The Atlantic Forest, a hotspot for biodiversity conservation, harbours five forest deer species (... more The Atlantic Forest, a hotspot for biodiversity conservation, harbours five forest deer species ( Mazama spp.). Due to their elusiveness, there is a severe scarcity of occurrence data to support ecological studies and conservation planning. Thus, we assembled an occurrence dataset of Atlantic Forest deer with reliable taxonomic information aggregating data from scat and camera traps surveys, and opportunistic data collection over the last 20 years. From 2002 to 2019, we surveyed 77 protected areas using scats detection dogs and genetically identifying the faecal samples. We successfully identified 1,147 out of 1,450 collected samples. From 2000 to 2020, we sampled six protected areas in 92 sampling points with 13,328 camera trap days of sampling effort. In addition, we established an active search for potential contributors within the scientific community and environmental consultants since 2010, offering a taxonomic identification service for camera traps images, and biological field-collected samples. With our efforts, we assembled a dataset with 1,456 records of forest deer occurrence at the Atlantic Forest. Of these records, 494 are from M. americana , 350 from M. bororo , 309 from M. gouazoubira , 268 from M. nana and 35 from M. nemorivaga . The faecal sampling was the most predominant method in these records ( n = 1043) followed by photographs from camera traps ( n = 388); both methods represent 98.2% of our dataset records. Most of the records (79.5%) in the dataset are inside protected areas ( n = 1,130). Our dataset is the most comprehensive source of information on Neotropical forest deer occurrence to date.
<p>(A) <i>B</i>. <i>hypoxanthus</i> showing modeled presence locali... more <p>(A) <i>B</i>. <i>hypoxanthus</i> showing modeled presence localities as white triangles. (B) <i>B</i>. <i>arachnoides</i> showing modeled presence localities as white circles. Abbreviations of Brazilian states: PE–Pernambuco, BA–Bahia, GO–Goiás, MG–Minas Gerais, ES–Espírito Santo, RJ–Rio de Janeiro, SP–São Paulo, MS–Mato Grosso do Sul, PR–Paraná, SC–Santa Catarina and RS–Rio Grande do Sul.</p
The jaguar Panthera onca has lost 85% of its habitat in the Atlantic Forest, where it persists in... more The jaguar Panthera onca has lost 85% of its habitat in the Atlantic Forest, where it persists in small and isolated populations in the largest fragments. In the absence of recent records, the jaguar had previously been presumed extinct in the large Atlantic Forest fragments of the Serra do Mar in southern Brazil. However, as this region is mountainous, densely forested and difficult to access, the jaguar could still be present, but undetected. We carried out an intensive survey using camera traps and interviews with local people in a large (c. 6,500 km2) forest block. During 2011–2019, 98 camera-trap stations were established (14,239 trap-days), and 249 interviews were conducted in 102 grid cells of 5 × 5 km. We obtained the first images of the jaguar in the region, from which five individuals were identified, and interviewees provided records of the jaguar in 24 grid cells. Our findings increase the range of this species in the Atlantic Forest by 9%, and we recommend that the area...
A jaguatirica (Leopardus pardalis), assim como a maioria dos felídeos neotropicais, é um animal d... more A jaguatirica (Leopardus pardalis), assim como a maioria dos felídeos neotropicais, é um animal discreto e de difícil observação na natureza. Usando a técnica de armadilhas fotográficas, os objetivos deste estudo foram identificar possíveis variações na taxa de foto-captura e na distância máxima percorrida da jaguatirica entre períodos sazonais e estimar seu tamanho populacional, através do método de captura-recaptura, na porção norte do Parque Estadual Ilha do Cardoso. A área de vida mínima da jaguatirica e o número de foto-capturas de outras espécies de felídeos também foram documentados. Ao longo do ano, foram identificados oito indivíduos (um macho, cinco fêmeas e dois com sexo não identificado). Observou-se um aumento da taxa de foto-captura da jaguatirica e uma maior distância máxima percorrida na estação seca, sugerindo uma maior movimentação e aumento do tamanho da área de vida da jaguatirica neste período, embora estas variações entre os períodos sazonais tenham sido observ...
