AMAZONIA CAMTRAP: A data set of mammal, bird, and reptile species recorded with camera traps in the Amazon forest.

The Amazon forest has the highest biodiversity on Earth. However, information on Amazonian vertebrate diversity is still deficient and scattered across the published, peer-reviewed, and gray literature and in unpublished raw data. Camera traps are an effective non-invasive method of surveying vertebrates, applicable to different scales of time and space. In this study, we organized and standardized camera trap records from different Amazon regions to compile the most extensive data set of inventories of mammal, bird, and reptile species ever assembled for the area. The complete data set comprises 154,123 records of 317 species (185 birds, 119 mammals, and 13 reptiles) gathered from surveys from the Amazonian portion of eight countries (Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela). The most frequently recorded species per taxa were: mammals: Cuniculus paca (11,907 records); birds: Pauxi tuberosa (3713 records); and reptiles: Tupinambis teguixin (716 records). The information detailed in this data paper opens up opportunities for new ecological studies at different spatial and temporal scales, allowing for a more accurate evaluation of the effects of habitat loss, fragmentation, climate change, and other human-mediated defaunation processes in one of the most important and threatened tropical environments in the world. The data set is not copyright restricted; please cite this data paper when using its data in publications and we also request that researchers and educators inform us of how they are using these data.

Hematology and Serum Chemistry of Free-Ranging Jaguars (Panthera onca) from a Floodplain Forest Site in Amazonia, Brazil.

We provide hematologic and biochemical information for 13 jaguars (Panthera onca) from the Amazon. Most showed increased lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase; all individuals showed lower mean red blood cell (RBC) counts compared to findings from other biomes. Males had a significantly higher RBC count and alkaline phosphatase than did females.

Total mercury in wild felids occurring in protected areas in the central Brazilian Amazon

This is the first study to investigate mercury (Hg) contamination in felid species in the Brazilian Amazon. We collected 26 fur samples from wild felids of four species (Puma concolor, Panthera onca, Leopardus pardalis and Leopardus wiedii) occurring in the Mamirauá and Amanã sustainable development reserves, in the state of Amazonas. Samples were from museum specimens, except for five P. onca samples collected from free-living individuals. Total Hg concentrations ranged from 0.12 to 48.1 µg g-1. Concentrations of Hg did not differ significantly between museum specimens and live individuals of P. onca, but varied significantly among species, with significantly higher concentrations for P. onca and L. pardalis, which could be related to factors such as diet and habitat. (AU)

Dissemination of COVID-19 in cities and riverine communities in Central Amazonia / Disseminação da COVID-19 em cidades e comunidades ribeirinhas da Amazônia Central

The population of small towns and riverine communities in Amazonia are extremely vulnerable to COVID-19 due to the absence of basic health care infrastructure in the region. The objective of this study was to (1) evaluate the effect of social distancing measures in the dissemination of COVID-19 in small towns, and (2) to estimate the impact of reducing contact between rural and urban populations on the contamination of riverine communities of Central Amazon. Our results indicate that social distancing can significantly reduce the speed of dissemination of COVID-19 in the population of small towns. However, we also observed that even in towns with intense actions to combat COVID-19, social distancing is below the ideal 70% isolation mark. Regarding the contamination of riverine communities, we observed that the reduction in the number of visits and duration of stay, as well as the interruption of visits during the five weeks with larger probability of contamination has major impact on delaying the arrival of COVID-19 in these vulnerable populations. We recommend that, given the low effectiveness of social distancing measures and the rapid contamination of urban populations, each municipality should evaluate implementing more restrictive measures such as a full or partial lockdown. Our results also suggest that three measures can be effective in delaying the arrival of COVID-19 in riverine communities of Amazonia: (1) the reduction in the number of visits that each community makes to a town, (2) the reduction in duration of each visit, and (3) avoiding visits during the five weeks with the largest number of infected people in towns. It is imperative that implementation of any of the restrictive measures suggested in this publication be accompanied by a vast communication campaign as well as social assistance actions for the rural population and poor families of small towns to guarantee their basic needs for survival.

