New populations of pampas deer Ozotoceros bezoarticus discovered in threatened Amazonian savannah enclaves

The savannah enclaves (i.e. patches) in the southern Brazilian Amazonia are among the most threatened and poorly surveyed sites in Amazonia. As part of an extensive mammal survey, we set camera traps in three of these savannah enclaves. We obtained 23 independent records of pampas deer Ozotoceros be...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Oryx 2019-10, Vol.53 (4), p.748-751
Main Authors: Rocha, Daniel G., Vogliotti, Alexandre, Gräbin, Diogo M., Assunção, Wilhan R. C., Cambraia, Bruno Contursi, D'Amico, Ana Rafaela, Portela, Antonio Elson, Sollmann, Rahel
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cameras
Conservation status
Deer
Endangered & extinct species
Environmental protection
Genetic structure
Habitats
National parks
New records
Ozotoceros bezoarticus
Pampas
Population
Population dynamics
Population genetics
Populations
Savannahs
Short Communication
Studies
Threatened species
Wildlife conservation
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Summary:The savannah enclaves (i.e. patches) in the southern Brazilian Amazonia are among the most threatened and poorly surveyed sites in Amazonia. As part of an extensive mammal survey, we set camera traps in three of these savannah enclaves. We obtained 23 independent records of pampas deer Ozotoceros bezoarticus, a medium sized Neotropical cervid that is strongly associated with open habitats and categorized as Vulnerable on the Brazilian Red List of threatened species. These savannah enclaves with confirmed populations of pampas deer lie outside the species’ previously presumed historical range and are at least 350 km from any known extant population. Together, these savannah enclaves add c. 4,000 km2 to the pampas deer's currently known range. The small pampas deer populations in these enclaves are probably isolated by a matrix of Amazon forest, raising questions about spatial genetic structure and meta-population dynamics, and making them vulnerable to local extinction. We highlight the need for further studies, particularly genetic, to assess the conservation status of these populations, the results of which could potentially inform management decisions in other areas of the heavily fragmented range of this species.
ISSN:0030-6053
1365-3008
DOI:10.1017/S0030605318001539