Mammals of La Chiripa, The Chayote Protected Zone,

Abstract

Introduction: la Chiripa Municipal Estate is part of El Chayote Protected Zone (ZPC) located in the Central Region of Costa Rica. The predominant Life Zones in the area are   lower montane wet forest and lower montane rain forest. Additionally, it borders the biological corridor known as Paso de las Nubes, where other protected wilderness areas with high biological richness are located, including Juan Castro Blanco National Park, Poás Volcano National Park, Río Toro Protected Zone, and Alberto Manuel Brenes Biological Reserve. Despite this, there are no scientific studies supporting its importance in the region. Objective: to create an inventory of wild mammal species of medium or large size (≥500 g), residents in the Municipal Estate La Chiripa, ZPC. Materials and methods: weekly on-foot surveys were conducted along different transects within the study area. Three Bestok® brand camera of 12 megapixels of high-definition traps were placed over five months, in places where signs of wild mammals were observed. Results: a total of thirteen species of mammals from nine different families were recorded, which include endangered species such as: the ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), the margay (Leopardus wiedii), the mountain lion (Puma concolor) and the yaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi. A total of 1113 mammal species from 9 different families were recorded, including endangered species. Additionally, an increase in invasive activities, such as motorcycle entry into the protected wilderness area, was evident. This activity led to decreased sightings at the site and significant damage to the municipal estate’s trails due to illegal use.