Studies of Cuiabá Basin Wildlife

The Cuiabá Basin lies in the centre of South América in the state of Mato Grosso, Central Western Brazil. It includes the city of Cuiabá, the Pantanal and surounding cerrado. Just over a year ago I was studying the raptors that came into the veterinary hospital in Cuiabá.  Then I was struck by the diversity of other wildlife being brought in and decided these patients were too interesting not to be covered in the final monograph for my course.

Students on the small animal clinical module of their clinical rotations measure the vital life sign parameters of dog and cat in-patients on a daily basis.  I decided that by the simple expediency of extending these protocols to wild animals being brought in by the authorities, a lot of important data could be collected.

Yesterday was a case in point and I was able to measure heart rate, respiratory rate and body temperature of eight animals belonging to seven species.

• Ocelot Leopardus pardalis
• Feline Night Monkey Aotus infulatus
• Striped Owl Asio clamator
• Turquoise-fronted Parrot Amazona aestiva
• Roadside Hawk Buteo magnirostris
• Dot-fronted Woodpecker Veniliornis frontalis
• Crested Caracara Polyborus plancus

From a Conservation Biology point of view the most interesting animal was the Feline Night Monkey,an endangered species.  From a Field Biologist's point of view, the most interesting was the Ocelot because these are a top predator and also the Dot-Fronted Woodpecker because it is so unusual to have the opportunity to examine one.