Skip to main content
WCS
Menu
Library
Library Catalog
eJournals & eBooks
WCS Research
Archives
Research Use
Finding Aids
Digital Collections
WCS History
WCS Research
Research Publications
Science Data
Services for WCS Researchers
Archives Shop
Bronx Zoo
Department of Tropical Research
Browse By Product
About Us
FAQs
Intern or Volunteer
Staff
Donate
Search WCS.org
Search
search
Popular Search Terms
WCS History
Library and Archives
Library and Archives Menu
Library
Archives
WCS Research
Archives Shop
About Us
Donate
en
fr
Title
Chapter Title: Spatial ecology of a large and endangered tropical mammal: The white-lipped peccary in Darién, Panama
Book Title: Movement Ecology of Neotropical Forest Mammals: Focus on Social Animals
Author(s)
Meyer, Ninon F. V.;Moreno, Ricardo;Martínez-Morales, Miguel Angel;Reyna-Hurtado, Rafael
Published
2019
Published Version DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03463-4_6
Abstract
Large mammals are negatively affected by habitat loss, fragmentation, and hunting. Thus, many of them are nowadays in urgent need of conservation actions to decrease their risk of extinction. Examining space use of large mammals by integrating empirical data and modeling is a primary prerequisite both for basic ecological understanding and for effective conservation planning. In this study, we investigated the basic spatial ecology of the white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari), a keystone ungulate species in the Neotropics. Specifically, we examined the home range and habitat use of the species in the Darién, Panama, which constitutes one of the last remaining strongholds for the species in Mesoamerica. In May and July 2016, we fitted GPS collars on two white-lipped peccaries from different herds and monitored them during 15 months and 1 month. The two herds used an area covered by mature forest and did not venture into disturbed areas during the time we monitored them. Both herds displayed home ranging behavior, and their estimated home range sizes were 58 km2 and 25 km2. The herd that was followed during 15 months showed little difference between seasonal home ranges, suggesting that the forest of Darién provided enough resources throughout the year for the herd to remain in the same area. Based on this study and other research in Panama, we consider that the white-lipped peccary population in Darién is healthy contrasting with many other sites in the country. Management actions need to address both the hunting pressure and the protection of large continuous tracts of undisturbed forests to guarantee the persistence of the species in Panama.
Keywords
Movement ecology;White-lipped peccary;Tayassu pacari;Panama
Access Full Text
A full-text copy of this article may be available. Please email the
WCS Library
to request.
Back
PUB24344