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IUCN SSC Anteater, Sloth and Armadillo Specialist Group IUCN SSC Anteater, Sloth and Armadillo Specialist Group 2019 Report Mariella Superina Chair Mission statement Plan Mariella Superina (1) The mission of the IUCN SSC Anteater, Sloth and Planning: plan for protection of Brazilian Three- Armadillo Specialist Group is to promote the banded Armadillo and Pygmy Three-toed Sloth. Red List Authority Coordinator long-term conservation of the extant species of Act Agustín M. Abba (2) xenarthrans (anteaters, sloths and armadillos) Conservation actions: effective protection of and their habitats. Brazilian Three-banded Armadillo and Pygmy Location/Affiliation Three-toed Sloth. (1) IMBECU - CCT CONICET Mendoza, Mendoza, Projected impact for the 2017-2020 Network quadrennium Argentina Capacity building: (1) teach five training courses; (2) CEPAVE, La Plata, Argentina By the end of 2020, we envision the Anteater, (2) train Argentinean mammalogists in Red List Sloth and Armadillo Specialist Group (ASASG) assessments. Number of members will have achieved increased protection for Proposal development and funding: secure 26 our priority species, the Critically Endangered funding to replenish the Xenarthra Conserva- Pygmy Three-toed Sloth (Bradypus pygmaeus) tion Fund. Social networks and the Vulnerable Brazilian Three-banded Synergy: enter into partnership with zoological Armadillo (Tolypeutes tricinctus). We aim to Facebook: institutions. IUCN/SSC Anteater, Sloth and Armadillo reach this goal by increasing scientific knowl- Communicate Specialist Group edge, raising awareness, developing and imple- Communication: (1) publish four issues of the Website: www.xenarthrans.org menting comprehensive action plans and securing protection of their habitat. Capacity ASASG Newsletter; (2) increase awareness building through training courses will allow us to through campaigns at zoos and other institu- increase the number of researchers dedicated tions; (3) increase awareness for Xenarthra. to conservation-relevant research on arma- dillos, sloths and anteaters. We predict that our Activities and results 2019 awareness campaigns will increase knowledge Assess about our species and their conservation prob- Red List lems among the general public. i. We have postponed the assessments of seven silky anteater species and all Xenar- Targets for the 2017-2020 quadrennium thra species until we can organise assessment Assess workshops with our Specialist Group members. Red List: (1) complete assessment of seven silky We are currently looking for funding to hold the anteater species; (2) complete re-assessment workshops. (KSR #1) of all Xenarthra species; (3) facilitate assess- ii. ASASG members (specifically, the Chair ments of other taxa for the IUCN Red List; (4) and RLA) have trained researchers in the use support assessment of mammals of Argentina. of IUCN methodology for Red List Assess- Research activities: collection of scientific ments and participated in assessment work- data about Brazilian Three-banded Armadillo shops for other taxa: (1) we have provided Red (Tolypeutes tricinctus) and Pygmy Three-toed Sloth (Bradypus pygmaeus). Northern tamandua (Tamandua mexicana) Photo: Fernando Faciole Brazilian Three-banded Armadillo (Tolypeutes tricinctus) Photo: Mariella Superina Plan by the ASASG, aimed at raising awareness for Planning anteater conservation. It was initiated in April 2018 and ended in May 2019. More than 40 i. Diorene and her team have been working towards an effective management plan through institutions (zoos, aquaria, and educational strengthening of local networks and actively institutions) from Brazil and other parts of the involving the communities that use the island world have carried out environmental educa- Escudo de Veraguas. They also delivered a tion activities to disseminate knowledge about training course on biodiversity conservation to anteaters, raise awareness, and promote their List training to researchers in Peru, Honduras, members of the local Ngäbe community, local conservation. More than 50,000 people from all and Argentina; (2) we have facilitated national NGOs, government agencies and university age groups and a variety of social, cultural, and assessment workshops on the extinction risk students to continue building key capacity. economic levels have been reached. (KSR #28) of Brazilian snakes and Argentinean plants; (3) (KSR #18) iii. We have been increasing awareness for we have provided advice to the environmental Xenarthra through different strategies: (1) by authorities of Peru and Argentina regarding their Act providing information on Xenarthra through our national Red List assessments. We will continue Conservation actions newly designed website, www.xenarthrans. providing training and facilitating assessments i. Six of the 38 actions included in the Action org, and our Facebook page, www.facebook. in 2020. (KSR #1) Plan were addressed over the past four years com/xenarthrans; (2) by providing advice to iii. We have collaborated with the Argentinean within the framework of the Brazilian Three- researchers, students, and schoolchildren; (3) Mammalogy Society and the national wild- banded Armadillo Conservation Program. The by giving talks and interviews to different media, life authorities in the re-assessment process declaration of the Poti River Canyon State Park and participating in documentaries. (KSR #28) of all mammals of Argentina using the regional in Piauí State provides effective protection to Red List Guidelines. The national Red List of this threatened species. (KSR #27) Acknowledgements Mammals is available at http://cma.sarem.org. Network We would like to thank Animal Educators Inc. ar/. (KSR #2) Capacity building and Nurtured by Nature for their support. Research activities i. The planned courses were cancelled or post- We also thank the IUCN SSC for the financial i. The first stage of the Brazilian Three-banded poned due to a lack of funding. support that allowed us to redesign our website Armadillo Conservation Program, which is Synergy and publish this year’s issue of Edentata. supported by our Specialist Group and whose i. We have started discussing the possibilities scientific coordinator is our member Flávia of a partnership between an institution and our Summary of activities 2019 Miranda, concluded in 2019. Over 30 expe- Specialist Group. (KSR #29) ditions were made to document the area of Components of Species Conservation Cycle: 5/5 Communicate occurrence of the species and to interview local Assess 5 ||||| communities about the species; two scientific Communication Plan 1 | expeditions allowed the collection of biological i. In December 2019 we published volume 20 of Act 1 | data on this rare species. (KSR #12) Edentata, which included seven articles related Network 2 || ii. Our member Diorene Smith, in collaboration to the conservation of Xenarthra. (KSR #28) with the Zoological Society of London, has been ii. The ‘Year of the Anteater’ campaign, a joint Communicate 3 ||| monitoring 10 Pygmy Three-toed Sloths with initiative of Association of Zoos and Aquaria of Main KSRs addressed: 1, 2, 12, 18, 27, 28, 29 radio transmitters, to collect information about Brazil and Instituto Tamanduá, and supported KSR: Key Species Result their home range, habitat preference, activity, and behaviour in different habitat types. (KSR #12).
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