Living and lost mammals of Rio de Janeiro's largest biological reserve: an updated species list of Tinguá

Leandro Travassos,Alexandre Saraiva,Sérgio Nunes Gonçalves,Fernando A S Fernandez,Alexandra S Pires,Paulo Malvino Oliveira,Israel Dias Carvalho

doi:10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2017-0453

Abstract

Abstract: The Tinguá Biological Reserve (TBR) is the largest protected area of this category in Rio de Janeiro state. Here, for the first time, we present the historical composition of terrestrial mammals' assemblage of TBR region. An inventory was conducted using transect surveys, nonstandard transects, survey of museum specimens and informal reports. Considering all the data, eighty-five species were recorded, placing TBR as the second one in the number of mammals recorded in "Serra do Mar" ecoregion of Atlantic Forest and in the Rio de Janeiro state. Among the species with historical records are the jaguar (Panthera onca) and the golden-lion-tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia) while the current presence of the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) was recorded for the first time. Priority studies should focus on Chiroptera, Rodentia and Didelphimorphia orders, especially in the most remote areas of the reserve, and long-term surveys of endangered species. Besides hunting, fragmentation of its interior by roads, pipelines and transmission lines and exotic species, TBR is also threatened by the urban growth around it and the pressure to reduce its area and its protection category, demanding greater attention by the high levels of governance of protected areas in Brazil.

Highlights

In the last decades tropical forests have lost several vertebrate species due to anthropogenic impacts, especially habitat loss and fragmentation (Laurance et al 2002, Ferraz et al, 2003), hunting (Parry & Peres 2015), biological contamination (Lessa et al 2016 ) or by the synergy between these processes (Peres 2001, Chiarello 1999, 2000, Cullen Jr. et al 2000, 2000, 2004)
Mammalian surveys performed at Tinguá neighboring protected areas showed high richness and the presence of endemic and endangered species (Cunha 2007, Olifiers et al 2007, Carvalho et al 2014), the composition of mammal species of Tinguá Biological Reserve remains poorly known
This study reports the first comprehensive list of the mammals of the region of Tinguá Biological Reserve, providing the most complete “picture” of what we know about TBR’s mammals

Summary

Introduction

In the last decades tropical forests have lost several vertebrate species due to anthropogenic impacts, especially habitat loss and fragmentation (Laurance et al 2002, Ferraz et al, 2003), hunting (Parry & Peres 2015), biological contamination (Lessa et al 2016 ) or by the synergy between these processes (Peres 2001, Chiarello 1999, 2000, Cullen Jr. et al 2000, 2000, 2004) This resulted in defaunated areas (Peres & Laake, 2003, Travassos 2011, Dirzo et al, 2014, Ripple et al 2015), that can cover large extensions (Canale et al 2012, Galetti et al 2016), where several ecological processes mediated by locally extinct animals are missing (Galetti et al 2006, Kuprewicz 2013). Mammalian surveys performed at Tinguá neighboring protected areas showed high richness and the presence of endemic and endangered species (Cunha 2007, Olifiers et al 2007, Carvalho et al 2014), the composition of mammal species of Tinguá Biological Reserve remains poorly known

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