Anna Karolina Martins Borges

Boiruna sertaneja is a large snake primarily associated with the Caatinga and recognized for its pronounced ophiophagy. Nevertheless, information on its diet remains scattered across a limited number of publications and isolated records. Here, we compiled available dietary information from the scientific literature, photographs and videos published on digital platforms, and unpublished observations by the authors. Only prey identified to species level were included, whereas records predating the formal description of B. sertaneja were assessed separately because of historical taxonomic uncertainties. We documented 18 prey species belonging to 11 families and four major vertebrate groups. Snakes accounted for 50.0% of prey species richness, followed by lizards (27.8%), birds (16.7%), and amphisbaenians (5.6%). When historical records potentially attributable to the species are considered separately, the list reaches 22 species and also includes mammals. The diet was predominantly reptivorous and strongly characterized by ophiophagy, but was not exclusive, indicating sufficient trophic plasticity to include birds and potentially mammals. Audiovisual records added new prey species, including Amphisbaena alba, documented for the first time as prey of B. sertaneja. The authors’ observations also documented active predation on live birds, while audiovisual records revealed behaviors including pursuit, restraint, constriction, prey manipulation, and ingestion. Integrating conventional and digital sources expanded our knowledge of the diet and feeding behavior of B. sertaneja, highlighting the value of complementary approaches for studying the natural history of elusive and poorly sampled snakes.

Much of the ethnobiological knowledge produced by research is documented and synthesized under scientific names, yet species boundaries can change long after records are produced. When a historically broadly circumscribed species is later split, earlier information on use, hunting, trade, management, or other human relationships may no longer contain enough evidence to determine which currently recognized species was involved. We introduce taxonomic erosion of ethnobiological knowledge as the loss of contemporary taxonomic resolution or assignability of previously documented ethnobiological records following changes in taxonomic circumscription. We distinguish this process from nomenclatural change, misidentification, and what has been termed erosion of local ecological knowledge, which concerns the knowledge held by people rather than its scientific documentation. Its occurrence depends jointly on the nature of taxonomic change and on the evidence preserved with each record, including voucher specimens, diagnostic images, biological material, provenance, and other verifiable documentation. We also introduce the complementary concept of taxonomic recovery of ethnobiological knowledge, which occurs when preserved evidence allows historical records to be reconnected to currently recognized taxa. Newly described or newly delimited species may also possess histories of human relationships that long predate their scientific recognition. We argue that taxonomic traceability should be treated as a core component of ethnobiological documentation, databases, and syntheses. The taxonomic resolution assigned to a record should never exceed that supported by the preserved evidence.

Most infectious diseases affecting humans are zoonotic in origin, with mammals serving as the main reservoirs. Frequent interactions between humans and animals, especially in the context of their use for food, medicine, and other purposes, pose significant public health risks, as recently demonstrated by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. In traditional medicine, many species—some of which are also used as food—are valued for their therapeutic versatility, that is, the diversity of medicinal uses attributed to each species. This study investigates the role of zoonotic potential in the selection of mammals used in traditional medicine at a global scale. We compiled data on 411 wild mammal species across 17 orders, identifying 5.146 associated pathogens, of which 2.778 (53.9%) also infect humans. Most diseases transmitted by these species are caused by viruses (33.4%), bacteria (23.3%), and helminths (22.3%). These mammals are used to treat at least 500 diseases or symptoms, and 4.3% of the species show high therapeutic versatility (RI > 1). Our results indicate that species selection is shaped by both biological and cultural factors, with zoonotic potential being the most influential: species with a higher risk of disease transmission tend to be less used. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating zoonotic risk into research and policies regarding the medicinal use of wildlife.

Successful long‐term conservation relies on strategic planning for pragmatic actions to mitigate threats. Prioritizing actions and areas to support conservation goals in the most cost‐effective scenario becomes crucial in resource‐limited environments. However, planning and management can be challenging in data‐limited contexts. Incorporating local ecological knowledge (LEK) into conservation planning is an underexplored method of addressing these knowledge gaps. We utilized systematic conservation planning to identify key sites for seahorse threat management in a complex social‐ecological system in a protected area. Through participatory mapping and interviews with artisanal fishers, we gathered insights about seahorses, threats to them, and their socioeconomic significance for the local community. We compared LEK‐derived seahorse conservation priorities with spatial priorities identified using Marxan and with LEK‐derived and science‐derived data to explore LEK's contribution to spatial planning for a data‐poor species and to explore different seahorse threat management scenarios. The LEK‐derived and science‐derived seahorse abundance Marxan scenarios had a strong spatial agreement, emphasizing LEK's role in conservation planning. Furthermore, LEK‐derived data filled key data gaps on the distribution and nature of water‐based threats. Threat management scenarios for land and water‐based threat management had distinct spatial patterns. Incorporating LEK into decision‐making empowered local communities and thus fostered community‐based management. These findings offer insights into conservation planning in data‐deficient scenarios and can aid decision makers and local stakeholders in inclusive conservation strategies. Our results identified priorities for seahorse conservation in the Rio Formoso Estuary and our methods offer a transferable approach for participatory and interdisciplinary planning, which are essential for biodiversity conservation and livelihoods maintenance.