During the development of a study about a community of carnivorous mammals, an otter was captured... more During the development of a study about a community of carnivorous mammals, an otter was captured and equiped with a radio transmitter in an area of mangrove in the south coast of the State of Sao Paulo, southeast of Brazil. This study verified that: 1 - the animal used at least three burrows without communication between them. 2 - the most used burrow was at a distance of 2,6 km from the capture place; 3 - this individual usually moved between two islands that were separated by an estuary whose medium width was of approximately 1 km; 4 - it spent a long period on a small island of approximately 0,06 Km 2 where a muddy substratum prevailed, not allowing the construction of a burrow. In spite of the little time that the otter stayed with the radio-transmitter, the data obtained are of relevant importance as they show an unknown activity pattern, besides showing in a short period some patterns of burrow use. Even though the otter removed its radio-collar, it didn't cause any damag...
Our understanding of mammal ecology has always been hindered by the difficulties of observing spe... more Our understanding of mammal ecology has always been hindered by the difficulties of observing species in closed tropical forests. Camera trapping has become a major advance for monitoring terrestrial mammals in biodiversity rich ecosystems. Here we compiled one of the largest datasets of inventories of terrestrial mammal communities for the Neotropical region based on camera trapping studies. The dataset comprises 170 surveys of medium to large terrestrial mammals using camera traps conducted in 144 areas by 74 studies, covering six vegetation types of tropical and subtropical Atlantic Forest of South America (Brazil and Argentina), and present data on species composition and richness. The complete dataset comprises 53,438 independent records of 83 species of mammals, includes 10 species of marsupials, 15 rodents, 20 carnivores, 8 ungulates and 6 armadillos. Species richness averaged 13 species (± 6.07 SD) per site. Only six species occurred in more than 50% of the sites: the domest...
The bush dog Speothos venaticus, a rarely seen Neotropical canid categorized as Near Threatened g... more The bush dog Speothos venaticus, a rarely seen Neotropical canid categorized as Near Threatened globally, is categorized as Vulnerable in Brazil. In the Atlantic Forest occurrence data of this species are extremely rare. Here we document new records of the bush dog in four reserves in a large remnant of continuous coastal Atlantic Forest in Paraná state, southern Brazil. From a total of 4,112 trap days in two camera-trap surveys in 2009 and 2011 we obtained one opportunistic sighting and three independent photographic records of the bush dog. Additionally, park guards reported previous sightings (>4 years earlier) in three of these reserves, including the reserve where we did not record the species. Our results indicate that the remnant coastal Atlantic Forest of Paraná state is an important region for the conservation of the bush dog in southern Brazil. Given the rarity of this species in its natural habitat we suggest that conservation efforts in this region should focus on min...
Orientador : Prof. Dr. Mauricio O. MouraTese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor ... more Orientador : Prof. Dr. Mauricio O. MouraTese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Ciências Biológicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação. Defesa: Curitiba, 07/08/2014Inclui referênciasÁrea de concentração : Ecologia e ConservaçãoResumo: A função básica de áreas protegidas é separar elementos da biodiversidade de processos que ameaçam sua existência na natureza. Nesse sentido, as áreas protegidas deveriam cumprir um papel importante na manutenção das populações de animais, servindo em muitos casos como áreas de refúgio e fonte de indivíduos. Mamíferos de médio e grande porte são particularmente espécies vulneráveis às perturbações antrópicas (e.g. alteração e fragmentação do habitat, caça, presença de espécies invasoras) sendo um grupo indicado para pesquisas voltadas à conservação. Assim, acessar o status dessas espécies no tempo e espaço é fundamental para avaliar a efetividade de proteção e para propor ações necessárias para que minimizem a perd...
This is the first report on the distribution and relative abundance of the broad-snouted caiman o... more This is the first report on the distribution and relative abundance of the broad-snouted caiman on Santa Catarina Island. The study estimated the relative abundance of caiman along the rivers at Estação Ecológica de Carijós, in addition to evaluating the occurrence of this species in the entire area of the Ratones River plain on the northwestern portion of the island. The mean relative abundance obtained by nocturnal counts was 0.25 (±0.07) caiman/km surveyed. There was a weak correlation between the number of caimans and the air temperature. Based on interviews with the local community and nocturnal surveys of caimans in rivers and reservoirs surrounding the protected area, we concluded that the range occupied by caimans covered the entire area of the Ratones river plain, inhabiting natural habitats (rivers, mangroves, swamps) as well as artificial habitats (reservoirs and water channels). Although this study provides basic information about the broad-snouted caiman population on t...
