# Population Dynamics and Survival Strategies of Two Endangered Ungulates in a Low Water-Availability Site of the Maya Forest of Mexico

## TL;DR

This study examines how two endangered ungulates survive in a water-scarce region of the Maya Forest and finds that they use different strategies to cope with drought.

## Contribution

The study reveals distinct survival strategies of white-lipped peccaries and tapirs in response to water scarcity in a dry tropical forest.

## Key findings

- White-lipped peccaries disappeared during periods of extreme water scarcity but returned when water was available.
- Tapirs remained in the few water sources throughout dry periods, maintaining stable population occupancy.
- Preserving ephemeral water sources is critical for the survival of these species and for maintaining plant dispersal and food resources.

## Abstract

In the Maya Forest of Southern Mexico, water is a scarce resource for wild animals. Nonetheless, two of the most important Neotropical ungulates have survived in this dry scenario for thousands of years. Therefore, our objective was to describe the effect of water scarcity in the population of white-lipped peccaries and tapirs in the largest natural reserve in Mexico, Calakmul Biosphere Reserve. We found that white lipped peccaries disappeared when water was too scarce, while tapirs remained in the few ponds with water. We conclude that white-lipped peccaries are sensitive to water availability, and since climate change is affecting the rainy seasons, this species might be in grave danger of extinction. Therefore, it is of great importance to preserve the few ephemeral ponds to help these and other species to survive, for they contribute to the dispersal of many plant species that are used by local people, and they also represent a source of food for some human communities.

White-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari) and Central American tapir (Tapirus bairdii) are two endangered ungulates that inhabit the Maya Forest in Southern Mexico. These species need water sources almost every day to fill their ecological and physiological needs. How have they survived in a landscape like the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve where the water is very scarce and temporal? We analyzed 10 years of data for both species, collected through the intensive use of camera traps located in 18 ephemeral ponds of the Mexican side of the Maya Forest. These data in combination with occasional data on individual movements of both species collected with radiotelemetry allowed us to describe changes in occupancy, abundance, and movements that show the different strategies these species must cope with during dry periods. The white-lipped peccary population passed through cycles and disappeared from periods of water scarcity, and later, they appeared and stayed close to a few sources of water while the tapir population remained constant and occupied almost all sources of water throughout the years. This contribution increases the ecological knowledge and survival strategies of two endangered tropical ungulates of Mesoamerican Forests that have been disappearing at alarming rates in other forests of the region.