New records and considerations on the geographic distribution of Galictis cuja (Carnivora: Mustelidae) in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil

Abstract

Widely distributed in almost all of South America, the mustelid Galictis cuja is a little known Brazilian carnivore, despite occurring in almost all the biomes of the country. There are few records of the species in the Caatinga biome, having been recorded in Rio Grande do Norte (RN) state in only three recent documents. Basic aspects such as geographic distribution are necessary for a better understanding of the species’ biology, especially in the Caatinga biome, where there is a lack of studies. We carried out a survey of the records of G. cuja through roadkill data from the last eight years (2013-2021) on roads surrounding two conservation units in RN, from the Environmental Impact Reports (RIMAs) of the last 11 years (2010-2021), and literature searches. Four specimens of G. cuja were recorded through road monitoring from four records through RIMAs and three published records. The scarcity of records of G. cuja show the rarity of the species and makes it necessary to optimize and standardize the methodology used for surveying species by environmental consulting companies, whose RIMAs generated can be used as valuables tools for gaining better knowledge of the species, especially in regions that lack studies, such as the Caatinga biome