Fernando M. Contreras-Moreno

Registro de pecarí de labios blancos (Tayassu pecari) en la región de la laguna de Términos, Campeche, México

We report at least one group of white lipped peccaries (Tayassu pecari) in Selva La Montaña located in the southwestern portion of the Términos Lagoon Flora and Fauna Protection Area, Campeche, Mexico. The record was obtained using camera traps. The presence of this species in the area shows the importance of the region for biodiversity conservation, particularly for protected species.

Range Extension of the Northern Naked-Tailed Armadillo (Cabassous centralis) in Southern Mexico

Abstract. The northern naked-tailed armadillo (Cabassous centralis) is one of the least known armadillo species. Due to its restricted distribution in Mexico and the few known records of the species, the northern naked-tailed armadillo is considered endangered by Mexican law. Using camera traps, we obtained a new record in Portaceli, Chiapas, an area where the species was not previously recorded. The record was located 75 km north of the previously known range of the species in Mexico, and thus constitutes a range expansion of the species in the country. This record suggests that the species could be present in areas with similar environmental conditions where mammal research has been limited, especially in Tabasco, Mexico, and in Sierra del Lacandón, Guatemala. It is necessary to generate additional information on the species in order to determine the current status of the northern naked-tailed armadillo in Mexico.

Inventory of medium-sized and large mammals in the wetlands of Laguna de Terminos and Pantanos de Centla, Mexico

Wetlands are one of the most productive ecosystems in the world. However, they have received little attention in the tropics. Biodiversity data from the Terminos-Centla wetlands is limited despite the conservation efforts to protect these wetlands. In this study we list the medium-szied and large mammals from 8 sites within the Terminos-Centla wetlands. We recorded 30 native and 1 introduced species, representing 9 orders, 14 families, and 27 genera. Four of the recorded species are Threatened, 9 Endangered, and 1 under special protection under Mexican legislation. Compared with other sites of southeastern Mexico, the area of the Terminos-Centla wetlands has a many more species. Our results highlight the Terminos-Centla wetlands as one of the most important systems of Mesoamerica for the medium-sized and large mammals and and underlines the urgent need to develop conservation strategies for the area.

Variables del paisaje que determinan la presencia de los venados temazates ( Mazama sp.) en el oeste del estado de Campeche, México

The brocket deer (Mazama temama and M. pandora) are two of the Mexican tropical deer with great importance for subsistence and sport hunters. Brocket deer are considered species with preference for pristine habitats conserved, however at the landscape level, factors such as hunting pressure could influence the presence and abundance of these species. Campeche, is the only Mexican state where it has been authorized the exploitation of the brocket deer for sport hunting. This hunting pressure along with the intense subsistence hunting that occurs in Campeche, could have important effects on the conservation of the species. Establishing what factors determine the presence of the species at the landscape level is essential to elaborate comprehensive management plans of these species to allow their long-term conservation. The aim of this study was to determine the habitat variables at the landscape level that influence the brocket deer presence in the central-western area of Campeche State in Mexico. The study area in the state of Campeche (19° 15’ N, -91o 20´ W) was divided into six study regions (Chekubul-Cristalina; Chenkan; Chicbul-Km 74; Pixtun-Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Miguel Colorado; Centenario-La Riguena) following the main paved road of the area and according to the conservation level of the natural ecosystems, presence of flooded areas, and intensity of the human activities where we determine the presence of brocket deer. We searched for brocket deer tracks along 263 transects of 500 m each. The tracks were identified to genus only. The presence/absence of brocket deer in the transects was combined with variables of human and natural origin of the study area in a geographical information system. We use principal component analysis and a logistic regression to determine the relationship between variables and the presence/absence of the brocket deer. We were not able to distinguish by their tracks the two potentially distributed species of brocket deer in the area. Due to this constraint, we did not perform a distinction between both species and all the observed tracks were classified as brocket deer. We found that brocket deer were present only in three of the six studied regions: Miguel Colorado (21.3 % transect had brocket deer presence), Centenario-La Riguena (20.4 %) and Chenkan (1.7 %). The principal component analysis indicated that the variables determining the presence of brocket deer were, the percentage of preserved forest and distance to pastures, positively associated, while livestock density was negative. The best model obtained by the logistic regression showed that the presence of brocket deer increased when the percentage of preserved forests around transect is increased, while decreasing with increasing livestock density. The presence of conserved forests favors the presence of brocket deer in the study area, while a higher density of cattle decreases the probability of detection. The few records of brocket deer in flooded zones in this study and the lack of detection of the species in previous studies, suggests that these flooded ecosystems may not be suitable for brocket deer, which would have a strong impact on their known distributional range. Finding that brocket deer are present mainly in preserved sites indicates the species could be subject to an intense population reduction in the study area due to the continued habitat loss. The results suggest that before granting authorizations for sport hunting in this region, it is necessary to make accurate estimates of the population distribution and abundance of the species in the region.

New white-lipped peccary ( Tayassu pecari ) records for the coast of Campeche, Mexico

Abstract. Using camera traps, we recorded presence of the white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari; WLP) in the Chenkan region, an area of wetlands, mangroves, and tropical flood forest located on the coast of Campeche in Mexico. The WLP had been considered extinct in the area, so its rediscovery in Chenkan increases the known range of the current distribution of this species, which is classified as endangered in Mexico. The presence of WLP in Chenkan highlights the importance of the area for the conservation of this endangered species. Therefore, it is necessary to take effective conservation actions to maintain the regions natural ecosystems, which are under strong pressure from expanding agriculture and tourism infrastructure.

White lipped pecaries (Tayassu pecari) recorded in the area of Términos Lagoon Campeche, México

We report at least one group of white lipped peccaries (Tayassu pecari) in Selva La Montaña located in the southwestern portion of the Términos Lagoon Flora and Fauna Protection Area, Campeche, Mexico. The record was obtained using camera traps. The presence of this species in the area shows the importance of the region for biodiversity conservation, particularly for protected species.