The occurrence of the red-handed howler monkey (Alouatta belzebul) in Amazonian savannas is related to forest patch area and density of flooded area palms

All Neotropical primates are arboreal and thus depend on forests for their survival. Arboreality puts many Neotropical primates at risk of extinction due to the high rates of deforestation in the tropics. We assessed the influence of vegetation structure and forest patch attributes on the occurrence of the threatened red‐handed howler monkey (Alouatta belzebul) in an Amazonian savanna. Using a sample of 38 forest patches in a region of approximately 2000 km2 in the state of Amapá, northern Brazil, we used logistic regression to find the best predictors of the occurrence of A. belzebul. We assessed patch area, patch isolation, the proportion of seasonally flooded forest in the patch, the density of flooded area palms, forest height, canopy cover, and diameter at breast height of trees. Patch area and palm density were the best predictors of the occurrence of A. belzebul in forest patches, both having a positive effect on the probability of occurrence. Our results indicate that areas of flooded forest in forest patches may be keystone habitats for A. belzebul living in Amazonian savannas. The observed effect of palm density on A. belzebul suggests that this variable is useful for planning conservation actions, including the selection of areas for protection and management strategies for areas inhabited by this primate

Levantamentos rápidos como ferramenta-chave para o inventário da fauna de morcegos do Brasil: novos registros na restinga costeira

The restingas present a considerable variation in the floristic structure and composition along their latitudinal and morphoclimatic gradients. This variation may have a direct influence on the set of conditions and resources available for their biological communities, including mammals. The present study is the first to assess the bat fauna of a coastal restinga habitat in northeastern Brazil. The study site was the RPPN Caju in the municipality of Itaporanga D’Ajuda, Sergipe. We collected data on 10 consecutive days in 2014, using mist nets set at ground level, sampling a different point on each day. We captured 191 bats (16 species, 14 genera and 5 families), including the first records of Saccopteryx leptura, Molossops temminckii and Eptesicus brasiliensis for the coastal restinga. The latter two species were recorded for Sergipe for the first time. The recorded species richness is one of the highest yet recorded for Brazilian restinga. We increased the number of records of bat species in the Brazilian restinga from 38 to 41, and the number of species known to occur in Sergipe from 48 to 50. We recommend the “wandering” placement of mist nets as an effective strategy for the rapid assessment of bat communities.Keywords: Chiroptera, Eptesicus brasiliensis, Molossops temminckii, Saccopteryx leptura, Sergipe.As restingas apresentam considerável variação na composição e estrutura florística ao longo do seu gradiente latitudinal e morfoclimático. Essa variação pode ter influência direta no conjunto de condições e recursos disponíveis para suas comunidades biológicas, incluindo os mamíferos. O presente estudo é o primeiro a avaliar a quiropterofauna da restinga do nordeste brasileiro. O local de estudo foi a RPPN Caju, no município de Itaporanga D’Ajuda, Sergipe. Foram realizados 10 dias consecutivos de amostragem, em 2014, usando redes de neblina no nível do solo. Em cada dia, foram amostrados pontos diferentes. Foram capturados 191 morcegos (16 espécies, 14 gêneros e 5 famílias), com destaque para os primeiros registros de Saccopteryx leptura, Molossops temminckii e Eptesicus brasiliensis para a restinga. As duas últimas espécies são registradas pela primeira vez para Sergipe. A riqueza registrada na RPPN representa uma das mais altas registradas na literatura para a restinga. Ampliamos o número de registros de espécies de morcegos para a restinga de 38 para 41, e o número de espécies conhecidas para Sergipe de 48 para 50. Recomenda-se a instalação errante de redes de neblina para avaliações rápidas das comunidades de morcegos.Palavras-chave: Chiroptera, Eptesicus brasiliensis, Molossops temminckii, Saccopteryx leptura, Sergipe

NEOTROPICAL ALIEN MAMMALS: a data set of occurrence and abundance of alien mammals in the Neotropics

Biological invasion is one of the main threats to native biodiversity. For a species to become invasive, it must be voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into a nonnative habitat. Mammals were among first taxa to be introduced worldwide for game, meat, and labor, yet the number of species introduced in the Neotropics remains unknown. In this data set, we make available occurrence and abundance data on mammal species that (1) transposed a geographical barrier and (2) were voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into the Neotropics. Our data set is composed of 73,738 historical and current georeferenced records on alien mammal species of which around 96% correspond to occurrence data on 77 species belonging to eight orders and 26 families. Data cover 26 continental countries in the Neotropics, ranging from Mexico and its frontier regions (southern Florida and coastal-central Florida in the southeast United States) to Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay, and the 13 countries of Caribbean islands. Our data set also includes neotropical species (e.g., Callithrix sp., Myocastor coypus, Nasua nasua) considered alien in particular areas of Neotropics. The most numerous species in terms of records are from Bos sp. (n = 37,782), Sus scrofa (n = 6,730), and Canis familiaris (n = 10,084); 17 species were represented by only one record (e.g., Syncerus caffer, Cervus timorensis, Cervus unicolor, Canis latrans). Primates have the highest number of species in the data set (n = 20 species), partly because of uncertainties regarding taxonomic identification of the genera Callithrix, which includes the species Callithrix aurita, Callithrix flaviceps, Callithrix geoffroyi, Callithrix jacchus, Callithrix kuhlii, Callithrix penicillata, and their hybrids. This unique data set will be a valuable source of information on invasion risk assessments, biodiversity redistribution and conservation-related research. There are no copyright restrictions. Please cite this data paper when using the data in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us on how they are using the data

NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES: a data set on carnivore distribution in the Neotropics

Mammalian carnivores are considered a key group in maintaining ecological health and can indicate potential ecological integrity in landscapes where they occur. Carnivores also hold high conservation value and their habitat requirements can guide management and conservation plans. The order Carnivora has 84 species from 8 families in the Neotropical region: Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Otariidae; Phocidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae. Herein, we include published and unpublished data on native terrestrial Neotropical carnivores (Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae). NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES is a publicly available data set that includes 99,605 data entries from 35,511 unique georeferenced coordinates. Detection/non-detection and quantitative data were obtained from 1818 to 2018 by researchers, governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private consultants. Data were collected using several methods including camera trapping, museum collections, roadkill, line transect, and opportunistic records. Literature (peer-reviewed and grey literature) from Portuguese, Spanish and English were incorporated in this compilation. Most of the data set consists of detection data entries (n = 79,343; 79.7%) but also includes non-detection data (n = 20,262; 20.3%). Of those, 43.3% also include count data (n = 43,151). The information available in NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES will contribute to macroecological, ecological, and conservation questions in multiple spatio-temporal perspectives. As carnivores play key roles in trophic interactions, a better understanding of their distribution and habitat requirements are essential to establish conservation management plans and safeguard the future ecological health of Neotropical ecosystems. Our data paper, combined with other large-scale data sets, has great potential to clarify species distribution and related ecological processes within the Neotropics. There are no copyright restrictions and no restriction for using data from this data paper, as long as the data paper is cited as the source of the information used. We also request that users inform us of how they intend to use the data