Raone Beltrão-Mendes

Bats have been recorded dispersing the seeds of 549 Neotropical plant species. Diet composition and the processes that determine resource selection are fundamental to understanding animal ecology. The present study investigated the feeding ecology of Carollia perspicillata in an Atlantic Forest fragment in northeastern Brazil. Fecal samples were collected by placing two plastic tarpaulins on the ground directly below the colony for 72 hours per month over a one-year period. Phenological observations were conducted simultaneously at the study site. Approximately 323,400 seeds were collected and identified, representing 16 plant species in 12 families. Four of these species were classified as synzoochoric, whereas the majority were endozoochoric. Seeds of five plant species — Annona montana, Syagrus coronata, Senna georgica, Aegiphila vitelliniflora, and Chomelia obtusa — are reported here for the first time in the diet of C. perspicillata. Three species accounted for most of the seeds collected in the cave: Piper amalago with 160,594 seeds, Solanum paniculatum with 79,322 seeds, and Maclura tinctoria with 60,691 seeds. Although P. amalago contributed almost half of all seeds collected, no significant seasonal variation was detected in overall consumption patterns, species diversity, or seed abundance between the dry and rainy seasons. The feeding patterns recorded in the present study appear to reflect resource availability in the study area rather than a clear preference for particular plant species. This apparent lack of feeding preference may be related to the ecological characteristics of the study area, especially the reduced diversity of species of the genus Piper.

Water is an essential nutrient for living beings and is fundamental to metabolic processes. Under free-living conditions, primate individuals can use different strategies, skills, and resources to access water. Here, we report on observations of water consumption in Ateles chamek and Sapajus apella; describe the environmental conditions in which such events were observed, as well as the behavior of the individuals; and compare these observations with similar records in neotropical primates. Water consumption was observed during primate surveys in a forest fragment of approximately 52 ha bordered by the Jaru River, located southwest of the Brazilian Amazon, Vale do Paraíso municipality, state of Rondônia, Brazil. To access water, individuals of A. chamek used their tails, whereas S. apella used a leaf as a tool. Our observations suggest that tree holes may be important water sources for primates in forest fragments and that individuals of different species use different strategies to collect water from tree holes. Access and consumption strategies are directly associated with different cognitive skills and behaviors, which may include using tools, as in the case of capuchins. As water consumption records are limited, these findings highlight the need for continuous reporting to better understand water acquisition. Such reports are especially needed in the context of fragmented and degraded habitats, where water availability is affected by edge effects and the reduction in both fleshy fruits and moisture, which are important for primate species.

Primates are arboreal and semi‐arboreal species, highly dependent on vascular plants. Primate diets typically include plant parts, such as fruits and leaves. Knowledge of the most consumed items is essential for this highly threatened group, especially in the deforested and fragmented Atlantic Forest. Our aim was to synthesise the knowledge about food resources of Atlantic Forest primates. We investigated the temporal and spatial distribution of studies with information on diet, the main taxa recorded as food resources, and the parts of plants most consumed by these primates. We searched for published literature containing food resource records for primates in the Web of Science and screened Neotropical Primates volumes. 96% of the food records were from plants, mainly fruits (50%), leaves (31%) and flowers (14%). Most plant species, genera and families have few records. The families most recorded were Myrtaceae (n = 440) and Fabaceae (n = 392), and the genera were Eugenia (n = 123), Inga (n = 113), Ficus (n = 109) and Myrcia (n = 102). A few primate species with long‐standing conservation programs or population monitoring had the highest number of food resource records. Study sites generally cover only a small part of the geographic range of the primate species, indicating a geographic bias. Our findings highlight the scarcity of research on the Atlantic Forest primate diet, which is especially concerning for threatened species such as Callithrix aurita and Leontopithecus caissara, which only had natural history notes on food resources, and Sapajus robustus, which had no records. The information synthesised here can be useful for planning and executing more efficient Atlantic Forest restoration plans, considering the key plant species for the primate diet. We reinforce the need to conduct more research on the diets of Atlantic Forest primates, as this knowledge can contribute to the understanding of the plasticity and physiology of organisms.