The Atlantic Forest, a hotspot for biodiversity conservation, harbours five forest deer species (... more The Atlantic Forest, a hotspot for biodiversity conservation, harbours five forest deer species ( Mazama spp.). Due to their elusiveness, there is a severe scarcity of occurrence data to support ecological studies and conservation planning. Thus, we assembled an occurrence dataset of Atlantic Forest deer with reliable taxonomic information aggregating data from scat and camera traps surveys, and opportunistic data collection over the last 20 years. From 2002 to 2019, we surveyed 77 protected areas using scats detection dogs and genetically identifying the faecal samples. We successfully identified 1,147 out of 1,450 collected samples. From 2000 to 2020, we sampled six protected areas in 92 sampling points with 13,328 camera trap days of sampling effort. In addition, we established an active search for potential contributors within the scientific community and environmental consultants since 2010, offering a taxonomic identification service for camera traps images, and biological field-collected samples. With our efforts, we assembled a dataset with 1,456 records of forest deer occurrence at the Atlantic Forest. Of these records, 494 are from M. americana , 350 from M. bororo , 309 from M. gouazoubira , 268 from M. nana and 35 from M. nemorivaga . The faecal sampling was the most predominant method in these records ( n = 1043) followed by photographs from camera traps ( n = 388); both methods represent 98.2% of our dataset records. Most of the records (79.5%) in the dataset are inside protected areas ( n = 1,130). Our dataset is the most comprehensive source of information on Neotropical forest deer occurrence to date.
<p>(A) <i>B</i>. <i>hypoxanthus</i> showing modeled presence locali... more <p>(A) <i>B</i>. <i>hypoxanthus</i> showing modeled presence localities as white triangles. (B) <i>B</i>. <i>arachnoides</i> showing modeled presence localities as white circles. Abbreviations of Brazilian states: PE–Pernambuco, BA–Bahia, GO–Goiás, MG–Minas Gerais, ES–Espírito Santo, RJ–Rio de Janeiro, SP–São Paulo, MS–Mato Grosso do Sul, PR–Paraná, SC–Santa Catarina and RS–Rio Grande do Sul.</p
The jaguar Panthera onca has lost 85% of its habitat in the Atlantic Forest, where it persists in... more The jaguar Panthera onca has lost 85% of its habitat in the Atlantic Forest, where it persists in small and isolated populations in the largest fragments. In the absence of recent records, the jaguar had previously been presumed extinct in the large Atlantic Forest fragments of the Serra do Mar in southern Brazil. However, as this region is mountainous, densely forested and difficult to access, the jaguar could still be present, but undetected. We carried out an intensive survey using camera traps and interviews with local people in a large (c. 6,500 km2) forest block. During 2011–2019, 98 camera-trap stations were established (14,239 trap-days), and 249 interviews were conducted in 102 grid cells of 5 × 5 km. We obtained the first images of the jaguar in the region, from which five individuals were identified, and interviewees provided records of the jaguar in 24 grid cells. Our findings increase the range of this species in the Atlantic Forest by 9%, and we recommend that the area...
A jaguatirica (Leopardus pardalis), assim como a maioria dos felídeos neotropicais, é um animal d... more A jaguatirica (Leopardus pardalis), assim como a maioria dos felídeos neotropicais, é um animal discreto e de difícil observação na natureza. Usando a técnica de armadilhas fotográficas, os objetivos deste estudo foram identificar possíveis variações na taxa de foto-captura e na distância máxima percorrida da jaguatirica entre períodos sazonais e estimar seu tamanho populacional, através do método de captura-recaptura, na porção norte do Parque Estadual Ilha do Cardoso. A área de vida mínima da jaguatirica e o número de foto-capturas de outras espécies de felídeos também foram documentados. Ao longo do ano, foram identificados oito indivíduos (um macho, cinco fêmeas e dois com sexo não identificado). Observou-se um aumento da taxa de foto-captura da jaguatirica e uma maior distância máxima percorrida na estação seca, sugerindo uma maior movimentação e aumento do tamanho da área de vida da jaguatirica neste período, embora estas variações entre os períodos sazonais tenham sido observ...
