DOI: 10.3897/neotropical.21.e187958

Authors: Manfredo A. Turcios-Casco, Mario R. Jolon-Morales, Bianca Padilla, Edgard Scott, Celeste M. López

Abstract: Forest–farm interfaces in tropical landscapes are pivotal hotspots of human–wildlife interaction. However, they remain poorly documented across Central America. This study investigated crop depredation at the forest edge of a 10 ha cassava (Manihot esculenta) field (“yucal”) in Mavita, Honduran Mosquitia, embedded within a mosaic of Pinus caribaea and tropical moist forest. From December 2024 to February 2025, three camera traps, coupled with solar-powered, motion-activated LED lights (“silent technology”), were deployed to identify the true crop-raiding community and describe diel activity. Contrary to local expectations, rabbits (Sylvilagus hondurensis) emerged as the primary crop raiders, while tapirs (Tapirus bairdii) were present but not the sole culprits. No evidence of pacas (Cuniculus paca) or armadillos (Dasypus mexicanus) was found. Light-assisted traps consistently recorded rabbits but were less effective for other taxa (e.g., ocelots), despite moderate-to-high temporal overlap among species. Ordinal models indicated that higher behavioral response codes were more likely later in the day, and rabbits showed lower behavioral intensities than other groups. These findings highlight how forest structure and edge context can shape detection and behavior and how misattribution of damage can arise in remote forest landscapes. Non-invasive diagnostics, including light-assisted camera traps, and buffer cassava plots at forest margins are recommended to accommodate wildlife foraging while reducing direct impacts on fields. This study provides forest-centric evidence to guide conflict mitigation and coexistence strategies within Miskitu territories of the Honduran Caribbean Lowlands.

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DOI: 10.3897/neotropical.21.e187967

Authors: Travis D. Bayer, Maggie A. McGreal, A. Rafael Chacón D.

Abstract: Insular isolation can drive rapid evolutionary divergence, including pronounced dwarfism, in mammals. A dwarfed fox (Urocyon sp.) has inhabited the island of Cozumel, Mexico, for millennia, yet prior evidence of its existence was limited to subfossil remains. Additionally, no comprehensive morphological or genetic studies have been conducted, and sightings of the Cozumel fox are exceptionally rare. Here, we report the first photographic record and the first confirmed sighting in over two decades. On 14 September 2023, an adult male was photographed near kilometer 29 on Cozumel’s coastal highway. This observation confirms the species’ continued presence and highlights its likely critical conservation status. Targeted surveys, population monitoring, and taxonomic assessments are urgently needed, along with habitat protection and measures to minimize human-wildlife conflict, to ensure the survival of this rare and cryptic fox.

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DOI: 10.3897/neotropical.21.e172764

Authors: Luiggi Alessandro Carrasco-Escudero, Morgan J. Hughes

Abstract: Despite their suitable size, bats (Chiroptera) represent rare to occasional prey for the ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), a generalist carnivorous feline with a wide geographic distribution. This work documents the first observed predation of Artibeus lituratus, a Neotropical fruit bat, by Leopardus pardalis from a mist net in Peru. The individual L. pardalis exhibited an ocular anomaly—the absence of the tapetum lucidum reflex in its left eye—which could have affected its night vision. This observation highlights plasticity in the hunting behavior of L. pardalis, allowing this individual to persist despite likely visual limitations. In addition, this case underscores the value of ecological monitoring in documenting unusual interactions between predators and prey.

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DOI: 10.3897/neotropical.21.e183324

Authors: Robert B. Wallace, Guido Ayala, Maria Viscarra, Zulia Porcel

Abstract: The short-eared dog (Atelocynus microtis) is one of the world’s least-known canids and one of Latin America’s least-known carnivores. We performed a systematic summary of published and unpublished distributional records for the species across Bolivia (n = 500), and between 2001 and 2024, we ran 34 intensive camera-trap surveys across the lowland portions of the Greater Madidi-Tambopata Landscape (northwestern Bolivia and southeastern Peru) and the Llanos de Moxos Biocultural Landscape (northern Bolivia), which resulted in 594 independent events for the short-eared dog. Short-eared dogs were primarily diurnal, with camera-trap capture frequencies of 0.18–2.4 independent events per 100 camera-trap nights across 21 (61.8%) of the 34 surveys. A comparison with camera-trap data from ocelots (Leopardus pardalis) extrapolated an average density of 15 individuals/100 km2, suggesting that short-eared dogs are less abundant than other medium-sized carnivores but more abundant than larger-bodied carnivores (e.g., jaguar). Our results reveal variation in short-eared dog relative abundance and occupancy between survey sites and over time. Occupancy analyses emphasized a strong preference for intact forest, underscoring the importance of protected areas and other management units that preserve forest cover in the Amazon.

