Sarisha Trindade do Carmo
The northern muriqui (Brachyteles hypoxanthus) and southern muriqui (Brachyteles arachnoides) are endemic to the Atlantic Forest and their remaining populations are restricted to a few areas. Despite the critically endangered status of the muriquis, new populations can still be found. Recently, an individual of muriqui was recorded in the region surrounding the Itatiaia National Park, in the southern Minas Gerais state, where the species had never been scientifically recorded before. This region has a historical lack of scientific knowledge about biodiversity, due to the difficult access. As well as the east of the Itatiaia massif, where the mountain range of Pedra Selada is located, whose biodiversity is practically unknown until the present day, with few studies dealing with the fauna of the region currently comprised by the Pedra Selada State Park (PEPS).
Northern-Muriqui. © Sarisha Trindade.
The distribution limits that separates both species is still not consolidated, and the geographic proximity between southern and northern muriqui populations in the Serra da Mantiqueira mountain range, indicates possible contact zones between the two species, especially in the Itatiaia National Park. Although there are few reports of muriqui in the intended locations, the occurrence possibilities of small populations occupying fragments of the surroundings have not yet been discarded. Finding new populations of muriquis is extremely important to aggregate in the conservation status of the species, as nowadays it is estimated a few populations of muriquis in the wild. Furthermore, the obtainment of reliable demographic data and quantification of the remaining population of muriquis were recognized as important measures in the National Action Plan of the Atlantic Forest Primates and the Maned Sloth coordinated by the National Center of Research and Conservation of Brazilian Primates, ICMBio.
Therefore, the present proposal aims to verify the presence of the muriqui in the surroundings of the Itatiaia National Park, in the municipality of Bocaina de Minas and in the Pedra Selada State Park, with the aim of fulfill knowledge gaps and achieve greater precision about the species status. In addition to the muriqui, the occurrence of other species of primates present in the region will also be investigated.