New record of Ocelot, Leopardus pardalis (Linnaeus, 1758) (Felidae), in an Atlantic Forest fragment in the Pernambuco Endemism Center, northeastern Brazil

Déborah Maria Soares Ramos,Isabella Ribeiro Carlos,Lucas Gonçalves Da Silva,João Pedro Souza-Alves,Martín Alejandro Montes

doi:10.15560/17.4.1067

Déborah Maria Soares Ramos, Isabella Ribeiro Carlos + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.15560/17.4.1067

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Abstract

The Pernambuco Endemism Center is a key region for the maintenance of biodiversity of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Inventories of the medium-sized terrestrial mammals in this region are scarce, and several information gaps still remain. We conducted a camera trap survey at the Tapacur&aacute; Ecological Station, S&atilde;o Louren&ccedil;o da Mata, Pernambuco. We obtained new records of at least four females and three male individuals of Ocelot, Leopardus pardalis (Linnaeus, 1758). The records provide important data about occurrence and distribution of a threatened population of this mesocarnivore in northeastern Brazil.

Highlights

IntroductionCurrent rates of biodiversity loss are driven by anthropogenic pressures resulting in steep declines in populations (Dirzo et al 2014)
Located to the north of the São Francisco River, the portion of Atlantic Forest known as the Pernambuco Endemism Center (PEC) (Tabarelli et al 2006; Mendes-Pontes et al 2016) is highly biodiverse and it is inserted in a highly fragmented landscape (Melo et al 2013)
The study was conducted in the Tapacurá Ecological Station (08°02′17′′S, 035°11′28′′W at approximate center), a protected area located in the municipality of São Lourenço da Mata, state of Pernambuco, Brazil

Summary

Introduction

Current rates of biodiversity loss are driven by anthropogenic pressures resulting in steep declines in populations (Dirzo et al 2014). In the Atlantic Forest of South America, habitat loss and fragmentation represent major threats to biodiversity maintenance and promote habitat homogenization (Lôbo et al 2011), reduction of diversity (Wilson et al 2016), and local extinctions (Galetti et al 2017; Hilário et al 2017). In this context, the defaunation process is advancing at a greater rate than efforts to fill knowledge gaps on the distribution of species. Most of the Atlantic Forest fragments in the PEC are small and isolated, and less than 7% of the original vegetation cover remains (Roda 2003; Melo et al 2013)

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