title: The distributional ecology of the maned sloth: environmental influences on its distribution and gaps in knowledge.
abstract: The maned sloth Bradypus torquatus (Pilosa, Bradypodidae) is endemic to a small area in the Atlantic Forest of coastal Brazil. It has been listed as a threatened species because of its restricted geographic range, habitat loss and fragmentation, and declining populations. The major objectives of this study were to estimate its potential geographic distribution, the climatic conditions across its distributional range, and to identify suitable areas and potential species strongholds. We developed a model of habitat suitability for the maned sloth using two methods, Maxent and Mahalanobis Distance, based on 42 occurrence points. We evaluated environmental variable importance and the predictive ability of the generated distribution models. Our results suggest that the species distribution could be strongly influenced by environmental factors, mainly temperature seasonality. The modeled distribution of the maned sloth included known areas of occurrence in the Atlantic Forest (Sergipe, Bahia, Espírito Santo, and Rio de Janeiro), but did not match the observed distributional gaps in northern Rio de Janeiro, northern Espírito Santo or southern Bahia. Rather, the model showed that these areas are climatically suitable for the maned sloth, and thus suggests that factors other than climate might be responsible for the absence of species. Suitable areas for maned sloth were located mainly in the mountainous region of central Rio de Janeiro throughout Espírito Santo and to the coastal region of southern Bahia. We indicate 17 stronghold areas and recommended survey areas for the maned sloth. In addition, we highlight specific areas for conservation, including the current network protected areas. Our results can be applied for novel surveys and discovery of unknown populations, and help the selection of priority areas for management and conservation planning, especially of rare and relatively cryptic species directed associated with forested habitats.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Biologia Animal), Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Danielle de Oliveira
authors.initials: Dde O
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.affiliation: Unidade de Medicina Tropical, Departamento de Patologia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gustavo Rocha
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Leite
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Pesquisas do Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marinez
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferreira de Siqueira
authors.affiliation: Secretaria de Extrativismo e Desenvolvimento Rural Sustentável, Ministério do Meio Ambiente, Brasília, Brazil.
authors.forename: Bruno Rocha
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Coutinho
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Biologia Animal), Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mariana Santos
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Zanon
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Biologia Animal), Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sérgio Lucena
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Mendes
mesh_terms: D063147:Animal Distribution; D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D065928:Forests; D012896:Sloths