Medium and large-sized mammals in a Cerrado area of the state of Goiás, Brazil

Abstract

Brazilian mammal fauna is considered to be the richest of the Neotropical region. However, in several regions of the country, there are gaps in the knowledge of its mammal fauna. Thus, we conducted a survey of the medium and large-sized mammal species in the fragmented Cerrado region in the southeast area of the state of Goiás. Nonlinear transects were conducted in 28 sessions over 13 months using direct observation methods, indirect observation methods (scratches, footprints, feces and lairs) and camera trapping. Twenty-five species belonging to eight orders were recorded. The species richness estimated by the Jackknife 1 method was 24.89 (±1.61) species in the transects and 16.88 (±1.29) species in camera trap, with stabilization of the species accumulation curves. Among the recorded species, 5 were endangered at the national level, and three were globally endangered. The high species richness found in the area in addition to the presence of endangered species highlights the need for conservation measures for the study site.