Recent records of Tapirella bairdii and Panthera onca in a region highly transformed by human activities in southern Veracruz, México

Resumen

The tapir (Tapirella bairdii) and the jaguar (Panthera onca) are two of the largest Neotropical mammal species suffering population declines caused by habitat loss and degradation and hunting. Tapirs and jaguars are considered endangered and near threatened, respectively, by the IUCN, and in Mexico, both species are listed as endangered and considered species with priority for conservation. These species are usually associated with large and remote areas of preserved forest. To evaluate local diversity of medium and large sized mammals, we placed five camera traps, three in old forest and two in secondary forest (445 trap days) at Ejido Ramos Millán (municipality of Minatitlán), on the northernmost part of the Uxpanapa Valley, in the Gulf of Mexico coastal plain, state of Veracruz, Mexico. This region has been highly transformed by human activities, where agricultural and livestock activities have caused the loss of most of its natural forests, resulting in a highly fragmented landscape, dominated by livestock fields, crops and secondary forests. Here we document images of three adult individuals of jaguar and two adult individuals of tapir, one of which was a lactating female, and one adult male tapir. The new records were 23 Km north of the most recent reports located in well preserved primary forests in the Uxpanapa/Chimalapas border area. Our results suggest that the highly fragmented tropical landscapes composed of both old-growth and secondary forests remnants, are able to provide sufficient resources to maintain at least temporarily individuals of jaguars and tapirs.