During the development of a study about a community of carnivorous mammals, an otter was captured... more During the development of a study about a community of carnivorous mammals, an otter was captured and equiped with a radio transmitter in an area of mangrove in the south coast of the State of Sao Paulo, southeast of Brazil. This study verified that: 1 - the animal used at least three burrows without communication between them. 2 - the most used burrow was at a distance of 2,6 km from the capture place; 3 - this individual usually moved between two islands that were separated by an estuary whose medium width was of approximately 1 km; 4 - it spent a long period on a small island of approximately 0,06 Km 2 where a muddy substratum prevailed, not allowing the construction of a burrow. In spite of the little time that the otter stayed with the radio-transmitter, the data obtained are of relevant importance as they show an unknown activity pattern, besides showing in a short period some patterns of burrow use. Even though the otter removed its radio-collar, it didn't cause any damag...
Our understanding of mammal ecology has always been hindered by the difficulties of observing spe... more Our understanding of mammal ecology has always been hindered by the difficulties of observing species in closed tropical forests. Camera trapping has become a major advance for monitoring terrestrial mammals in biodiversity rich ecosystems. Here we compiled one of the largest datasets of inventories of terrestrial mammal communities for the Neotropical region based on camera trapping studies. The dataset comprises 170 surveys of medium to large terrestrial mammals using camera traps conducted in 144 areas by 74 studies, covering six vegetation types of tropical and subtropical Atlantic Forest of South America (Brazil and Argentina), and present data on species composition and richness. The complete dataset comprises 53,438 independent records of 83 species of mammals, includes 10 species of marsupials, 15 rodents, 20 carnivores, 8 ungulates and 6 armadillos. Species richness averaged 13 species (± 6.07 SD) per site. Only six species occurred in more than 50% of the sites: the domest...
The bush dog Speothos venaticus, a rarely seen Neotropical canid categorized as Near Threatened g... more The bush dog Speothos venaticus, a rarely seen Neotropical canid categorized as Near Threatened globally, is categorized as Vulnerable in Brazil. In the Atlantic Forest occurrence data of this species are extremely rare. Here we document new records of the bush dog in four reserves in a large remnant of continuous coastal Atlantic Forest in Paraná state, southern Brazil. From a total of 4,112 trap days in two camera-trap surveys in 2009 and 2011 we obtained one opportunistic sighting and three independent photographic records of the bush dog. Additionally, park guards reported previous sightings (>4 years earlier) in three of these reserves, including the reserve where we did not record the species. Our results indicate that the remnant coastal Atlantic Forest of Paraná state is an important region for the conservation of the bush dog in southern Brazil. Given the rarity of this species in its natural habitat we suggest that conservation efforts in this region should focus on min...
Orientador : Prof. Dr. Mauricio O. MouraTese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor ... more Orientador : Prof. Dr. Mauricio O. MouraTese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Ciências Biológicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação. Defesa: Curitiba, 07/08/2014Inclui referênciasÁrea de concentração : Ecologia e ConservaçãoResumo: A função básica de áreas protegidas é separar elementos da biodiversidade de processos que ameaçam sua existência na natureza. Nesse sentido, as áreas protegidas deveriam cumprir um papel importante na manutenção das populações de animais, servindo em muitos casos como áreas de refúgio e fonte de indivíduos. Mamíferos de médio e grande porte são particularmente espécies vulneráveis às perturbações antrópicas (e.g. alteração e fragmentação do habitat, caça, presença de espécies invasoras) sendo um grupo indicado para pesquisas voltadas à conservação. Assim, acessar o status dessas espécies no tempo e espaço é fundamental para avaliar a efetividade de proteção e para propor ações necessárias para que minimizem a perd...
This is the first report on the distribution and relative abundance of the broad-snouted caiman o... more This is the first report on the distribution and relative abundance of the broad-snouted caiman on Santa Catarina Island. The study estimated the relative abundance of caiman along the rivers at Estação Ecológica de Carijós, in addition to evaluating the occurrence of this species in the entire area of the Ratones River plain on the northwestern portion of the island. The mean relative abundance obtained by nocturnal counts was 0.25 (±0.07) caiman/km surveyed. There was a weak correlation between the number of caimans and the air temperature. Based on interviews with the local community and nocturnal surveys of caimans in rivers and reservoirs surrounding the protected area, we concluded that the range occupied by caimans covered the entire area of the Ratones river plain, inhabiting natural habitats (rivers, mangroves, swamps) as well as artificial habitats (reservoirs and water channels). Although this study provides basic information about the broad-snouted caiman population on t...
Uploads
Papers by Roberto Fusco-Costa