Field guide documents 59 mammal species in protected Ecuadorian coastal forest

A field guide has documented 59 mammal species in Cerro Blanco Protected Forest, one of the largest and best-preserved areas of dry tropical forest on Ecuador’s Pacific coast.

The protected area lies in a non-urban part of Guayaquil and is home to several members of the cat family, including the jaguarundi, ocelot, margay and jaguar. The guide also records white-tailed deer, collared peccaries, tayras, South American coatis, crab-eating raccoons and kinkajous.

The researchers highlighted species facing different levels of threat. The jaguar, mantled howler monkey and Ecuadorian capuchin are listed as critically endangered. Bats make up a substantial share of the diversity documented in the guide.

The publication also mentions species that have not been illustrated but have previous records in Cerro Blanco, as well as animals considered likely to occur there based on verified records from nearby locations and similar ecosystems. These include the Sechuran fox, puma and western neotropical otter.

Researchers from Ecuador’s National Biodiversity Institute, the University of Guayaquil, the Ecuadorian Bat Conservation Program, Keep in Science and the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador produced the guide. They describe it as an outreach tool to build awareness of the need to protect the forest, its ecosystems and its species. Cerro Blanco also contains more than 700 vascular plant species, 320 bird species, 37 reptile species and 20 amphibian species.