Medium and large-sized mammals of RPPN Estação Veracel, southernmost Bahia, Brazil

Abstract

One of the largest private reserves in the Atlantic Forest is the RPPN Estação Veracel, which along with the contiguous forested area of the Pau-Brasil Ecological Station, is an important part of the remaining Atlantic Forest of southern Bahia. We carried out an inventory of medium and large mammals in the Reserve during a 16-month camera trap survey, as well as conducted interviews with park rangers and searched for direct/indirect records, which revealed 33 species belonging to nine different Orders. Among the species recorded, six are categorized as threatened in the national list and four in the IUCN global list. The RPPN harbors species which are crucial to the ecosystem, many of which are in decline and threatened by high hunting pressure and reduction of habitat. The results confirm the relevance of the RPPN as a Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) for globally threatened species.