IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Yaap, B.; Watson, H.; Laurance, W.F. | |
| Mammal use of _Raphia taedigera_ palm stands in Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula | |
| 2015 Mammalia (79): 357-362 | |
_Raphia taedigera _is a wetland palm species that occurs in monospecific stands in Central and South America, Africa, and Madagascar. Use of this ecosystem by wildlife is largely unknown. We surveyed _R. taedigera _stands at the Osa Biological Corridor in Costa Rica using 26 camera traps to identify which large ( > 1 kg) mammal species use this habitat and the distance each species will travel into it from the surrounding habitats. We conclude that _R. taedigera _provides habitat and a connectivity function in the Osa region for coati (_Nasua narica_), raccoon (_Procyon _sp.), collared peccary (_Pecari tajacu_), whitefaced capuchin (_Cebus capucinus_), ocelot (_Leopardus pardalis_), northern tamandua (_Tamandua mexicana_), and paca (_Cuniculus paca_). Other species were detected only on the edges of stands or not at all. On the basis of literature review, interviews with farmers, frequent detections of collared peccary, and detection in adjacent habitat, the jaguar (_Panthera onca_) is also expected to traverse _R. taedigera _stands. _Raphia taedigera _stands can be considered an important habitat for maintaining connectivity across the Osa Biological Corridor and potentially provide a similar function in other Neotropical landscapes. |
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