Mammals of medium and large size in Cerrado remnants in southeastern Brazil

By

Laurindo, Rafael De Souza
Toledo, Flávia Regina Nascimento
Teixeira, Elias Manna

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2019-7-15

Original Publication

Neotropical Biology and Conservation

Volume

14

Series / Issue

Issue: 2

Pages

195--206

Subjects

agricultural mosaic , Armadilha fotográfica , Brazilian savanna , camera trap , mammal fauna , mastofauna , mosaico agrícola , savana brasileira

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Brazil Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/neotropical.14.e37653

 

Abstract

The Cerrado is the second largest biome in Brazil and considered a global biodiversity hotspot due to its high species richness, elevated amount of endemisms, and several anthropogenic threats. The Cerrado has more than 250 species of mammals, and about 15% are endemic. However, fragmentation and the consequent loss of native habitat threaten the maintenance of mammalian populations. In this context we carried out an inventory of medium- and large-sized mammals in Cerrado remnants in Matutina, Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. Sampling was performed in four remnants of Cerrado and adjacent agricultural matrices for 18 days and 16 nights in March and July 2015 with camera traps, diurnal and nocturnal censuses, and by searching for tracks and other indirect evidence. We recorded 19 species of mammals, including top predators and species vulnerable to extinction. The original vegetation cover in the study area has become severely reduced and fragmented due to agricultural expansion. However, the remnants still retain considerable diversity of medium- and large-sized mammals, making them important for the maintenance of biological diversity.