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DOI: 10.3897/neotropical.20.e148221

Authors: Juan Sebastián Restrepo-Cardona, Paúl Monar-Barragán, Adrián Orihuela-Torres, Evelyn Edith Araujo, Fabricio Narváez, Rubén Pineida, Betsabé Trujillo, Abel Recalde, Andy Salazar, Daniela Fernández, Marek Castel-Tapia, Sebastián Kohn

Abstract: Domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) significantly threaten endangered vertebrates worldwide. In this study, we report 11 documented cases of dogs chasing, harassing, competing for food resources, biting, and killing six native vertebrate species in the Ecuadorian Andes: Andean condor (Vultur gryphus), mountain tapir (Tapirus pinchaque), little red brocket deer (Mazama rufina), Andean fox (Lycalopex culpaeus), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), and Andean tapeti (Sylvilagus andinus). Dog attacks on wildlife can lead to mortality through direct injury and by transmitting diseases, potentially threatening the conservation of globally endangered species such as the Andean condor, mountain tapir, and little red brocket deer. Effective management and conservation of native vertebrates in Andean ecosystems require a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted impacts of dogs on wildlife populations. These impacts include direct attacks, disease transmission, fear-induced behavioral changes, competition for food resources, and conflicts with local farmers, which may inadvertently lead to wildlife poisoning.

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DOI: 10.3897/neotropical.19.e131700

Authors: Luis Ángel Pozos-López, Noé González-Ruiz, José Ramírez-Pulido

Abstract: The Neotropical otter, Lontra annectens, is a predator specialized in aquatic prey, and the main diet of this otter is fish, supplemented mainly by crustaceans and opportunistically by mollusks, insects, and vertebrates such as mammals, amphibians, birds, and reptiles. Occasionally, they eat fruits. This study was conducted on the El Despoblado River near Villa Comaltitlán, in southern Chiapas. We carried out monthly visits along the riverbanks to collect otter scats from April 2018 to April 2019 and found that insects make up more than half of the diet of otters living in this river. Although insects are a common food in the diet of Neotropical otters, the abundant presence of hellgrammites (dobsonfly larvae; Insecta, Megaloptera) had not been recorded before. Otters were found to consume hellgrammites, which are abundant, easy to catch, and have a high nutritional value. This is probably due to the scarce availability of fish and crustaceans in this part of Chiapas.

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DOI: 10.3897/neotropical.19.e129163

Authors: Javier Torres-Jiménez, Sylvia M. Seger, Camila Acosta-López, María Mercedes Gavilánez, Sebastián Kohn, Fabricio Narváez, Andrés Laguna, Marco Monteros, Hugo Ramírez-Piedra, Denis Lucero-Toapanta, Christian Armas

Abstract: Jaguar populations (Panthera onca) on the Ecuadorian coast are critically endangered, with only a few dozen individuals remaining in the region. In some areas, no records have been documented for decades. Between November 2023 and January 2024, independent camera trap monitoring in northwestern Ecuador yielded evidence of the presence of a jaguar, marking a significant recovery after seven years of absence in Manduriacu and at least 15 years in Junín. The jaguar was observed moving through an area of approximately 25 km, traversing forested and human-altered zones. Furthermore, additional evidence from the Ecominga Foundation and the Cielo Verde community indicated the occurrence of livestock attacks, which aligns with the typical predatory patterns observed in jaguar behavior. The attack site was located approximately 8 km from where the jaguar was initially recorded, suggesting that both events refer to the same individual. In response, local authorities inspected the area and organized community workshops. Furthermore, an Andean bear was recorded in Manduriacu during the same sampling period, confirming the co-occurrence of both species in the area. The documented movement of this jaguar, along with the presence of other species, underscores the imperative need to continue research and conservation initiatives in the region. These initiatives will ensure the protection and coexistence of wildlife and human populations in this highly biodiverse region.

