MEDIUM AND LARGE-SIZED MAMMALS IN A FRAGMENT OF CERRADO IN SERRA DOS PIRENEUS, CENTRAL BRAZIL

Abstract

The degradation of the Cerrado ecoregion constitutes one of the greatest threats to mammals in Brazil. Effective conservation requires the identification of impacted species, particularly in unprotected areas. We report the species richness and composition of medium- and large-sized mammals in a Cerrado fragment in the state of Goiás, between July 2017 and August 2021. The sampling effort comprised 648 active search hours and 5,670 camera-trap-days. We recorded 32 species, among them, eight threatened. Rare species, such as Leopardus wiedii, were observed. Tapirus terrestris was the most frequent species (N = 34), and Carnivora was the most represented order (13 species). Species richness (36) was the highest recorded in Goiás in medium and large-sized mammal surveys. The recorded species, which include endangered and large predator species, are under anthropic pressure, requiring short-term and long-term conservation actions.