Cabassous Centralis Research Articles

New records on the distribution and habitat of the northern naked-tailed armadillo, Cabassous centralis (Mammalia, Cingulata, Chlamyphoridae) in Costa Rica

The northern naked-tailed armadillo,Cabassous centralis, is a rare and elusive species. It ranges from southern Mexico to northern South America. It has been detected in several types of habitats, but appears to prefer Tropical and Subtropical broadleaf forests. In Costa Rica, this species is difficult to observe and there are only eight records reported in the scientific literature. To search records of this armadillo, we used camera traps in north-western Costa Rica and visited several additional localities in the centre and the Caribbean lowlands of the country. We also examined and assessed records of this species from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) database. We added four new locality records forC. centralisin Costa Rica, based on photos from camera traps and field observations. We found only three localities (five records) in GBIF additional to the eight reported in literature. Habitat in these new Costa Rican localities reported here varied from mature dense forest (one site) to semi-urban areas (two sites). Additionally, two individuals were detected in secondary forest patches, one of them adjacent to mature riparian forest. Given the species’ scarcity, much additional information still is required to ground protection actions in a scientific framework.

State of knowledge and updated distribution of the northern naked-tailed armadillo Cabassous centralis Miller, 1899 (Cingulata, Chlamyphoridae)

Abstract The northern naked-tailed armadillo (Cabassous centralis) is a small, poorly known armadillo species. We update the state of knowledge on this species, provide information on its current and potential distribution, and assess its conservation status and threats. We reviewed the existing literature and obtained georeferenced records from publications, online databases, and field researchers. A total of 174 documents mentioning C. centralis have been published between 1855 and 2019, about half of which (83) provided information on its distribution. The majority of publications came from Colombia. About 10% of publications included information about its ecology, concluding that it is a rare species that mainly occurs in areas with secondary vegetation. It seems to prefer complex habitats, as it is rarely found in fragmented or modified habitats. Consequently, it is possible that its ability to adapt to land use change is low. A total of 224 confirmed records allowed us to extend the species range to the northern Lacandona Forest in Mexico, the Andes of Colombia and southwards in Ecuador. Nevertheless, a distribution model suggests that the species could be even more widely distributed. C. centralis is listed in a threatened category in two countries, whereas more than half of the range countries have not assessed its conservation status. We consider its current global listing as Data Deficient to be appropriate, as many aspects of its ecology, reproduction, population size and trend, and the degree of impact of potential threats remain unknown.

New records of mammals of the Coffee Region, Central Andes of Colombia using citizen science

The Coffee Region of Colombia is one of the most representative areas of the country due to its cultural appeal. 200 of the 528 mammal species in the country occur in this region. Pre-existing knowledge about the group in this region has been obtained through indirect and direct sampling methods. We present new records of mammals of the “Reserva Forestal Protectora Bosques de la Central Hidroeléctrica de Caldas (CHEC)”, located in the Coffee Region, based on vouchered citizen science records. To accomplish this, we held training workshops on the relevance of information provided by non-invasive vouchers for mammal collections that include bone remains, hairs, skin and other signs that can be found incidentally in the field by park rangers and other staff of the Reserve. In addition, we included photographic and video records of mammals taken by park rangers before and after the training workshops. We added vouchers obtained by the park rangers to the biological collection of the Natural History Museum of the Universidad de Caldas (MHN-UCa). Using this method, we obtained records of 34 mammalian species belonging to 20 families and 11 orders. We highlight the obtention of museum preserved vouchers of the Northern Naked-tailed Armadillo, Cabassous centralis (Miller 1899), and the Cauca Slender Opossum, Marmosops caucae (Thomas 1900), that had limited samples in national collections or had not been previously collected in the study area. With this work, a contribution network with the CHEC reserve staff was established, promoting the inclusion of these agents in the development of scientific research, and showing the relevance of collaborative science in assisting with filling information gaps about medium and large mammals.

Inventario de mamíferos no voladores en Remanentes de bosque seco tropical en el valle del río Cauca, Cartago, Colombia

El estudio de la diversidad local de los mamíferos en el BST es importante, debido al valor cultural que tienen para las comunidades locales como fuente de alimento y medicina. Además, la información sobre estos ensamblajes es útil para el manejo del bosque seco tropical, uno de los ecosistemas más amenazados de Colombia cuyos remanentes constituyen importantes albergues para la fauna. El objetivo de este trabajo fue caracterizar los mamíferos medianos no voladores del “Bosque seco tropical Hernán Victoria Mena”, municipio de Cartago (Valle del Cauca). El trabajo de campo se desarrolló durante 9 días en dos fases, empleando técnicas para la detección directa e indirecta (fototrampeo, trampas de huellas, recorridos libres y entrevistas). Se acumularon 130 registros correspondientes a 19 especies de mamíferos. Algunas están citadas en la lista roja de la IUCN y el libro rojo: Lontra longicaudis, Aotus lemurinus y Cabassous centralis. Los resultados presentados en este documento serán utilizados como línea base para implementar iniciativas de manejo por parte de los propietarios del predio.

