heritage in the municipality of Baía Formosa, in the surroundings of the largest Atlantic Forest fragment of the state. Our record represents the northernmost known location of the Atlantic Forest for C. didactylus. Given the likely importance of the registration site for the conservation of this species, future research should investigate the current state of the population and distribution of C. didactylus in the region to support conservation actions that guarantee its persistence in a landscape under intense anthropogenic pressure.