Gayana (Dec 2019)

Southernmost records of Dromiciops gliroides: extending its distribution beyond the Valdivian rainforest

  • Esteban Oda,
  • Gloria B. Rodríguez-Gómez,
  • Francisco Fontúrbel ,
  • Mauricio Soto-Gamboa,
  • Roberto Nespolo

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4067/S0717-65382019000200145
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 83, no. 2

Abstract

Read online

The geographic range of a species is often limited by sampling approaches, underestimating the actual distribution. This is likely the case of Dromiciops gliroides (Microbiotheria), an endemic marsupial from southern South America. We used camera-traps to record D. gliroides for the first time in Chaitén and Futaleufú (southern Chile), expanding its known distribution 100 km to the south. Climate and forest composition in this area differs from the typical Valdivian rainforest. Activity assessments show a narrow activity patterns compared to northern populations.

Keywords