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DOI: 10.3897/neotropical.19.e132703

Authors: Itainara Taili, Fabiano Séllos Costa, João Marcelo Azevedo de Paula Antunes, Ayko Shimabukuro, Raul dos Santos, Sofia de Oliveira Cabral, Cecilia Calabuig

Abstract: Highways are one of the anthropogenic factors that have the greatest impact on terrestrial biodiversity. Barriers, depletion effects, and roads are the most common locations of wild animal roadkill, leading to biodiversity loss in wild vertebrates. However, the corpses of these animals can be used as opportunistic samples, an excellent source of information on topics such as population dynamics, which is one of the aims of road ecology. Nonetheless, there are only a few studies on injuries in roadkilled wild animals. Between 2018 and 2021, road monitoring was performed around three Federal Conservation Units in Brazil. Twenty-four animals, including birds, reptiles, and mammals, were collected. This study aims to characterize the lesions in wild animals that were roadkilled on roads in the Brazilian semi-arid region using necropsy and quantitative computed tomography (QCT). Also, the bone mineral density was measured using QCT and compared with the number of lesions and body condition score. Four types of bone lesions were found in 13 different bones, with an average of 3.25 lesions per bird and 3.75 lesions per reptile and mammal, with no statistical difference between the means (p > 0.05). Providing a database on the main injuries found in wild animals that are frequently roadkilled serves as an aid to wildlife rescue and rehabilitation professionals who contribute to the conservation of species. In addition, the data on road ecology serves as a basis for the implementation of mitigation measures against wildlife roadkills, also contributing to the conservation of species.

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DOI: 10.3897/neotropical.19.e124324

Authors: Sarah Wicks, Christopher Beirne, Cristina Azzopardi Schellmann, Eleanor Flatt, Sandy Quirós Beita, Rigoberto Pereira Rocha, Andrew Whitworth

Abstract: The sparsity of post-translocation monitoring data for rehabilitated felids leaves a pressing gap in our current understanding of their integration into and use of novel landscapes. Remote monitoring tools such as GPS collars can provide crucial insights into animal movement behavior and habitat selection following translocation and assist in the decision-making process for rehabilitation and release sites. In January 2023, a young male ocelot was released on the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica, after eight months of rehabilitation following a vehicle strike. Six months of post-translocation monitoring using a GPS and VHF-enabled collar revealed distinctive spatial patterns between the ocelot’s initial exploratory phase (~75 days) and subsequent residential period, as well as a selection for agricultural-forest matrix habitat over primary forest. We discuss the findings in terms of learning lessons for future post-release monitoring effects and provide insight into an individual’s patterns of habitat selection in an anthropogenically modified landscape.

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DOI: 10.3897/neotropical.19.e117799

Authors: Hermes Santiago-Dionicio, Medardo Arreortúa, Angel I. Contreras-Calvario, Edna González-Bernal, César Camilo Julián-Caballero

Abstract: We provide new records of Neogale frenata and Potos flavus, two carnivores with elusive behaviors that are challenging to observe in their natural habitats. Through direct records compiled in diurnal and nocturnal monitoring over three years, we record two individuals of N. frenata, a juvenile and an adult, and three individuals of P. flavus, an adult and two juveniles. The juvenile of N. frenata increases the distribution range to 68 km from its nearest record. The two juveniles of Potos flavus represent an extension of their distribution range of 22 km away from their nearest record. This new data highlights the importance of opportunistic records in combination with passive methods as part of fauna inventories. We emphasize the relevance of considering the habitat conditions of each record to identify possible threats to their conservation, like human disturbances.

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DOI: 10.3897/neotropical.18.e98437

Authors: Víctor H. Montalvo, Carolina Sáenz-Bolaños, Eduardo Carrillo, Todd K. Fuller

Abstract: Jaguars (Panthera onca) are a landscape species of conservation importance and our understanding of environmental and anthropogenic drivers of jaguar occurrence is necessary to improve conservation strategies. We reviewed available literature to simply describe environmental and anthropogenic variables used and found to be significant in occurrence modeling. We reviewed 95 documents published from 1980 to 2021 that focused on jaguar occurrence and that used 39 variable types (21 anthropogenic, 18 environmental) among different techniques, scales, and approaches. In general, these variables included both anthropogenic (roads, land use, human activities, and population) and environmental (climate, vegetation, ecological interactions, topographic, water, and others) factors. Twelve variables were identified as affecting jaguar occurrence overall, eleven at local scale and seven at broad scales (regional and continental). Focusing more specifically on the variables that correlate with occurrence should help researchers to make better predictions in areas without quantitative jaguar data.

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DOI: 10.3897/neotropical.18.e95027

Authors: Patricio Macas-Pogo, Edison Mejía Valenzuela, Gabriela Arévalo-Serrano

Abstract: The ocelot, Leopardus pardalis, is one of the opportunistic predators of the tropical forests that includes birds, small and medium mammals, amphibians and reptiles in its diet. Aiming to observe its behaviour within its natural habitat, 10 cameras were installed in 10 mineral licks within the Yasuni National Park (Ecuador). Both images and videos of ocelot predation events were collected. Hence, the frequency of activity of this specie was determined with the register of captures obtained. Three events are described: the first one, an image of an ocelot stalking a Mazama deer was taken, while in the second scene, a video of stalking an anuran was obtained and in the third event, a video of the ocelot capturing a flying bat was recorded. The use of camera traps allowed us to collect valuable behavioural information about this feline and provide evidence of the importance of the mineral licks for this and other wild species.

