Report on the mammals of Quimsacocha National Recreation Area, Azuay Province, Ecuador

Abstract

Quimsacocha National Recreation Area is located on the western slope of the Andes in Azuay Province, southern Ecuador. All sampling locations were in the high paramo and high Andean forests (3,572 to 3,865 m). The habitats include paramo, bogs, riparian, patches of elfin forests, and secondary cloud forest. We set Sherman, pitfall, and camera traps (3,600 trap nights), and mist nets to collect 117 specimens. Eight species were collected, including Caenolestes caniventer Anthony 1921; Didelphis pernigra J.A. Allen, 1900; Cryptotis montivagus (Anthony, 1921); Akodon mollis Thomas, 1894; Microryzomys altissimus (Osgood, 1933), Phyllotis haggardi Thomas, 1908; Sigmodon inopinatus Anthony, 1924; and Sylvilagus andinus (Thomas, 1897). Two additional species Coendou rufescens (Gray, 1865) and Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmermann, 1780) were documented photographically. This is the first survey that saved voucher specimens for mammals of Quimsacocha.

Keywords

• High Andean paramo
• Polylepis forests
• mammal surv