Large terrestrial mammals

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The Yucatan Peninsula contains some of the largest tracts of tropical forest in Mexico. These forests host six species of ungulates, including the largest and last survivor of the Neotropical megafauna, the Central American Tapir; one of the rarest ungulate species in Mexico, the White-lipped Peccary; and one endemic species of deer, the Gray Brocket. The Yucatan Peninsula is also home to another peccary species, two more deer species, five felid species, including the jaguar and the puma, and three species of primates. Most of these species face serious conservation threats, as their habitat is increasingly fragmented and because they are among the preferred targets of subsistence hunters. Some of these species require large areas of habitat in good conservation status to fulfill their basic needs for survival. Several research projects undertaken in the past years, and some currently being carried out, have addressed a lack of basic ecological information in this region. Among the ungulates, ecological research has focused on tapir, white-lipped peccary and the three deer species. For felids, scientific attention has been focused on the two largest species, the jaguar and puma; and all three primate species have received scientific attention recently, although more studies have focused on the black howler monkey. This chapter is an attempt to summarize what is currently known about these, the largest mammal species of the Yucatan Peninsula, and to point out gaps in the existing information. Such information is absolutely necessary to design conservation and management plans for these highly interesting and endangered species. eng