Registro notable de armadillo de cola desnuda, Cabassous centralis (Cingulata: Chlamyphoridae), en el estado de Chiapas, México

El 19 de abril de 2020 se observó y fotografió un individuo de Cabassous centralis capturado por trabajadores de campo en un fragmento de vegetación secundaria en el ejido Jilumil, municipio de Salto de Agua, en el norte de Chiapas, México. Este registro es actualmente el más septentrional en la distribución conocida de esta especie, el cual se ubica a 18 km del registro más cercano publicado anteriormente.

Range extension of Northern Naked-tailed Armadillo, Cabassous centralis Miller, 1899 (Mammalia, Cingulata, Chlamyphoridae), in Belize

Little is known about the Northern Naked-tailed Armadillo, Cabassous centralis (Miller, 1899). Here we present a new record of C. centralis in the Maya Mountain Massif of Belize, from camera-trap surveys covering an area of 200 km2 conducted yearly between 2002 and 2017 in lowland tropical broadleaf evergreen forest, and a dead specimen found adjacent to a highway. The record presented constitutes a range expansion of ca 65 km for C. centralis in Belize. This adds valuable data about a species for which the geographic distribution is poorly known.

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 Lacandon, 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.

What do we know about armadillos? An analysis of four centuries of knowledge about a group of South American mammals, with emphasis on their conservation

Abstract Basic knowledge on the biology and ecology of a species is fundamental for the realistic assessment of its conservation status and for planning effective conservation strategies. The latest assessment of the 21 extant armadillo species (Xenarthra, Dasypodidae) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for its Red List of Threatened Species shows that considerable gaps exist in our knowledge of these Neotropical mammals. Our goal was to analyse the existing literature on armadillos to define thematic and regional research priorities that will eventually benefit their conservation. We categorized 3117 publications on extant armadillos published between 1660 and 2011 according to their research topic, species studied, country and publication language. The number of publications per research topic and the number per species were very variable. The nine best‐studied species are classed as Least Concern by the IUCN, while three of the four least‐studied species are classed as Data Deficient. At least one field study was done in each range country, but over 80% of field research took place in the USA, Brazil, Argentina and Bolivia. Most research was done in the USA on leprosy in Dasypus novemcinctus. Most ecological research has been focused on four species, and data on the ecology of Data Deficient and Vulnerable taxa are virtually absent. Field research on armadillos should be intensified to broaden conservation‐relevant knowledge. Additional studies in the Guianas, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela and Paraguay are urgently needed to assess the conservation status of armadillos in these regions. Future research should focus on ecology, conservation, population genetics, reproduction and threats. Species priorities should include country endemics, such as Dasypus pilosus (Peru), Tolypeutes tricinctus (Brazil) and Dasypus yepesi and Chlamyphorus truncatus (Argentina), as well as other Data Deficient and Vulnerable species, especially Cabassous centralis and Calyptophractus retusus.

Cabassous centralis(Cingulata: Dasypodidae)

Cabassous centralis (northern naked-tailed armadillo) is a small armadillo with a slender tail. The distinctive tail has widely spaced, thin plates that are gray-pink in color. This fossorial armadillo occurs in diverse tropical habitats and has a distributional range from southern Mexico, through Central America, and into northern South America (Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador). C. centralis is listed as “Least Concern” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, and is rare everywhere.

Los mamíferos de la cuenca del río Chinchiná, en la región andina de Colombia

Resumen The Chinchina river basin, located on the western flank of the Central Cordillera of Colombia, has been transformed by human activity. However, the basin still holds a great richness of mammal species typical of the Colombian Andes, which is necessary to document and divulgate. The aim of this paper is to provide the richness, composition, and distribution of mammals that inhabit the Chinchina river basin. We only took into account the records of mammals that are supported with individuals or part of these deposited in scientific collections and / or pictures published that support the observation. We recorded a total of 99 species, distributed in 11 orders, 26 families and 67 genera. Of the mammals recorded, according to IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), four species are in the category Vulnerable (VU): Aotus lemurinus, Dinomys branickii, Leopardus tigrinus and Mazama rufina ; five are in the category Data Deficient (DD): Cabassous centralis, Histiotus humboldti, Nasuella olivacea, Sciurus pucheranii, Thomasomys bombycinus; and four are in the category Near Threatened (NT): Cuniculus taczanowskii, Sturnira aratathomasi, Sturnira oporaphilum and Vampyrum spectrum.

