Overview
- A team published results in Neotropical Biology and Conservation based on 34 camera-trap surveys gathered over more than 25 years that produced 594 photographs of the short-eared dog.
- Researchers calculated a density of about 15 short-eared dogs per 38.61 square miles from the camera-trap data, a higher local abundance than prior estimates but not a claim that the species is widespread.
- Photographs and records confirmed distinctive physical traits—large head, small round ears, short legs, long bushy tail, dark reddish to gray coat and partially webbed paws—and showed peak activity between about 6 a.m. and noon.
- Analyses indicate the species is a true forest specialist that prefers upland forests away from rivers, and relative abundance was higher inside national parks and overlapping Indigenous territories than in unprotected areas.
- Authors say the findings show how long-term camera trapping and remote sensing can guide targeted protection and that creating and properly managing protected and Indigenous lands is critical for the species’ future.