Historical and Recent Records of Greater Grison Galictis Vittata in Paraguay, with Nomenclatural Comments
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Historical and recent records of Greater Grison Galictis vittata in Paraguay, with nomenclatural comments Paul SMITH1, Robert D. OWEN2 3, M. L. ORTIZ 4 4 Abstract , Hugo DEL CASTILLO and Arnaldo CABRERA Paraguay generally has been omitted from the published distribution of Greater Grison Galictis vittata, despite historical men- G. vittata in Paraguay are reviewed here, - spectivelytions of the a species second theredocumented including locality a specimen to the collectedAtlantic Forest in 1930. ecoregion Historical of easternmentions Paraguay, of and extend the known Paraguayan and previous nomenclatural confusion is reviewed and clarified. Two recent records, a specimen and an observation, add re across much of the country. distribution approximately 675 km north-westwards into the Dry Chaco. The species is probably widespread at low density Keywords Galictis allamandi, Galictis cuja, Grisonella huronax, Lesser Grison Registros: Atlantic históricos Forest, Chaco,y recientes del Grisón Mayor Galictis vittata en Paraguay, con comentarios sobre su nomenclatura Resumen Galictis vittata, a pesar de anotaciones G. vittata en Para- Con algunas excepciones, el Paraguay ha sido excluido de las distribuciones aclarada. publicadas Reportamos de dos registros adicionales recientes, un históricas de la especie en Paraguay, y un espécimen colectado en 1930. Se revisaron menciones históricas de guay, y la confusión anterior sobre la nomenclatura fue revisada y espécimen colectado y una observación en vida silvestre. Con estos nuevos registros se agrega una segunda localidad para la mayoríaecorregión del del territorio Bosque paraguayo Atlántico en. la Región Oriental del Paraguay, y se extiende la distribución paraguaya conocida a 675 km aproximadamente al noroeste hasta la ecorregión del Chaco Seco. Probablemente la especie se extiende en baja densidad en la Palabras claves Galictis allamandi, Galictis cuja, Grisonella huronax : Bosque Atlántico, Chaco, , Grisón Menor Introduction by reporting two recent records. These suggest a wide distri- bution across the country, and extend the known habitat as- Greater Grison Galictis vittata is a widespread, medium-sized, lowland mustelid occurring as four subspecies from south- Nomenclaturesociations to the Dry Chaco. Despite its diurnal habits, broad range of habitats used, and itsern extensive Mexico to distribution, northern Argentina the species (Yensen is surprisingly & Tarifa 2003a). poorly As currently understood the genus Galictis studied; it seems to occur at low density throughout its range two extant species, the larger Greater Grison G. vittata (Schre- (Arita et al. Bell,G. 1826cuja contains(Molina, The presence of the species in Paraguay has been sub- ject to dispute. 1990, Excepting Canevari Bornholdt & Vaccaro et 2007). al. (2013), the country ber, 1776) and the smaller Lesser Grison was omitted from modern treatments of the species’s distri- 1782). The larger species has a mainly tropical distribution in- Central and South America, the smaller species a temperate - Tarifadistribution 2003a, in 2003b, the Southern Bornholdt Cone; et al .there 2013). is a poorly under bution (Yensen & Tarifaet al. 2003a, 2010), Canevariand in a few & Vaccaro localities 2007). in Pro It- stood region of sympatry in centralViverra South vittata America (Yensen & does occur in southern Santa Cruz Department, Bolivia (An and Galictis allamandi - etderson al 1997, Tarifa Confusion over the type of Schreber, 1776 vincia Misiones, Argentina (Díaz & Lucherini 2006, Massoia Bell, 1837 (actually paintings by differG. 2006), but the Rio Paraná has long been known to be a allamandient artists forof the samelarger specimen) species and led G. manyvittata influential for the smaller turn- widedispersal arc around barrier northernfor certain and mammal eastern species Paraguay, (Bertoni but omitting 1914). of-the-century zoologists, including Ihering (1911), to use - Consequently, the mapped range of the species often forms a- et al. (2013), citing a specimen (Husson 1978), a situation still occurring at least until Krumb- the country entirely (Yensen & Tarifa 2003a, Canevari & Vac iegel (1942). et al. 2012) synonymise G. allamandi under carofor the 2007). country. In fact, Bornholdt G. vittataModern (the treatmentsname now used(e.g. forYensen the larger & Tarifa species). 