UNAM
Revista Digital Universitaria
Revista Digital Universitaria ISSN: 1607 - 6079 | Publicación mensual | 1 de abril de 2014 vol.15, No.04

ABSTRACT

Terrestrial Mammals in the Tropical Biology Station of Los Tuxtlas



José Juan Flores, Rosamond Ione Coates, Víctor Manuel Sánchez, Viridiana Jaquline Mendieta


Anthropogenic practices involving land use change have affected the region of Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz for more than 20 years. The area surrounding the Tropical Biology Station Los Tuxtlas (EBTLT) have suffered severe consequences due to this factor, which has severely reduced the extension of the high evergreen rainforest, and represents a threat to the biodiversity of this region. This study aims to confirm the presence of medium-sized terrestrial mammals within the EBTLT in order to evaluate the importance of the reserve as a refuge for these animals in an area so heavily fragmented as the region of Los Tuxtlas. Seventeen species of terrestrial mammals were registered using camera traps. Seven of these species are listed under different risk categories in the Mexican Endangered Species Act (SEMARNAT/NOM-ECOL-059-2010). The most common species registered were the Mexican black agouti (Dasyprocta mexicana), white-nosed coati (Nasua narica), paca (Cuniculus paca) and the coyote (Canis latrans). These results confirm that the EBTLT provides the necessary requirements for the survival of an important and diverse number of terrestrial mammal species.



Keywords: Terrestrial Mammals, Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, Camera Traps..