A range-wide conservation status assessment of the white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari)

ALTRICHTER, MARIANA; TABER, ANREW; CHALUKIAN, SILVIA; MINKOWSKI, K.; LIZÁRRAGA, L.; SANDERSON, E.; RUMIZ, D.; VENTINCINQUE, E.; MORAES JR., E.; DE ANGELO, CARLOS; ANTÚNEZ, M.; AYALA, G.; BODMER, R.; BOHER, S.; CARTES, J. L.; DE BUSTOS, S.; EATON, D.; EMMONS, L.; ESTRADA, N.; DE OLIVEIRA, L. F.; FRAGOSO, J. M.; GARCIA, R.; GÓMEZ, C.; GÓMEZ, H.; KEUROGHLIAN, A.; LEDESMA, K.; LIZCANO, D.; LOZANO, C.; MONTENEGRO, O.; NOSS, ANDREW; PALACIO VIEIRA, J. A.; PAVIOLO, AGUSTÍN; PEROVIC, PABLO; PORTILLO, H.; RADACHOWSKY, J.; REYNA-HURTADO, R.; RODRIGUEZ ORTIZ, J.; SALAS, L.; SARMIENTO DUENAS, A.; SARRIA PEREA, J. A.; SCHIAFFINO, KARINA; DE THOISY, B.; TOBLER, M.; ULTRERAS, V.; VARELA, DIEGO; WALLACE, R. B.; ZAPATA RIOS, G.

Mendoza, Argentina

Congreso; 10th International Congress of Mammalogy; 2009

CCT CONICET Mendoza (CRICYT), CONICET, IADIZA, GiB, International Federation of Mammalogists, SAREM

The distribution of White-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari), with an historic range of 14,220,461 km², is amongst the largest of Neotropical mammals and extends from southern Mexico to northern Argentina. They are an ecological keystone species in the American tropics and subtropics. Also, they are an important food resource for subsistence hunters and are heavily harvested for the hide trade. We report on a GIS-based range-wide status assessment of this species using field data and expert opinion from 44 biologists in 14 range countries. The experts judged white-lipped peccaries extinct in 20.5% of its historic range, and with a low probability of survival in another ca. 22% of their distribution. Major range declines were reported in Argentina, Paraguay, S Brazil, NW South America (Colombia, Venezuela), NE Brazil and Mesoamerica. The importance of different threats to the species were estimated; and we analyze this species’ status by eco-geographic region, major habitat type and country; with planning and action implemented at the level of the latter two judged most practical by the experts. We contrast our results with those from similar assessments of the largely sympatric jaguar (Panther onca) and Lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris); and discuss implications for ecosystem function of the decline in White-lipped peccary range size and population status across the Neotropics.