2003a, However, Wozen collectedThis inpaper 1930, reports provided historical the first mentions specimen-based of G. vittata record in referencescraft 2005, toPaglia G. vittata in older literature, including Rengger (1830), typically apply instead to G. cuja as currently recog- Paraguay, clarifies nomenclatural confusion in early literature, and confirms the species’s continued occurrence in Paraguay nised (Cabrera 1958, Yensen & Tarifa 2003a, 2003b). Small Carnivore Conservation 43 , Vol. 49: 43–47, December 2013 Smith et al. Historical records tatus as currently recognised), leaving it unclear as to which name he suggested was applicable. Although he alluded to a Grison allamandi (Bell.) and Grison whiter coloration and robust form in his G. allamandi than in vittatus - his G. huronax, the brief description of the coloration in the guayanBertoni mammals,(1914) listed giving both both the Guaraní name “Dyaguapé”. larger specimens is non-diagnostic by itself. Unfortunately (Schreber) he provided in the first no systematic more than catalogues a locality, of Puerto Para Interpreting the confusing nomenclature in the context of current knowledge, it is apparent that known synonyms to G. allamandi indicates that he was reporting it for Paraguay of modern G. vittata are being used solely to describe this Bertoni (Fig. 1, locality 4), for both species; an asterisk next larger taxon and synonyms of G. cuja are being used solely to Grison allamandi (Bell.) and Grisonella huronax describe the smaller taxon. Furthermore peculiarities in the for the first time. In an update of the same catalogue, Bertoni - (1939) listed “Yaguapé”Thomas, this for timeG. allamandi providing the additional locality Itá (Fig. nomenclature used in Bertoni (1914) make it clear that Iher for1, locality G. huronax 5) for. the former and giving the common names of provideding (1910) detailed is the principal descriptions taxonomic of both source species for that many allow of his Bertoni’s general failure and to “Yaguá provide kambé, details (or) or literatureYaguapé” G.carnivore allamandi families, including the Mustelidae. IheringG. vittatus(1910) references has led many modern Paraguayan biologists to con- and his G. vittatus G. sider his more unlikely records to be equivocal or hypotheti- cuja to be conclusively identified as modern - cal. A lack of modern Paraguayan records of G. vittata thus led ferring to two different to be species. definitely associated with modern to a general consensus that the widespread and common Less- . Thus Bertoni, in following Ihering (1910), is certainly re er Grison G. cuja is the only species of the genus in Paraguay. (Fig. In1, locality1930, a 1),specimen at the westernwas collected limit ofby the Emil Atlantic Kaempfer Forest in published a short, apparently overlooked, note on these spe- Colonia Independencia (Departamento Guairá), Paraguay cies whereHowever he claimedbetween to these have two been publications able to compare Bertoni the (1932) ‘com- presumably was unaware of, this specimen. The specimen, mon’ huronax with the ‘robust’ and ‘much larger’ Grison alla- ecoregion. Bertoni (1932, 1939) made no mention of, andet mandi. The text becomes somewhat confusing as he alluded al. (2013). It seems to have been the only specimen of G. vit- to differences between G. allamandi and “G. vittatus” (= cuja tataAMNH for 77695 Paraguay (skull until only) another was firstwas collectedreported inby 2010. Bornholdt as currently recognised), and then stated that these large in- dividuals presented all the ‘exact colours of crassidens’ (= vit- Modern records A decomposing and bloated road-kill specimen was found on - 17 September 2010 by PS and HDC (accompanied by Robert- tographedand Ulrike inWylands) situ (Fig. on 2; theadditional Super Carreteraphotographs Itaipú, are availableDeparta mento Alto Paraná (Fig. 1, locality 2). The specimen was pho off-white head stripe and tips of the dorsal hairs suggest that thisat http://www.faunaparaguay.com/galictisvittata.html). specimen is attributable to G. v. brasiliensis (Thunberg, The 1820). Although heavily altered, the natural vegetation here is Atlantic Forest, with the immediate area being characterised by islands of disturbed forest, pasture land and isolated hu- man dwellings. The specimen, an adult male (Figs. 2–3)et was al. (2013)deposited made at the no nearbyreference Museo to this Itaipú specimen Binacional, and presumably where it is didcatalogued not know as of CBMI its existence. 284, skull and skeleton. Bornholdt Measurements for CBMI 284, compared with means and aboveranges the reported range listedby Yensen for G. & vittata Tarifa (2003a), are listed in Table In1. Foraddition, all equivalent the specimen measurements, exhibits clearly CBMI 284the m1falls metaconid within or mentioned by Bornholdt et al. (2013) by Tarifa as diagnostic & Yensen for (2003a). G. vit- tata (Fig. 3, lower). Fig. 1. Paraguay, indicating localities for Greater Grison Galictis vittata. Two adults were observed on 10 February 2012 by PS, Specimen localities (squares): 1, Colonia Independencia, Departamento Keith Millar, Kevin Guest and Richard Koepsel at approxi- Guairá, 25°41′S, 56°16′W (AMNH 77695); 2,