Species distribution model reveals only highly fragmented suitable patches remaining for giant armadillo in the Brazilian Cerrado

Biologging as an important tool to uncover behaviors of cryptic species: an analysis of giant armadillos (Priodontes maximus)

Advances in biologging have increased the understanding of how animals interact with their environment, especially for cryptic species. For example, giant armadillos (Priodontes maximus) are the largest extant species of armadillo but are rarely encountered due to their fossorial and nocturnal behavior. Through the analysis of speed, turning angles, and accelerometer activity counts, we estimated behavioral states, characterized activity budgets, and investigated the state-habitat associations exhibited by individuals monitored with GPS telemetry in the Brazilian Pantanal from 2019 to 2020. This methodology is proposed as a useful framework for the identification of priority habitat. Using the non-parametric Bayesian mixture model for movement (M3), we estimated four latent behavioral states that were named 'vigilance-excavation', 'local search', 'exploratory', and 'transit'. These states appeared to correspond with behavior near burrows or termite mounds, foraging, ranging, and rapid movements, respectively. The first and last hours of activity presented relatively high proportions of the vigilance-excavation state, while most of the activity period was dominated by local search and exploratory states. The vigilance-excavation state occurred more frequently in regions between forest and closed savannas, whereas local search was more likely in high proportions of closed savanna. Exploratory behavior probability increased in areas with high proportions of both forest and closed savanna. Our results establish a baseline for behavioral complexity, activity budgets, and habitat associations in a relatively pristine environment that can be used for future work to investigate anthropogenic impacts on giant armadillo behavior and fitness. The integration of accelerometer and GPS-derived movement data through our mixture model has the potential to become a powerful methodological approach for the conservation of other cryptic species.

Habitat loss estimation for assessing terrestrial mammalian species extinction risk: an open data framework

Terrestrial mammals face a severe crisis of habitat loss worldwide. Therefore, assessing information on habitat loss throughout different time periods is crucial for assessing species' conservation statuses based on the IUCN Red List system. To support the national extinction risk assessment in Brazil (2016-2022), we developed a script that uses the MapBiomas Project 6.0 data source of land cover and land use (annual maps at 30 m scale) within the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform to calculate habitat loss. We defined suitable habitats from the MapBiomas Project land cover classification for 190 mammalian taxa, according to each species range map and ecological characteristics. We considered a period of three generation lengths to assess habitat loss in accordance with the Red List assessment criteria. We used the script to estimate changes in available habitat throughout the analyzed period within the species' known ranges. The results indicated that habitat loss occurred within 94.3% of the analyzed taxa range, with the Carnivora order suffering the greatest habitat loss, followed by the Cingulata order. These analyses may be decisive for applying criteria, defining categories during the assessment of at least 17 species (9%), enriching discussions, and raising new questions for several other species. We considered the outcome of estimating habitat loss for various taxa when applying criterion A, which refers to population reduction, thus supporting more accurate inferences about past population declines.

Using a Conflict Framework Analysis to Help Beekeepers and Giant Armadillos (Priodontes maximus) Coexist

Damage caused by wildlife is one reason preventing peaceful coexistence between humans and wildlife. To identify the complexity and scope of human-wildlife interactions and to guide conservation interventions, a theoretical framework has been recently proposed, based on the field of conflict analysis and peacebuilding. Despite its importance, to our knowledge, there are no studies yet testing the framework. We therefore adapted and expanded the framework to investigate a wildlife-people interaction scenario, involving damage by giant armadillos (Priodontes maximus) to apiaries in the Brazilian Cerrado biome of Mato Grosso do Sul state. From August to November 2018, we interviewed 111 beekeepers identified through a mixed random and snowball sampling design to assess at which level of conflict this interaction could be framed, and to identify strategies able to promote coexistence. Analysis of the five key areas of the framework suggested the current human-wildlife interaction is a level one conflict. This means the negative relation between beekeepers and giant armadillos is still not rooted in less visible, more complex social disagreements, but founded in a material dispute: destruction of beehives. We used the findings to create an intervention strategy which involves: (i) the implementation of mitigation strategies that prevent giant armadillos from predating beehives; (ii) a certification scheme to acknowledge beekeepers' efforts to implement the mitigation strategies, and (iii) a Citizen Science Program using an app that enables data gathering for adaptive management, as well as maintains beekeeper engagement. We hope beekeepers-giant armadillos' coexistence will become beneficial rather than a challenge with the novel interventions.