Peccaries and their relationship with water availability and their predators in Calakmul, México

Climate change-driven reductions in rainfall and increased drought periods have significantly impacted water availability in the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, Mexico, threatening the white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari), a key species in Mesoamerica. A five-year study using photo-trapping techniques found that the abundance of white-lipped peccaries and jaguars is directly linked to decreasing water availability in ponds ('aguadas'), while collared peccaries (Pecari tajacu) and pumas remain unaffected by water scarcity. This suggests that white-lipped peccaries, already vulnerable due to hunting and habitat fragmentation, face heightened extinction risks as droughts worsen. The study highlights the critical role of water availability in shaping predator-prey dynamics in tropical forests.

Sanchez-Pinzon, K., Reyna-Hurtado, R., Naranjo, E. J., & Keuroghlian, A. (2020). Peccaries and their relationship with water availability and their predators in Calakmul, México. Therya, 11(2), 213–220. https://doi.org/10.12933/therya-20-878