Comparison of hair capture methods for monitoring peccary populations

Resumen

The great loss of biodiversity and population declines include mammals as one of the most vulnerable groups worldwide. It is therefore important to monitor species populations, and several methodologies have been designed and improved to obtain information indirectly, with non-invasive or minimally invasive approaches. Our objective was to evaluate the efficiency of two different hair capture methodologies, hair traps and active search, for peccary hair sampling. This survey was conducted on white-lipped (Tayassu pecari) and collared (Dicotyles tajacu) peccaries in two protected areas in the Atlantic Forest of Southeastern Brazil. Between March and October 2019, sixteen hair traps were installed and monitored in a sampling effort of 3,000 days, and active searches were conducted along trails and dirt roads, covering a total of 822 kilometers. When comparing the two methods, hair traps were more efficient for white-lipped peccaries, but the active search was more efficient for collared peccaries. Although each method was more effective for each peccary species, we believe that both methods complement each other. Furthermore, we recommend some adaptations to make future works even more efficient. Finally, we encourage more studies like this to avoid unnecessary spending of resources and improve the collection of biological material of free-living animals, especially for endangered species.