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Articles

Vol. 12 No. 2 (2003)

The Lowland Tapir in the Caraça Reserve, Minas Gerais State, Brazil: Preliminary Results

Submitted
22 June 2025
Published
2003-12-01

Abstract

Due to hunting and habitat destruction, the lowland tapir, Tapirus terrestris, is now endangered over much of its range. This paper presents the preliminary results of a study of the distribution and relative abundance of tapirs, using track surveys and camera traps, in the Private Natural Heritage Reserve, Serra do Caraça. By monitoring footprints it was observed that T. terrestris apparently occupies all habitat types in the study area. Five photographic records of tapirs were obtained from camera traps, thus representing a capture success of 6.5% and Relative Abundance Index (RAI) = 2.71. No photographic records were obtained during the day and most were during the period from 20:00 to 24:00 hours. Some photographic records were damaged by the dense mist, an effect usually observed in the coldest, driest months of the year. Despite the short monitoring period, the results presented here reinforce the importance of the reserve as a refuge for wild tapir stocks.

References

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