A review of the conservation status of neotropical mammals

Abstract

The Neotropical region is probably the most biodiverse on the planet. It contains around 1700 species of mammals grouped in 15 orders. The number of species in each of them is very variable, ranging from a single species in Microbiotheria to more than 800 in Rodentia. This vast expression of life is heavily threatened since many of the species that inhabit the region are in danger of extinction or present negative population growth rates. In this chapter, we describe the current situation of Neotropical mammals, identifying the most threatened orders, their main threats, and those orders for which the available genetic information is still scarce. The percentage of threatened species within each of the 15 orders ranges from 100% in Perissodactyla and Sirenia, to 10–0% in Cingulata, Didelphimorphia, and Microbiotheria. The main threat described for Neotropical terrestrial mammals is habitat loss and degradation, while fishing activity and hunting are the most cited threats for marine and freshwater mammals. No published works on Didelphimorphia, Paucituberculata, and Soricomorpha threatened species were found, suggesting unequal efforts in the study of Neotropical mammal threatened species. Finally, the need for effective conservation responses at institutional and governmental levels is discussed.