As populações da Amazônia são extremamente vulneráveis à COVID-19 devido ao intenso fluxo entre as localidades rurais e as sedes municipais e à falta de infraestrutura de saúde básica adequada na região. O objetivo deste estudo foi (1) avaliar o efeito da medida de distanciamento social sobre a disseminação da COVID-19 em sedes municipais e (2) estimar o impacto da redução do contato entre a população rural e urbana sobre a contaminação de localidades rurais da Amazônia Central, região do Médio Solimões. Nossos resultados indicam que o distanciamento social pode reduzir significativamente a velocidade de contaminação da população em sedes municipais. No entanto, mesmo em sedes municipais com atividade intensa no combate à COVID-19, o distanciamento social está muito abaixo do ideal de 70%. Observamos também que a redução do número de visitas e do tempo de permanência durante cada visita, além da interrupção do fluxo durante as cinco semanas com maior probabilidade infecção têm impacto marcante sobre a velocidade de chegada da COVID-19 nas localidades rurais. Recomendamos que, dada a baixa efetividade de medidas de distanciamento social e o rápido contágio nas sedes municipais, cada município avalie a implementação de lockdown. Nossos resultados sugerem também que três medidas podem ser eficientes em atrasar a chegada da COVID-19 às localidades rurais: (1) a redução no número de visitas que cada uma faz a um centro urbano, (2) a redução do tempo de permanência durante cada visita e (3) evitar qualquer ida às sedes municipais durante as cinco semanas com maior número de pessoas infectadas. Destacamos que todas as medidas restritivas sugeridas precisam ser acompanhadas por uma ampla campanha de conscientização e ações de assistência à população rural e às famílias mais carentes das sedes municipais para garantir acesso a itens básicos para sua sobrevivência.

Spatial patterns of medium and large size mammal assemblages in várzea and terra firme forests, Central Amazonia, Brazil.

Várzea forests account for 17% of the Amazon basin and endure an annual inundation that can reach 14 m deep during 6-8 months. This flood pulse in combination with topography directly influences the várzea vegetation cover. Assemblages of several taxa differ significantly between unflooded terra firme and flooded várzea forests, but little is known about the distribution of medium and large sized terrestrial mammals in várzea habitats. Therefore, our goal was to understand how those habitats influence mammalian species distribution during the dry season. Specifically, we: (1) compared the species composition between a terra firme (Amanã Sustainable Development Reserve) and a várzea forest (Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve); and (2) tested the influence of the várzea habitat classes on the number of records, occurrence and species composition of mammalian assemblages. The sampling design in each reserve consisted of 50 baited camera trap stations, with an overall sampling effort of 5015 camera trap days. We used Non-Metric Multidimension Scaling (NMDS) to compare species composition between terra firme and várzea forests, and used Generalized Linear Models (GLM) to assess how habitat types and a habitat diversity index affect mammal distributions. We recorded 21 medium and large sized mammalian species, including 20 species in terra firme and only six in várzea (3443 records). Flood pulse and isolation in várzea forest drove the dissimilarity between these two forest types. In várzea forest, medium size mammals, in general, avoided habitats associated with long flooding periods, while jaguars (Panthera onca) appeared to prefer aquatic/terrestrial transition zones. Habitats that remain dry for longer periods showed more mammalian occurrence, suggesting that dispersion via soil is important even for semi-arboreal species. This is the first study to evaluate differential use of várzea habitats by terrestrial mammalian assemblages.

Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) Density in Central Amazonia.

Ocelots (Leopardus pardalis) are presumed to be the most abundant of the wild cats throughout their distribution range and to play an important role in the dynamics of sympatric small-felid populations. However, ocelot ecological information is limited, particularly for the Amazon. We conducted three camera-trap surveys during three consecutive dry seasons to estimate ocelot density in Amanã Reserve, Central Amazonia, Brazil. We implemented a spatial capture-recapture (SCR) model that shared detection parameters among surveys. A total effort of 7020 camera-trap days resulted in 93 independent ocelot records. The estimate of ocelot density in Amanã Reserve (24.84 ± SE 6.27 ocelots per 100 km2) was lower than at other sites in the Amazon and also lower than that expected from a correlation of density with latitude and rainfall. We also discuss the importance of using common parameters for survey scenarios with low recapture rates. This is the first density estimate for ocelots in the Brazilian Amazon, which is an important stronghold for the species.