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DOI: 10.3897/neotropical.17.e93828

Authors: Laura Martins Magalhães, Ana Carolina Srbek-Araujo

Abstract: The ocelot is an important Neotropical mesopredator and information on its spatial ecology remains scarce. Here we estimated the ocelot home range in a remnant of Lowland Atlantic Forest in Southeastern Brazil. The data were collected by camera traps installed at eight known ocelot latrines. We estimated the home range both based on the Minimum Convex Polygon (MCP) and the 95% adaptive Kernel density estimator (95%K) to compare with other published studies. We identified 22 ocelots (adult males = 8; adult females = 12; cubs = 2). Six males were recorded at more than one latrine, while all females were recorded at only one sampling point. In addition to male ocelots being recorded at a large number of points, they showed greater intrasexual spatial overlap as they used the same latrines, suggesting larger home ranges than females. The mean home range size for males was 12.1 ± SE 4.4 km2 (range = 6.2 to 20.8 km2) using MCP, and 19.9 ± SE 9.5 km2 (range = 10.1 to 38.9 km2) applying 95%K. Despite our estimates representing an approximation of the total area used by males, both values are consistent with those reported from other locations. Our data complemented the gradient of vegetation type sampled for ocelots in Atlantic Forest and support the suggestion that this environmental variable and, consequently, its effect on prey availability, influence the home range size of ocelot. Information on population ecology and other spatial ecology data are also presented.

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DOI: 10.3897/neotropical.17.e81824

Authors: Diego Floriano da Rocha, Thaís Brauner do Rosario, Ana Carolina Pontes Maciel, Duana Suelem Alves, Cristina Vargas Cademartori

Abstract: The South American coati is a carnivore with a wide distribution in South America. Despite this, it is considered a threatened species in Rio Grande do Sul, as Vulnerable, primarily because of the loss of forest habitats. We recorded a Nasua nasua individual at the Canoas airbase, one of the last remaining green spaces in a densely urbanized area in southern Brazil. This confirms the capability of this species to use environments that have been changed by anthropic activity. It also highlights the relevance of green spaces in urban areas for wildlife conservation.

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DOI: 10.3897/neotropical.17.e70352

Authors: Gerson A. Salcedo-Rivera, Alberto Mario Rodríguez, Dairo Carrascal-Prasca, Ramón Granados-Peña, José F. González-Maya

Abstract: The White-nosed Coati, Nasua narica is a small carnivore distributed from the United States to Ecuador, and whose occurrence in Colombia had only been confirmed from the biogeographic Chocó. Although it was previously erroneously considered widespread in the country, a recent revision identified inconsistencies with some supporting records there. Here we present a new distribution record for the species, which confirms previously alleged information about the presence of this procyonid in the Department of Magdalena, also confirming its current occurrence for the Caribbean region, and solving a long-due geographical distribution uncertainty in the country.

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DOI: 10.3897/neotropical.16.e68973

Authors: Mónica Carral-García, Irene Buenrostro, Holger Weissenberger, Víctor Rosales, Jonathan Pérez-Flores

Abstract: Invasion of humans and dogs into the jaguars’ habitat opens the way for future negative events. Dog predation by jaguars has only been recorded anecdotally, despite the high risk of pathogen transmission and the potential conflict due to pet predation. In this study, we document jaguar attacks on dogs in Mahahual, Quintana Roo, Mexico, a tourist town in the Mexican Caribbean. In addition, we describe an initiative designed to prevent jaguar persecution by constructing night houses for dogs at the most recent attack sites. A total of 20 attacks were recorded in the last nine years, most of them fatal (60%) on medium-sized dogs (70%), at night (95%) and during the dry season (65%). Half of the attacks occurred in the north of Mahahual´s coastline and the other half in the south. Attacks in the south were concentrated between 0 to 10 km away from the village, while in the north they were dispersed over distances between 0 and > 30 km. Thirty-eight night houses were constructed covering almost 45 km of the 135 km of Mahahual’s coastline. Further research is required to understand the importance of dogs in the jaguar diet and the impact of dog predation on the health and disease ecology of jaguar populations.

