First record of Plecturocebus ornatus: Buffer zone of the Sumapaz National Natural Park, El Castillo, Meta, Colombia

Nuevo registro de Plecturocebus ornatus

Abstract

Plecturocebus ornatus (Titi zocay) is a primate endemic to the piedmont of Colombia’s Eastern Cordillera, classified as vulnerable due to habitat degradation and fragmentation. This study reports a new record based on direct sightings and photographic evidence of two individuals in a fragmented landscape. Field surveys were conducted in the Miravalles area, municipality of El Castillo, during 2023, obtaining visual records of P. ornatus. Additionally, occurrence data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) was compiled and refined to spatially compare the new record. Two adult individuals were recorded in a fragmented habitat associated with livestock farming, constituting the first documented record for county El Castillo. Identification was based on diagnostic morphological characteristics. This finding extends the known altitudinal limit and is located 11.07 km from the potential distribution polygon proposed by the IUCN. This record extends the known distribution of P. ornatus into the buffer zone of Sumapaz National Natural Park and raises its altitudinal limit. It also highlights the importance of assessing landscape connectivity in transformed areas and promoting biological research in territories affected by armed conflict to strengthen effective conservation strategies.