Hunting is an ancient human behavior, which likely became complex and efficient gradually through time. We present data from a bibliographic survey (qualitative) and field sampling (quantitative) of primate hunting in Northeastern Brazil. We evaluated hunting threats faced by 14 primate species native to the States of Bahia and Sergipe (three Critically Endangered, three Endangered, three Vulnerable, two Near Threatened, and three Least Concern). Qualitatively, since 2005, we identified 21 academic studies that contained 47 mentions of all six studied genera known to occur in the study area (Alouatta=4, Brachyteles=2, Callicebus=16, Callithrix=8, Leontopithecus=3, Sapajus=14). Approximately half of the citations were for hunting (55.3%; 88.4% of this for bushmeat) and the other half for trapping (44.7%; 90.4% for pet). Quantitatively, we obtained 834 local experts’ citations of primate hunting and capturing at 348 sites. All experts cited Callithrix, 818 cited Sapajus, and 738 cited Callicebus. We argued 539 about hunting for bushmeat (164 positive; 30.4%) and 636 about trapping for pet (189 positive; 30.9%). Callicebus presented 95 citations as bushmeat (30.1% of 326 queries) and Sapajus presented 80 citations as pet (35.7% of 224). Four informants reported hunting Sapajus for pest control because of crop damage. There was a significant difference (Chi²=33.982; df=2; p<0.0001) comparing hunting for bushmeat and pets, with Callicebus (higher bushmeat) and Sapajus (higher pet) presenting significant differences (both p<0.01). The impact of hunting is associated with biological contexts, besides socioeconomic and political, requiring complex-specific attention and efforts in conservation and management strategies, perhaps innovative, even non-prohibitive.

Camera traps became the main observational method of a myriad of species over large areas. Data sets from camera traps can be used to describe the patterns and monitor the occupancy, abundance, and richness of wildlife, essential information for conservation in times of rapid climate and land‐cover changes. Habitat loss and poaching are responsible for historical population losses of mammals in the Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspot, especially for medium to large‐sized species. Here we present a data set from camera trap surveys of medium to large‐sized native mammals (>1 kg) across the Atlantic Forest. We compiled data from 5380 ground‐level camera trap deployments in 3046 locations, from 2004 to 2020, resulting in 43,068 records of 58 species. These data add to existing data sets of mammals in the Atlantic Forest by including dates of camera operation needed for analyses dealing with imperfect detection. We also included, when available, information on important predictors of detection, namely the camera brand and model, use of bait, and obstruction of camera viewshed that can be measured from example pictures at each camera location. Besides its application in studies on the patterns and mechanisms behind occupancy, relative abundance, richness, and detection, the data set presented here can be used to study species' daily activity patterns, activity levels, and spatiotemporal interactions between species. Moreover, data can be used combined with other data sources in the multiple and expanding uses of integrated population modeling. An R script is available to view summaries of the data set. We expect that this data set will be used to advance the knowledge of mammal assemblages and to inform evidence‐based solutions for the conservation of the Atlantic Forest. The data are not copyright restricted; please cite this paper when using the data.

Purpose As a result of environmental imbalances of anthropogenic origin, the potential for transmission of parasites and viruses between different primates, including humans, might increase. Thus, parasitic studies have great relevance to primatology, which motivated us to conduct a literature review to synthesize the information available in American primates of the Callithrix genus. Methods We carried out the bibliographic search on the main groups of parasites (protozoa, helminths, arthropods, ectoparasites) and viruses found in Callithrix in Brazil in search platforms and consider all manuscript that appeared in search engines, published between the years 1910 and December 2022. In each selected article, the following information was recorded: the host species; parasite taxa; scientific classification of the parasite; host habitat (free-living, captive); diagnostic technique; state; and bibliographic reference. Data were tabulated and arranged in a parasite-host table. Results Some endemic genera, such as Callithrix, are widely distributed geographically across Brazil and have characteristics of adaptation to different habitats due to their flexibility in diet and behavior. These factors can make them subject to a greater diversity of parasites and viruses in the country. Here, we identified 68 parasitic taxa, belonging to the clades protozoa (n = 22), helminths (n = 34), ectoparasites (n = 7), and viruses (n = 5). Out of this total, 19 have zoonotic potential. Of the six existing marmoset species, Callithrix jacchus was the most frequent in studies, and Callithrix flaviceps did not have reports. All regions of the country had occurrences, mainly the Southeast, where 54% of the cases were reported. In 46% of the reported parasites and viruses, it was not possible to identify the corresponding species. Conclusion We conclude that in part of the works the identification methods are not being specific, which makes it difficult to identify the species that affects Callithrix spp. Furthermore, the studies present geographic disparities, being concentrated in the southeast of the country, making it impossible to have a more uniform analysis of the findings. Thus, it is observed that information about parasites and viruses is incipient in the genus Callithrix in Brazil.