Briefly 807 AMERICAS


New marmoset species discovered in Brazilian Amazon A team of scientists led by Rodrigo Costa Araújo has discovered a newmarmoset spe- cies in the Brazilian Amazon. Schneider’s marmoset Mico schneideri is named after professor Horacio Schneider, a pioneer and majorcontributor tothe researchondiversity and evolution ofmonkeys. There is currently no conservation action to address the habi- tat losses and population declines that the marmosets face, primarily because they are poorly studied. The total number of Amazon marmoset species remains unknown. In 2019 Araújo and his team discovered the Munduruku marmoset Mico munduruku in another area. Mico schneideri was de- scribed frommarmosets knownto research- ers since 1995 but misidentified as Mico emiliae. The study notes the existence of 16 Micospecies occurring in the arc of deforest- ation, an extensive region in the southern Amazon with the highest rates of land clear- ing and fires. Further research is needed to assess the conservation status of M. schnei- deri and to investigate the southern portion of its geographical distribution. Sources: Scientific Reports (2021) doi.org/ 10.1038/s41598-021-93943-w & WCS Newsroom (2021) newsroom.wcs.org/News- Releases/articleType/ArticleView/ articleId/16462/New-Marmoset-Species- Discovered-in-Brazilian-Amazon.aspx


Unusual wolverine sightings in northern Utah AwolverineGulo gulo, and possibly a second one, was observed far to the south of the species’ normal range and in highly atypical habitats. The initial sighting was on Antelope Island State Park, in the Great Salt Lake in Utah,USA, inMay2021.The secondsighting, probablyofthe sameindividual,was inJulyin a suburban neighbourhood in Layton, Utah. This is close toAntelope Island,whichis con- nectedtothemainlandbyacauseway. It isnot knownif there is anestablishedpopulationin Utah. Since 1979, there have been six con- firmed sightings in the state. This individual, assuming these sightings were of the same one, might be a transient male. Wolverines have extensive home ranges and are primar- ily found in boreal forests, tundra, and the mountains of Alaska and Canada. Only several hundred are believed to occur in the lower 48 states of the USA. Source: The Salt Lake Tribune (2021) sltrib.com/news/2021/07/03/second- wolverine-sighting


Pact to protect Amazon rainforest shows limited progress Two years since seven South American na- tions signed the landmark Leticia Pact to protect the world’s largest rainforest, there is scant evidence to suggest its pledges are being fulfilled. Signed by Amazon coun- tries Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru and Suriname, the pact’s aims include amove toward sustainable for- est use and reforestation, restoration of de- graded land, empowerment of women and Indigenous groups, improved information- sharing and the use of satellite data to monitor deforestation and wildfires. Despite these good intentions, deforestation con- tinues to surge across the region, with illegal mining, expansion of cattle ranching and farms, and drug trafficking still widespread, and ongoing problems to attract the fund- ing required to tackle these fundamental threats to the rainforest. Scientists and cam- paigners point to the lack of significant achievements since the pact was signed, and a failure among signatory states to in- vest sufficient funds or implement regional coordination. Source: Al Jazeera (2021) aljazeera.com/ economy/2021/9/6/landmark-pact-to- protect-amazon-rainforest-shows-little- progress


Trapping of North American river otters Lontracanadensis Otters were once heavily hunted for their luxurious fur. As a consequence of unsustain- able exploitation,NorthAmerican river otters Lontra canadensis disappeared from much of their former range, and considerable conservation efforts were made to restore populations in 24 American and Canadian states/provinces. Of these, only five still prohibit otter trapping, and it is illegal in only eight regions out of 61. A review based on 2013–2018 harvest numbers, prices and numbers sold from the Fur Harvesters Auction Inc website, and import numbers from the CITES Trade Database, showed otter trapping numbers decreased during that time. This was largely because of re- duced demand, leading to lower prices. Should demand and prices increase, then harvests would quickly rise. Without sound scientific data, trapping cannot be considered sustainable, especially given the pressures from other factors such as habitat loss, pollution and lack of prey, which could lead to a sudden drop in otter populations. Source: OTTER (2021) otter.org/ documents/journals/IOSF_Journal_Vol7_ 2021.pdf


Heat dome probably killed 1 billion marine animals on Canada coast More than 1 billion marine animals along Canada’s Pacific coast are likely to have died from July’s record heatwave, highlight- ing the vulnerability of ecosystems unaccus- tomed to extreme temperatures. The heat dome that settled over western Canada and the north-western USA for 5 days pushed temperatures along the coast to 40 °C, and is believed to have killed asmany as 500 people. Experts fear the intense and unrelenting heat also had a devastating impact onmarine life. Mussels along the coast were effectively cooked by the abnormally warm water, and snails, sea stars and clams decayed. The mass death of shellfish would affect water quality because mussels and clams filter the sea water. Although mussels can regenerate over a period of 2 years, some starfish and clams live for decades, and they reproduce more slowly, so their recovery will take longer. Experts have cautioned that the province needs to adapt to the reality that sudden and sustained heatwaves are likely to become more common as a result of climate change. Source: The Guardian (2021) theguardian. com/environment/2021/jul/08/heat- dome-canada-pacific-northwest-animal- deaths


Amazon eagle faces starvation in last stronghold Conservationists say the largest eagle of the Americas has nearly zero chance of surviv- ing Amazon deforestation. According to a new study, the harpy eagle Harpia harpyja is struggling to feed its young in parts of the rainforest that have been stripped of trees. The researchers monitored 16 nests in Amazonian forests in Mato Grosso, Brazil. Bone fragments revealed the eagles were preying mainly on two-toed sloths, brown capuchin monkeys and grey woolly mon- keys. In deforested areas they did not find alternative food, and fed their young less frequently. In landscapes with 50–70% de- forestation, three eaglets died from starva- tion, and no nests were found in areas with deforestation over 70%. The scientists calculated that areas that have lost more than half their trees are unsuitable for harpy eagles and estimated that c. 35%of northern Mato Grosso no longer supports breeding harpy eagles. Conservation mea- sures, such as moving young eagles and supplementing their diets, will be critical to the survival of the species. Sources: Scientific Reports (2021) doi.org/ 10.1038/s41598-021-92372-z & BBC (2021) bbc.com/news/science-environment- 57665575


Oryx, 2021, 55(6), 803–808 © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Fauna & Flora International doi:10.1017/S0030605321001356


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