Bolivian coffee growers Amazon Weasel (Neogare Africana) Surveys were conducted near shade-grown plots as part of a citizen science monitoring program.
Amazon Weasel (Neogare Africana): They have a distinctive, sharp, dark brown stripe running down the midline from their throat to their belly. Image credit: Bernal-Hoverud others., doi:10.15560/20.3.828.
The Amazonian weasel, also known as the tropical weasel, is a lesser known species of weasel native to South America.
It was first identified as a museum specimen that was mistakenly described as native to Africa, hence the specific name africana.
This species inhabits the tropical environment of the Amazon, where temperatures and rainfall are high throughout the year.
It is found in the Amazon River basin from north-central Brazil through Ecuador, south-central Peru and central Brazil, although its full range is unknown.
“I didn't know what it was, but I knew it was a rare animal,” said coffee grower Einar Quispe, who photographed the weasel near a natural spring on his farm.
“Biodiversity is an important part of our coffee history, so I did everything I could to film it. It's a wonderful surprise to see how important this observation is for Bolivia.”
The new observation in Bolivia represents the southernmost and highest elevation (1,400 metres above sea level) location of this species on record, and the 24th time the species has been recorded anywhere.
This video footage also marks the first time an Amazon weasel has been photographed.
Capturing this weasel for the first time is significant because it provides scientists and the public with their first live footage of this poorly understood carnivore.
“This is an invaluable audiovisual record of a virtually mythical carnivore that lives in the Amazon basin and a fantastic example of the value of citizen science,” said Dr Nuria Bernal, researcher at Texas Tech University.
“As more and more people use their smartphones and cameras to record their observations, we are sure that this is not the only noteworthy scientific contribution by Bolivian citizen scientists.”
“As soon as I saw the video I knew this was a creature we could only dream of observing,” Robert Wallace said. Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).
“WCS celebrates the importance of citizen science to our knowledge of biodiversity – Bolivia is now recognized as a global leader in the field – and we applaud the continued conservation work and innovation of APCERL's local partners.”
“Eco de las Aves from Bolivia has been our favorite coffee for a while now. How wonderful to know that as a consumer we are contributing to the preservation of Amazon forests and biodiversity while enjoying our morning cup of coffee.”
This observation: paper In the journal Checklist.
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N. Bernal Hoveld others2024. First Record Neogare Africana (Desmarest, 1818), Amazonian weasel (Carnivora, Mustelidae), Bolivia. Checklist 20 (3): 828-832; doi: 10.15560/20.3.828
This article is based on a press release provided by the Wildlife Conservation Society.
Source: www.sci.news
