Distribution and Status of the Extant Xenarthrans (Mammalia: Xenarthra) in the Southern cone Mesopotamian Savanna, Argentina

Abstract

The Southern Cone Mesopotamian savanna (MS), located in northeastern Argentina, is one of the least protected ecoregions (0.11%) of the country. Five of the seven historically present species of xenarthrans in this region are of conservation concern at the national level. This work reviews, updates and analyzes the current distribution and conservation status of the xenarthrans using a georeferenced database including records from four complementary methods: field surveys, interviews with local stakeholders, participatory monitoring, and bibliography review. Results were then compared with existing distribution maps. In total, 304 occurrence records were documented in 127 localities. Considering their relative presence (number of localities where the species is present divided by the total number of localities), the species with most records were Dasypus novemcinctus (71.7%) and Dasypus hybridus (63%); Euphractus sexcinctus and Tamandua tetradactyla were detected in a lower proportion (48.8 and 35.4%, respectively). Cabassous tatouay and Myrmecophaga tridactyla are rare species in the ecoregion. The extant xenarthrans that inhabit the MS are reviewed and information gaps for certain species are identified. We emphasize the importance of contributions from the local community, who provided 80% of the collected information for this study.