Presence of the collared peccary Pecari tajacu (Artiodactyla, Tayassuidae) in the far northeast of its Brazilian distribution

Abstract

The collared peccary Pecari tajacu (Artiodactyla, Tayassuidae) is widely distributed and included in the Least Concern (LC) category by the IUCN assessment. However, threats such as hunting and habitat loss have extinguished some of its populations in Brazil. Additionally, much of its current occupation area remains unknown, especially in northeastern Brazil. We herein present the first record of the collared peccary in a Caatinga-Atlantic Forest ecotone in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, northeastern Brazil. This record in a poorly sampled region represents the presence of this species in the most northeastern part of the country and extends its confirmed records for more than 200 km.