Sanchez Andrés David Sarmiento, Alves-Ferreira Gabriela, Heming Neander Marcel, Giné Gastón Andrés Fernandez
Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Ecologia Aplicada à Conservação, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz (UESC), Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil.
PLoS One. 2025 Jan 24;20(1):e0317356. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0317356. eCollection 2025.
Knowledge of the potential distribution and locations of poorly known threatened species is crucial for guiding conservation strategies and new field surveys. The painted tree-rat (Callistomys pictus) is a monospecific, rare, and endangered echimyid rodent endemic to the southern Bahia Atlantic Forest in Brazil. There have been no records of the species published in the last 20 years, and the region has experienced significant forest loss and degradation. According to the IUCN, only 13 specimens had been previously reported, with 12 found in the north of Ilhéus and adjacent municipalities, and one recorded approximately 200 km away from this region, suggesting that its distribution might be wider. We aimed to search for unpublished and more recent records of the C. pictus, by consulting the gray literature (including Environmental Impact Study (EIA) reports, Brazilian Red Lists, and management plans of protected areas), scientific collections, online databases, and mastozoologists working in the region. We estimated the species' potential distribution using Ecological Niche Modeling to identify regions, municipalities, and protected areas most likely to support this species, based on factors such as climate suitability and forest cover. We reported three new sightings of the species, including the first within a protected area. We estimated suitable climate conditions across 23,151 km2, of which 9,225 km2 has a high potential for harboring the species. The area between Itacaré and Valença needs more extensive survey efforts as it has high habitat suitability and only one record has been confirmed there so far. Meanwhile, the region between Una and Ilhéus urgently requires habitat conservation initiatives. While the species may have a broader distribution than previously thought, its known occurrences are limited to a few locations, and suitable habitats are underrepresented in protected areas. Additionally, the rarity of sightings continues to indicate a concerning conservation status.
了解鲜为人知的濒危物种的潜在分布和位置对于指导保护策略和开展新的实地调查至关重要。花斑树鼠（Callistomys pictus）是一种单型、珍稀且濒危的棘鼠科啮齿动物，原产于巴西巴伊亚州南部的大西洋森林。在过去20年里没有该物种的记录发表，并且该地区经历了严重的森林丧失和退化。根据世界自然保护联盟（IUCN）的数据，此前仅报告过13个标本，其中12个在伊列乌斯北部及相邻市镇发现，另一个记录在距该地区约200公里处，这表明其分布可能更广。我们旨在通过查阅灰色文献（包括环境影响研究（EIA）报告、巴西红色名录和保护区管理计划）、科学标本收藏、在线数据库以及该地区的哺乳动物学家，寻找关于花斑树鼠未发表的更新记录。我们使用生态位建模来估计该物种的潜在分布，以便根据气候适宜性和森林覆盖等因素确定最有可能支持该物种生存的地区、市镇和保护区。我们报告了该物种的三次新目击记录，包括在一个保护区内的首次目击。我们估计适宜气候条件覆盖面积达23,151平方公里，其中9,225平方公里有很高的可能性存在该物种。伊塔卡雷和瓦伦萨之间的区域需要更广泛的调查工作，因为其栖息地适宜性高，且目前仅确认有一条记录。与此同时，乌纳和伊列乌斯之间的区域迫切需要开展栖息地保护行动。虽然该物种的分布可能比之前认为的更广，但其已知出现地点仅限于少数几个地方，并且适宜栖息地在保护区中的占比不足。此外，目击记录稀少仍表明其保护状况令人担忧。
