New records of the Endangered Chacoan peccary Catagonus wagneri suggest a broader distribution than formerly known

Abstract

The Chacoan peccary Catagonus wagneri is the rarest and most threatened of the three extant species of peccary. Its presence has been recorded in the northern Dry Chaco ecoregion, which spans northern Argentina, western Paraguay and south-eastern Bolivia. However, distribution models based on its occurrence in Argentina have predicted that suitable habitat extends southwards into central Argentina, where the species was not previously recorded. We present several records of the species outside the currently accepted distribution, including the first two records in the west of Córdoba province, > 650 km south of the southern limit of the previously known distribution. The discovery of the Chacoan peccary in central Argentina could serve as a justification for the protection of Chacoan forests in this region, where deforestation rates are among the highest worldwide.