Activity patterns of tayra (Eira barbara) across their distribution

Species' activity patterns are driven by the need to meet basic requirements of food, social interactions, movement, and rest, but often are influenced by a variety of biotic and abiotic factors. We used camera-trap data to describe and compare the activity patterns of the relatively poorly studied tayra (Eira barbara) across 10 populations distributed from the south of Mexico to the north of Argentina, and attempted to identify biotic or abiotic factors that may be associated with variation in level of diurnality. In a subset of sites we also aimed to document potential seasonal variation in activity. We used a kernel density estimator based on the time of independent photographic events to calculate the proportion of diurnal, crepuscular, and nocturnal activity of each population. Tayras were mostly active during diurnal periods (79.31%, 759 records), with a lower proportion of crepuscular activity (18.07%, 173 records) yet we documented some variation in patterns across the 10 study areas (activity overlap coefficient varied from Δ4 = 0.64 to Δ1 = 0.95). In northern localities, activity peaked twice during the day (bimodal) with most activity ocurring in the morning, whereas closer to the geographical equator, activity was constant (unimodal) throughout the day, peaking at midday: activity either was unimodal or bimodal in southern localities. Despite investigating multiple potential abiotic and biotic predictors, only latitude was associated with variation in the proportion of diurnal activity by tayras across its range, with increased diurnal activity closer to the equator. Seasonal comparisons in activity showed a tendency to reduce diurnality in dry versus rainy seasons, but the pattern was not consistently significant. This is the most comprehensive description of tayra activity patterns to date, and lends novel insight into the potential flexibility of the species to adapt to local conditions.Fil: Villafañe Trujillo, Álvaro José. Universidad Autonoma de Queretaro.; MéxicoFil: Kolowski, Joseph M.. Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas; BrasilFil: Cove, Michael V.. University of Belize; BeliceFil: Medici, Emilia Patricia. Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas; BrasilFil: Harmsen, Bart J.. University of Belize; BeliceFil: Foster, Rebbeca J.. University of Belize; BeliceFil: Hidalgo Mihart, Mircea G.. Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco,; MéxicoFil: Espinosa, Santiago. Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí; MéxicoFil: Ríos Alvear, Gorky. Universidad de Porto; PortugalFil: Reyes Puig, Carolina. Universidad de Porto; PortugalFil: Reyes Puig, Juan Pablo. Universidad de Porto; PortugalFil: Da Silva, Marina Xavier. Universidad Central del Ecuador; EcuadorFil: Paviolo, Agustin Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical; ArgentinaFil: Cruz, Paula Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical; ArgentinaFil: López González, Carlos Alberto. Universidad Autonoma de Queretaro.; Méxic

Records of melanistic Tamandua tetradactyla (Pilosa, Myrmecophagidae) from Ecuador

In Ecuador, the presence of melanistic individuals of Southern Tamandua Tamandua tetradactyla Linnaeus (1758) has been recognized but there has not been a formal report written about it. Neither has there been one on the observations or the collected specimens in museums. We present six records of melanism in Tamandua tetradactyla from southern Ecuador and discuss other records in wildlife and from museum collections. Half of the records are recent photographic ones (2018), and the other three are museum specimens collected between 2009 and 2016. Our report of melanistic individuals suggests that dark coloration varieties are frequent mutations in the region. This report can be useful to promote conservation initiatives, based on the Southern Tamandua as a potential flagship-species

Records of melanistic Tamandua tetradactyla (Pilosa, Myrmecophagidae) from Ecuador

In Ecuador, the presence of melanistic individuals of Southern Tamandua Tamandua tetradactyla Linnaeus (1758) has been recognized but there has not been a formal report written about it. Neither has there been one on the observations or the collected specimens in museums. We present six records of melanism in Tamandua tetradactyla from southern Ecuador and discuss other records in wildlife and from museum collections. Half of the records are recent photographic ones (2018), and the other three are museum specimens collected between 2009 and 2016. Our report of melanistic individuals suggests that dark coloration varieties are frequent mutations in the region. This report can be useful to promote conservation initiatives, based on the Southern Tamandua as a potential flagship-species

First insights in terrestrial mammals monitoring in the Candelaria and Machay Reserves in the Ecuadorian Tropical Andes

Habitat disturbance leads to biodiversity decline and modifications in the landscape structure and composition, affecting both dispersal movements and ecological processes at different temporal and spatial scales. The Ecuadorian Tropical Andes harbour suitable habitats for the distribution of a wide variety of species; however, there is a lack of studies focused on mammal diversity and its association with the habitat attributes in the central-eastern slopes. Here, we reported the diversity of terrestrial mammals recorded between 2019 and 2021 in a camera-trap monitoring study in the Candelaria and Machay reserves in the upper basin of the Pastaza River, Ecuador. We performed site-occupancy probability analysis to assess the influence of spatial variables in the species’ occurrence and also, based on natural marks, we reported preliminary findings in Andean bear individual identification. We detected 22 species of terrestrial mammals. Alpha diversity was similar between reserves with slightly higher species richness in Machay. Evenness indices showed unequal species distribution, with the Andean bear and domestic dogs exhibiting greater dominance. In addition, species composition was dissimilar between reserves, where the species turnover mostly explained the beta diversity. We observed that Andean bear and puma detections increased according to the natural vegetation cover. Conversely, domestic dogs were frequently detected in cells with an increasing proportion of pastures and crops. Additionally, we identified 26 Andean bears and six individuals recaptured during our study. Our results caution about the disturbance derived from human activities since we recorded unprecedented detections of domestic dogs in wild habitats. Nonetheless, it highlights the importance of private conservation areas (e.g. Candelaria, Machay and others) for supporting the occurrence and dispersal of terrestrial mammal species between larger areas in the upper basin of the Pastaza River