A new locality record and distribution of Caluromys derbianus in México

Abstract

The Derby’s wooly opossum, Caluromys derbianus, is regarded in México as a rare, threatened mammal species that inhabits tropical forests.  It has been recorded in only 14 localities over the past 10 years and, thus, any new locality record helps to better elucidate its geographic distribution.  This study aimed at describing the roadkill of a C. derbianus individual and mapping the geographic range of C. derbianus in México based on current and historical records.  An adult C. derbianus female was roadkilled on 27 August 2019 in the Peñuela town, municipality of Amatlán de Los Reyes, state of Veracruz, México.  Peñuela is a semi-urban area characterized by the presence of secondary vegetation and a tributary of the Río Blanco river.  This unusual record, given the low population density of this species, confirms its presence in a previously unrecorded locality within its potential distribution range and helps to understand the effects of disturbance and fragmentation of the sub-evergreen tropical forest on the habitat of this species.