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Background. The red temazate deer (Mazama temama, Artiodactyla: Cervidae) is a deer with ecological, cultural and economic importance, but its density and habitat characteristics in National Parks are unknown. Objective. To estimate the track index as an indirect measure of density and describe the vegetation characteristics of the habitat of M. temama in the town of Zapoapan, Parque Nacional Cañón del Río (PNCRB), Veracruz, Mexico. Methodology. During January to October 2021, eight transects were established to record tracks, phototraps were installed to determine their presence, and Canfield lines were used to describe the vegetation in areas with the presence of the species. Results. Twenty-three tracks of M. temama were recorded: nine tracks (39%), six excreta (26%), three foraging tracks (13%), three stalls (13%) and two photocaptures (8%), equivalent to an index tracks of 0.57 individuals/ha or 2.2 ha/individual, low density compared to other reports of the species. The habitat presented a richness of 19 species of plants, the shrubs being more abundant (36%) than the herbaceous and arboreal (represented by 32% each); the tree layer was dominant in terms of height and diameter. Implications. These results suggest that the habitat does not have sufficient diversity of resources to maintain a dense population of M. temama. Conclusion. The population density of M. temama in the PNCRB was low associated with a restricted carrying capacity in the study area, so actions must be taken towards the conservation and sustainable use of the population of this species. |
