Medium and large-sized mammals of the central region of Ceará, Northeastern Brazil.

Abstract

Although it had been an important room for Mammalogy in the past, the state of Ceará (Northeastern Brazil) faces severe study gaps. Our goal is to fill part of this lack for the medium and large-sized mammals in the Central Region of Ceará and provide subsidies to effective conservation plans. Data were obtained between January 2017 to April 2021 through camera traps, visual records, tracks, records of roadkill, and voucher specimens from scientific collections. Human communities were interviewed in order to investigate non-recorded species and possible past occurrences. We documented 18 species belonging to 13 families and seven orders. Five species are documented as threatened in red lists and another five were cited by informants as locally extinct. Our results indicate that the Central Region of Ceará is a potential hotspot for mammals in the Caatinga biome and reveal an urgent need for further ecological research and conservation efforts.