Abstract
In today’s increasingly degraded world, private lands are becoming integral components of wildlife conservation. The Caatinga biome possesses the largest tropical dry forest in the Americas; however, it has experienced high levels of habitat loss. Natural vegetation cover in this biome is highly fragmented, and the few protected areas tend to be privately-owned. In this context, carnivores are particularly vulnerable to anthropogenic threats. Identifying factors that influence carnivore habitat selection in privately-owned areas is crucial for effective conservation actions. To this end, we assessed the habitat preferences of northern tiger cats (Leopardus tigrinus), jaguarundis (Herpailurus yagouaroundi), crab-eating foxes (Cerdocyon thous), and crab-eating raccoons (Procyon cancrivorus) on a private reserve in the Caatinga. We sampled the area with camera traps during a 4-year period and examined habitat use patterns through occupancy models. Caatinga cover was strongly favoured by northern tiger cats. Areas near human household had higher jaguarundi occupancy and crab-eating fox detection. Edge effects did not influence any of the species. The results suggest that in the absence of poaching and provided there is enough natural vegetation cover left, private lands indeed have potential conservation value for some carnivorous species. Nevertheless, because these areas tend to be small, connectivity with larger habitat patches is important for long-term conservation.
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The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are not publicly available due to them being part of a graduate dissertation yet to be published.
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Acknowledgements
This work is part of the long-term conservation program Wild Cats Brazil (“Gatos do Mato – Brasil”). We thank Gitana Cavalcanti, Pedro Américo Araújo, Odgley Quixaba and Vitor E. C. Moura for their assistance in the field. We also thank Pró-Vida Brasil, Small Wild Cat Conservation Foundation and Instituto Pró-Carnívoros for their support. LAFR was supported by a PROMOS Stipendienvereinbarung grant from the German Academic Exchange Service DAAD at Georg-August Universität, Göttingen and TGO receives a productivity fellowship. Last, but not least, we would like to thank Pierre Landolt, the owner of Tamanduá Ranch, for allowing us to conduct this study on his property.
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Financial support was received from Pró-Vida Brasil and Small Wild Cat Conservation Foundation through Wild Cats Brazil Conservation Program.
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Fox-Rosales, L.A., de Oliveira, T.G. Habitat use patterns and conservation of small carnivores in a human-dominated landscape of the semiarid Caatinga in Brazil. Mamm Biol 102, 465–475 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42991-022-00245-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42991-022-00245-3