Ortalis vetula

Abstract: We evaluated the impact of the extensive livestock practices and subsistence hunting on the relative abundance of mammals in the Zoque, forest, Mexico. We used camera-traps, structured questionnaires and visits to different locations. With a total sampling effort of 4,860 trap-days and 54 camera-traps in two periods of sampling (2009 and 2010), we registered 25 mammals and five birds species. From the total number of species, 36.66% are in some category of endangerment by national and international laws. The most abundant species in the region were Bos tauru s / Bos indicus , Tayassu pecari , Cuniculus paca , Pecari tajacu , Dasyprocta mexicana , Tapirus bairdii and Dasypus novemcinctus , while the least abundant were the carnivores in that region. The secondary vegetation was used with greater intensity for domestic livestock and the Pecari tajacu , Urocyon cinereoargenteus and Ortalis vetula ( P < 0.05), while the majority of medium and large mammals and wild birds used the well-preserved jungle fragments with greater intensity. These jungle fragments were of varying sizes and were associated with fruit trees and hunting zones in the region ( P < 0.05). Mammals were mainly utililized for the following reasons in order of importance: 1) as bushmeat, 2) as pets, 3) for their skins, and, 4) for traditional medicine. Finally the extensive livestock practices and subsistence hunting are the main human activities that have a negative effect on wildlife in the Zoque forest.