Camera trap surveys of Atlantic Forest mammals: A data set for analyses considering imperfect detection (2004-2020)

Camera traps became the main observational method of a myriad of species over large areas. Data sets from camera traps can be used to describe the patterns and monitor the occupancy, abundance, and richness of wildlife, essential information for conservation in times of rapid climate and land-cover changes. Habitat loss and poaching are responsible for historical population losses of mammals in the Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspot, especially for medium to large-sized species. Here we present a data set from camera trap surveys of medium to large-sized native mammals (>1 kg) across the Atlantic Forest. We compiled data from 5380 ground-level camera trap deployments in 3046 locations, from 2004 to 2020, resulting in 43,068 records of 58 species. These data add to existing data sets of mammals in the Atlantic Forest by including dates of camera operation needed for analyses dealing with imperfect detection. We also included, when available, information on important predictors of detection, namely the camera brand and model, use of bait, and obstruction of camera viewshed that can be measured from example pictures at each camera location. Besides its application in studies on the patterns and mechanisms behind occupancy, relative abundance, richness, and detection, the data set presented here can be used to study species' daily activity patterns, activity levels, and spatiotemporal interactions between species. Moreover, data can be used combined with other data sources in the multiple and expanding uses of integrated population modeling. An R script is available to view summaries of the data set. We expect that this data set will be used to advance the knowledge of mammal assemblages and to inform evidence-based solutions for the conservation of the Atlantic Forest. The data are not copyright restricted; please cite this paper when using the data.

First record of Dipsas mikanii Schlegel, 1837 (Serpentes, Dipsadidae) from Espírito Santo state, Brazil

We present the first record of Dipsas mikanii Schlegel, 1837 from the state of Espírito Santo, southeastern Brazil. This species has a broad geographic distribution in eastern Brazil. We collected two specimens, one from Água Doce do Norte, a municipality approximately 90 km northeast from the nearest previously known locality in the state of Minas Gerais, and the second from Colatina, about 60 km east from the nearest record in Minas Gerais. We discuss and correct misidentified records of D. mikanii from the states of Rio de Janeiro and Santa Catarina.

Reptiles of the Serra das Torres Natural Monument: using the Rapid Assessment method to fill a knowledge gap in the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil

Abstract: Data on the composition of local reptile assemblages in several Brazilian ecosystems can still be considered relatively restricted in scope in most cases. In this study, we conducted surveys in the Serra das Torres Natural Monument, located in the municipalities of Atílio Vivacqua, Muqui, and Mimoso do Sul, using the Rapid Assessments method (RAP) during 30 days in the rainy season of 2018. We sampled actively for approximately 1320 hours with a 6-10 person crew, supplemented by 720 hours of passive sampling (30 bucket-days) using pitfall traps with drift fences. We recorded 34 reptile species during our sampling method (2 amphisbaenid, 11 lizards, and 21 snakes) and an occasional encounter, after the end of sampling, that added a chelonian species to the list, Hydromedusa maximiliani, totaling 35 reptile species. The Dipsadidae was the family with the greatest snake species richness and, the Gymnophtalmidae had the greatest lizard species richness. The species richness recorded in the Serra das Torres Natural Monument (Ntotal = 35) represents ca. 27% of all reptile species found in the state of Espírito Santo (N = 130). The most abundant lizard species was Leposoma scincoides followed by Ecpleopus gaudichaudii and, the most abundant snake species was Bothrops jararaca being markedly higher than that recorded in similar studies. Twenty-seven percent of the reptile species recorded in our study are endemic to the Atlantic Forest and 30% (N = 10) have been recorded less than five times previously in the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo. Our study reinforces the need for the conservation of the Serra das Torres Natural Monument because of its importance as a reservoir of a considerable portion of the reptile biodiversity of Espírito Santo state, and of the Atlantic Forest biome as a whole.

Range extension of Iguana iguana Linnaeus, 1758 (Squamata: Iguanidae): the first record of an established population in southeastern Brazil

We report a population of the Green Iguana, Iguana iguana, in a remnant of Atlantic Forest in the municipality of Vila Velha, Espírito Santo state, southeastern Brazil. We found both adult and subadult specimens, which indicates the existence of an established population. This is the southernmost record of the species, located at 820 km south from the previous southern extreme of the species’ range in the Atlantic Forest (Amargosa, Bahia).

Range extension of Lygophis meridionalis (Schenkel, 1901) (Reptilia: Squamata: Dipsadidae: Xenodontinae) to Espírito Santo state, southeastern Brazil

We present the first record of Lygophis meridionalis for the state of Espírito Santo, in southeastern Brazil, and a distribution map based on indexed literature. This species of the family Dipsadidae is widely distributed in South America, although records from Brazil are only available for the states of São Paulo, Amazonas, Pará, Goiás, Tocantins, and Bahia. Our report is only the second record of L. meridionalis from the Atlantic Forest and represents a range extension of 998 km from the nearest record in this biome.