Seahorses are rare and threatened marine species facing increasing risks from habitat degradation and overexploitation. Understanding their distribution is critical for effective conservation planning, yet comprehensive studies are limited, including in Brazil. This study aimed to conduct a gap analysis and identify priority areas for seahorse conservation by using species distribution models (SDMs) to map their distribution and guide conservation efforts. Occurrence data and environmental variables were processed to develop SDMs. Conservation gaps were identified by comparing SDM predictions with the existing protected area (PA) network, and priority areas were determined using Marxan software. SDMs revealed species‐specific habitat associations: Hippocampus reidi was found in shallow coastal habitats, such as mangroves, seagrass beds, and rocky shores, across Brazil, particularly in the northeast and southeast; Hippocampus patagonicus occurred in deeper coastal areas, from Rio de Janeiro to Rio Grande do Sul; and Hippocampus aff. erectus was limited to the northeast, primarily inhabiting mangrove and seagrass areas. Conservation gaps were significant, with only 9%, 11%, and 20% of suitable habitats for H. reidi , H. patagonicus , and H. aff. erectus overlapping PAs, even less in strictly protected zones. Priority areas suggest a 17% expansion of the protected area system to meet conservation targets. This study emphasizes the urgent need for targeted strategies to safeguard seahorses and their habitats in Brazil, highlighting the importance of addressing taxonomic uncertainties, filling knowledge gaps, exploring their potential as flagship species, and strengthening protections to mitigate biodiversity loss. These findings provide decision‐makers and stakeholders with actionable insights to ensure the long‐term preservation of these vulnerable species and their habitats.

Seahorses are unique, charismatic, and threatened fish that inhabit some of the most vulnerable marine environments. In Brazil, three seahorse species are recognized as threatened with extinction; however, knowledge of their ecology and conservation is unsystematized and patchy. Using the PRISMA protocol, we performed a systematic review of the existing literature on Brazilian seahorses to assess the current knowledge on their distribution, life history aspects, threats, and conservation efforts, while also identifying research gaps and proposing future priorities. By accessing 289 studies, we found significant knowledge gaps on distribution, population ecology, and habitat preferences, particularly for Hippocampus patagonicus and H. aff. erectus, including critical taxonomic uncertainties for the latter. Despite being the most studied species in the country, H. reidi lacks updated large-scale studies. We evidenced three major threats to seahorse conservation in Brazil: fisheries (both targeted and incidental), trade, and habitat destruction. Furthermore, we highlight emerging anthropogenic disturbances, such as tourism-related activities, as potential stressors to seahorse populations. Weaknesses in the conservation framework, particularly regarding the regulation and monitoring of these threats, require attention. Our findings provide important insights to direct future management and conservation actions for seahorses in Brazil. We emphasize the need for comprehensive studies to address taxonomic uncertainties, clarify distribution patterns, and understand the life history of seahorses in Brazilian waters. This is especially crucial for populations facing human-induced pressures. Given the complex and multi-stakeholder nature of seahorse threats, a multifaceted conservation approach is essential to ensure their long-term protection in Brazil.

Planning for effective conservation demands an accurate understanding of the ecological aspects of species, particularly their distribution and habitat preferences. This is even more critical in the case of data-poor, rare, and threatened species, such as seahorses, mainly when they inhabit vulnerable ecosystems like estuaries. Given the importance of better understanding these parameters to design seahorse conservation strategies, we mapped the distribution and assessed habitat preferences of longsnout seahorses (Hippocampus reidi) in a mangrove estuary in a Brazilian protected area. Using generalised linear mixed-effects models we found that dense mangrove cover macro-habitats and shallow depths predicted seahorse sightings and higher densities. Furthermore, the selective index of micro-habitats used by seahorses showed that seahorses exhibited a preference for mangrove structures as holdfasts (i.e., fallen branches). Due to the significant importance of mangroves in providing suitable habitats for H. reidi in estuaries, it is crucial to enforce the protection of these ecosystems in conservation and management strategies for the species.

Background: The use of ornamental fish as pets has important implications for the conservation of the species used in fish keeping, particularly in relation to overexploitation. Understanding ornamental fish keepers’ relationship with the hobby can provide important information for assessing the potential impacts of the activity. Here, we analyzed the profile of Brazilian ornamental fish keepers and evaluated their preferences and the implications of their choices.Methods: Information was obtained by applying questionnaires to 906 ornamental fish keepers participating in fish keeping groups in a social network. The questionnaire contained questions about the species of fish kept (freshwater and marine), techniques used, socio-economic aspects, and associated conservation perspectives.Results: Most ornamental fish keepers were young men (20–40 years old), with higher education and monthly income above US$ 530.00. Participants predominantly kept freshwater fish (86%), but marine fish only (5%) or both marine and freshwater hobbyists (9%) were also recorded. A total of 523 species of ornamental fish were kept, most of which comprised freshwater (76% of the total) and exotic species (73%). About a third of the fish species recorded were under national trade restrictions. In addition, about a third of ornamental fish keepers declared that they also had invertebrates. Marine aquariums require a greater financial investment, especially at the beginning, than freshwater aquariums and are also almost entirely based on exotic species. The aesthetic factor is the main motivation associated with practicing this hobby, being color and behavior key factors in choosing fish. A total of 10% of hobbyists have already released fish into the wild, highlighting concerns about potential biological invasions. There is an urgent need to enforce regulations towards restricting ornamental fish keepers’ access to threatened native species and potentially invasive species, as well as measures aimed at informing and raising hobbyists’ awareness of conservation measures related to the hobby.