Olga Montenegro

Abundance, Population Structure, and Conservation of Kinosternon scorpioides albogulare on the Caribbean Island of San Andrés, Colombia

ABSTRACT We estimated population sizes, densities, structure, and the sex ratio of a locally endangered species of mud turtle, Kinosternon scorpioides albogulare, on the Caribbean island of San Andrés, Colombia. We estimated the population size at 4343 turtles on the island in 2002, inhabiting both freshwater ponds and mangroves. Densities for the main populations varied from 77 to 254 turtles/ha. The population structure showed that most of the individuals belong to intermediate size classes (110- to 140-mm carapace length) and a few belong to the smaller or larger size classes (< 110- or > 140-mm carapace length). The sex ratio was significantly different from 1:1 and was skewed toward females, 1 male per 1.97 females. No common use was found for the species among native islanders, although people from the continent living on the island use it for diverse purposes. Some threats were identified, such as mangrove pollution and the presence of the introduced species Tupinambis teguixin.

Spatiotemporal Interactions Among Three Neighboring Groups of Free-Ranging White-Footed Tamarins (Saguinus leucopus) in Colombia

Successful conservation requires an understanding of animal movement patterns and space use. Such data are hard to obtain, however, when difficult terrain, nocturnal habits, or lack of habituation make direct observation impractical. White-footed tamarins (Saguinus leucopus) are small primates endemic to Colombia that are in danger of extinction due to habitat loss, fragmentation, and the illegal pet trade. Here, we report the results of the first study to use radio-tracking to investigate white-footed tamarin ranging behavior. We recorded the movements of three neighboring tamarin groups simultaneously for 3 month using radio-telemetry. Home range sizes (estimated using both minimum convex polygon and fixed kernel contour methods) were substantially larger than reported in previous studies that did not use remote-tracking. Monte Carlo resampling procedures revealed that home range size differed significantly among the three groups but that the mean daily path length did not. As in other tamarin species, the degree of range overlap between neighboring social groups was high, ranging from 27 to 81%. Using a randomization test, we showed that the observed mean distance between groups was significantly lower than expected by chance for two of the three group dyads. This pattern of intergroup “attraction,” in conjunction with substantial range overlap and high population density, implies that the Bellavista Forest, one of the few remaining habitats of Saguinus leucopus, may be saturated, and promoting habitat restoration should be a priority for the conservation of this species.

SEROLOGIC SURVEY FOR SELECTED VIRAL AND BACTERIAL SWINE PATHOGENS IN COLOMBIAN COLLARED PECCARIES (PECARI TAJACU) AND FERAL PIGS (SUS SCROFA)

Abstract In South America, wild populations of peccaries coexist with domestic and feral pigs, with poorly understood consequences. We captured 58 collared peccaries (Pecari tajacu) and 15 feral pigs (Sus scrofa) in locations of Colombia where coexistence of these species is known. Blood samples were tested for antibodies against four viral agents, classical swine fever virus (CSFV), Aujeszkys disease virus (ADV), porcine circovirus (PCV-2), and vesicular stomatitis virus (New Jersey and Indiana subtypes) and two bacterial agents, Brucella spp. and six serovars of Leptospira interrogans. The prevalence of CSFV was 5% (3/58) in collared peccaries and 7% (1/15) in feral pigs. The prevalence of PCV-2 was 7% (1/15) in collared peccaries and 67% (2/3) in feral pigs. Vesicular stomatitis prevalence was 33% (8/24) in collared peccaries and 67% (4/6) in feral pigs. Leptospira prevalence was 78% (39/50) in collared peccary and 100% (8/8) in feral pigs; bratislava, grippotyphosa, icterohaemorrhagiae, and pomona were the most frequent serovars. Also, the only white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari) sampled was positive for L. interrogans serovar bratislava and for vesicular stomatitis virus, New Jersey strain. No samples were positive for ADV or Brucella. The seroprevalence of antibodies against L. interrogans was similar to that observed in other studies. Icterohaemorrhagiae appears to be a common serovar among in situ and ex situ peccary populations. Positive antibodies against PVC-2 represent a novel report of exposure to this pathogen in Colombian peccaries. Our results indicate the possible transmission of various pathogens, important for pig farms, in the studied pig and peccaries.

Variación en la abundancia de ungulados en dos áreas protegidas de la Guayana colombiana estimadas con modelos de ocupación

Six ungulate species inhabit the Colombian Guiana Shield, a patchily-distributed biogeographic region characterized by poor nutrient soils and by harboring the only forest in Colombia growing on a Precambrian surface. In Colombia, two protected areas are located on the Colombian Guiana Shield, the Tuparro National Natural Park (PNNT, for its Spanish initials) and the Puinawai National Natural Reserve (RNNP, for its Spanish initials), which have a large difference in the configuration and availability of native forest. These ungulates are three deer species (Odocoileus virginianus, Mazama americana and M. nemorivaga), two peccary species (Pecari tajacu and Tayassu pecari) and one tapir specie (Tapirus terrestris). The aims of this study were to estimate and compare the abundance of those six ungulate species in two protected areas located within the Guiana Shield region in Colombia and analyze the relationship with the landscape forest amount and distance to human settlements. The study sites were in PNNT where the landscape is dominated by natural savannas mixed with riparian forests, and RNNP covered by tropical forests. We estimated the relative abundance of each ungulate species using repeated presence-absence data with the occupancy model with heterogeneous detection of Royle and Nichols (2003). Presence detection was obtained from both direct observations and tracks. The direct sightings and tracks we sampled along six transects in PNNT and nine in RNNP (244.4 km at PNNT and 257 km at RNNP) and track plots of 0.25 m2 (211 at PNNT and 297 at RNNP). The relative abundance of tapir, collared peccary (P. tajacu) and brocket deer (Mazama spp.) were different between protected areas; we found no differences in the white-lipped peccary abundance (T. pecari). Relative abundance estimation was higher at RNNP for tapirs and brocket deers. In contrast, collared peccary was more abundant in the PNNT. There was positive effect of floodplain forest area abundance of white-lipped peccary. The distance to human settlements had positive effect on collared peccary abundance and negative effect on tapir and white tailed deer (O. virginianus). The higher abundance in the RNNP for tapirs and Mazama spp., brocket deer was unrelated to the forest area, so the difference may be related to local habitat conditions. The white-lipped peccary is sensitive to the forest area in the landscape, but has also been found that riparian forests act as natural corridors. Failure to find differences in abundance can be an indicator of the high habitat quality for these species. The collared peccary has been positively associated to a moderate degree of subdivision of forest at landscape (number of patchs), which could explain the higher abundance in the PNNT. The positive relationship of white-lipped peccary with the floodplain forest coincides with the patterns observed in other Amazonian areas. Finally, the negative effect of the distance from settlements for brocket deer and tapir may be related to low hunting pressure on these species, contrary to what was found for the collared peccary. The six ungulate species show low detectability, which is associated with low abundances.