The northern naked-tailed armadillo in the Lacandona rainforest, Mexico: new records and potential threats

We review historic occurrences in Mexico of one of the least known Xenarthra of Mesoamerica – the northern naked-tailed armadillo (Cabassous centralis Miller, 1899). We document 6 new records in the Lacandona rainforest, southern Mexico, and through interviews with local people, we assess potential threats for this species in the region. In addition to being locally rare, our results show that hunting and death by road-kill may be major threats to this species in the region. Key words: Cabassous centralis, Cingulata, Dasypodidae, xenarthra, human perception

New records for the northern naked-tailed armadillo <i>Cabassous centralis</i> (Cingulata: Dasypodidae) in tropical dry forests of the department of sucre, colombian caribbean

Abstract: The Northern naked-tailed armadillo Cabassous centralis is distributed from México to Ecuador (0-3 000 m asl) in numerous habitats from dry forests to subparamo, tolerating some habitat modification and mixed landscapes including agriculture. Despite its wide range, there is still little known about the species’ ecology, based on a few confirmed records, and it is underrepresented in collections. Here we present the first confirmed records for the species in the Sucre Department of Colombia, through a photograph and a track recorded as part of an intensive field sampling effort. These new records provide insights into the species’ ecology, rarity, presence, and potential tolerance to moderate disturbance. Keywords: Armadillo, Cingulata, Coraza, Cola de Trapo, Montes de María, Sucre. Palabras clave: Armadillo Zopilote, Cingulata, Coraza, Cola de Trapo, Montes de María, Sucre.

Dental microwear in the orthodentine of the Xenarthra (Mammalia) and its use in reconstructing the palaeodiet of extinct taxa: the case study ofNothrotheriops shastensis(Xenarthra, Tardigrada, Nothrotheriidae)

The utility of orthodentine microwear analysis as a proxy for dietary reconstruction in xenarthrans (tree sloths, armadillos) was quantitatively and statistically accessed via low-magnification stereomicroscopy. Features such as number of scratches and pits, as well as presence of gouges, hypercoarse scratches, > four large pits, > four cross scratches, and fine, mixed or coarse scratch texture were recorded in 255 teeth from 20 extant xenarthran species. Feature patterns are consistent with scar formation through abrasional (tooth–food) and attritional (tooth–tooth) contact. Number of scratches is the most dietary diagnostic microwear variable for xenarthrans, with herbivorous sloths characterized by > ten scratches and nonherbivorous armadillos by < ten scratches. Discriminant function analysis differentiated arboreal folivores (sloths) and frugivore-folivores (sloths) both from each other and from fossorial carnivore-omnivores (armadillos) and insectivores (armadillos). Microwear patterns in carnivore-omnivores and insectivores are difficult to distinguish between; armadillo microwear may reflect a fossorial lifestyle (grit consumption) rather than primary diet. Cabassous centralis is anomalous in its microwear signal relative to all other insectivores. To test the utility of orthodentine microwear analysis as an indicator of palaeodiet in extinct xenarthrans, microwear in the ground sloth Nothrotheriops shastensis was quantitatively and statistically compared to microwear in extant taxa. Microwear patterns in N. shastensis are most comparable to extant folivores based on scratch number and hierarchical cluster analysis. This strongly supports an herbivorous diet for N. shastensis that is corroborated by multiple independent lines of evidence. Thus, orthodentine microwear analysis can be used to reconstruct diet in extinct xenarthrans.

Non-volant mammals, Reserva San Sebastián-La Castellana, Valle de Aburrá, Antioquia, Colombia

From 2000 to 2006 I conducted mammalogical inventory in Reserva San Sebastián-La Castellana, Valle de Aburrá, Antioquia, Colombia. Twenty eight species of non-volant mammals are listed. List includes notable records such as threatened (Leopardus tigrinus and Cabassous centralis), cryptic and rare species (Thomasomys popayanus, Cryptotis medellinia, and Olallamys albicauda).

The naked-tailed armadilloCabassous centralis(Miller 1899): a new host toParacoccidioides brasiliensis. Molecular identification of the isolate

The natural habitat of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis remains undefined but the repeated demonstration of infection by this fungus in the nine-banded armadillo Dasypus novemcinctus has opened interesting research avenues. We report here the isolation of this fungus from the spleen of a naked-tailed armadillo Cabassous centralis (Miller 1899) captured in a coffee farm localized in the Colombian endemic area for paracoccidioidomycosis. This particular isolate was identified by its dimorphism and also by comparison of the PbGP43 gene and ribosomal internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS) with recognized P brasiliensis strains. This finding extends the range of naturally acquired infections in mammals of the family Dasypodidae and confirms the existence of this human pathogen in areas where human paracoccidioidomycosis is known to occur.