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DOI: 10.3897/neotropical.16.e65464

Authors: Jordan E. Rogan

Abstract: The persistence of the coat color polymorphism melanism has been reported for several tropical felids, but its evolutionary advantages remain an active area of research. Few publications have explored melanism in the elusive species, oncilla (Leopardus tigrinus) within the Neotropical part of their range in Costa Rica. Herein, I present the first record of a melanistic oncilla within the montane cloud forest of Monteverde, Costa Rica. Recent studies have found support for theories (e.g. Temporal Segregation Hypothesis and Gloger’s Rule) explaining the ecological advantages driving melanism in oncilla and tropical felid populations. However, it is unclear what is driving melanism in this Monteverde oncilla population due to the singular observation. Further research investigating whether melanism is occurring at a higher frequency in other individuals in the region is critical to better understanding the occurrence of melanism in local populations of this cryptic species. The montane cloud forest in Monteverde provides critical habitat to this vulnerable species within the small Neotropical part of their range. Melanistic individuals may be particularly threatened by land-use change and increasing human pressure if theories for the evolutionary advantages and ecological conditions motivating melanism are supported.

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DOI: 10.3897/neotropical.16.e57140

Authors: Gustavo Adolfo Pisso-Florez, Ignacio Gómez-Lora, I. Mauricio Vela-Vargas, Héctor Pizo, Isaac Bedoya Dorado, Héctor E. Ramírez-Chaves

Abstract: Two iconic and charismatic species that inhabit the northern Andes of South America are the Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus) and the Mountain tapir (Tapirus pinchaque). Both species can be found sympatrically in several areas of Colombia, Ecuador, and northern Peru. Despite their overlap in distribution, little is known about interactions between both species, with few reported cases of Andean bear attacks on the Mountain tapir. Here, we report a possible attack by an Andean bear on a Mountain tapir in the northern part of Puracé National Natural Park, Colombia based on strong wounds and marks on a tapir’s back and rump. The wounds match typical attack patterns generated by Andean bears and corroborates previous camera traps records of bears attacking tapirs in this locality.

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DOI: 10.3897/neotropical.15.e56578

Authors: Filipe Martins Santos, David Risco, Nayara Yoshie Sano, Gabriel Carvalho de Macedo, Wanessa Teixeira Gomes Barreto, Pilar Gonçalves, Pedro Fernández-Llario, Heitor Miraglia Herrera

Abstract: Assessing and monitoring the welfare of free-living mammals is not a usual process due to the logistical complications associated with their capture and sedation, collection and storage of biological samples and their release. In this context, non-invasive methods for monitoring wildlife constitute a good alternative approach for in situ conservation. Body condition index, as a measurement of health status, has been used in free-living mammals; its low value may be associated with negative effects on reproduction and survival. The present study aimed to generate an alternative and reliable non-invasive method and then determine the body condition index, based on previously-collected biometric measurements, without the need to capture and immobilise the animals. A total of 178 free-living Nasua nasua Linnaeus, 1766 were trapped, weighed and measured. Statistical methods were used, based on Boosted Regression Trees (BRT) using body mass, biometric measurements (body length, height and chest girth) and gender as explanatory variables. To assess the agreement between the real Body Condition Indices (BCIs) and the predicted values of BCIs, we explored the correlation between each model using the Bland-Altman method. This method showed a strong agreement between the predictive BRT models proposed (standardised residuals from a linear regression between body length and chest girth) and standardised residuals (linear regression between body mass and body length). The results obtained herein showed that BRT modelling, based on biometrical features, is an alternative way to verify the body conditions of coatis without the need to capture and immobilise the animals.

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DOI: 10.3897/neotropical.14.e34828

Authors: Lucas Porto, Ana Maria Rui

Abstract: The crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous) and the Pampas fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus) are two canids with very similar food and habitat requirements, which live in sympatry across parts of their distributions. Here we describe the diet and habitat use of both canids in the Pampas biome. The study took place in southern Brazil from December 2012 to December 2013. Diet and habitat use analyses were based on fecal samples, footprints and direct visualizations. Diet overlap was measured using Pianka’s index, while habitat use was measured using presence records from three different environments; forests, edges and open areas. Both canids feed on invertebrates and vertebrates but have preferences for fruits, especially Syagrus romanzoffiana. Pianka’s index showed a high overlap of their diets throughout the year, with the exception of autumn. Regarding habitat use, C  . thous preferred to inhabit forested areas while L. gymnocercus was more active in open areas. Our results showed that fruits were the most consumed food item in the Pampas biome. Our findings suggest that habitat use by these two canids is affected by seasonal variation in fruit abundance, but other factors, such as parental care, should be taken into account when explaining how they behave throughout the year.

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