NEOTROPICAL ALIEN MAMMALS: a data set of occurrence and abundance of alien mammals in the Neotropics
Clarissa Rosa, Bruno R. Ribeiro, Vanesa Bejarano Alegre, Fernando Henrique Puertas, Adriana Bocchiglieri, Adriana Loeser dos Santos Barbosa, Adriano Garcia Chiarello, Adriano Pereira Paglia, Adriele Aparecida Pereira, Adryelle Francisca de Souza Moreira, Agnis Cristiane de Souza, A. O. Pellegrin, Ailín Gatica, Akyllam Zoppi Medeiro, Alan Deivid Pereira, Alan Gerhardt Braz, Alberto Yanosky, Alejandro E. J. Valenzuela, Alessandra Bertassoni, Alessandra dos Santos Venturini do Prado, Alessandra Ferreira Dales Nava, Alessandro Rocha, Alex Augusto Abreu Bovo, Alex Bager, Alexandra Cravino, Alexandra S. Pires, Alexandre Camargo Martensen, Alexandre Filippini, Alexandre Reis Percequillo, Alexandre Vogliotti, Alexsander Zamorano Antunes, Aline Cristina Leite de Oliveira, Allan Jefferson da Silva de Oliveira, Allison L. Devlin, Almir de Paula, Aluane Silva Ferreira, Álvaro García-Olaechea, Amanda L. Subalusky, Amadeo Sánchez, Ana Carla Medeiros Morato de Aquino, Ana Carolina Srbek‐Araujo, Amane Paldês Gonçales, Ana Caroline L. Araújo, A. Cecilia Gozzi, Ana Cecilia Ochoa, Ana Cristina Mendes de Oliveira, Ana Cristyna Reis Lacerda, Ana Karina de Francisco, Ana Maria de Oliveira Paschoal, Ana Paula Nascimento Gomes, Ana Paula Potrich, Ana Priscila Medeiros Olímpio, Ana Pozuelos Rojas, Ana Yoko Ykeuti Meiga, Anah Tereza de Almeida Jácomo, Analice Maria Calaça, Anderson Feijó, Anderson Pagoto, André Sebastián Borja-Chiriboga, André Chein Alonso, André Felipe Barreto‐Lima, André Monnerat Lanna, André Luís Luza, André Restel Camilo, André Tavares, André Valle Nunes, Andreas Kindel, Andrés de Miguel, Andressa Gatti, Andrezza Bellotto Nobre, Anielise da Conceição Campêlo, Anna Carolina Figueiredo de Albuquerque, J. Antonio de la Torre, Antonio M. Mangione, Antônio Rossano Mendes Pontes, Arthur Soares Fernandes, Artur Luiz de Almeida Felício, Átilla Colombo Ferreguetti, Arlei Marcili, Augusto João Piratelli, Ariel Guilherme Santos do Nascimento, Áureo Banhos, Beatris Felipe Rosa, Beatriz Azevedo Cezila, Benoı̂t de Thoisy, Bianca Ingberman, Bianca Köhler, Bianca Cruz Morais, Bibiana Gómez‐Valencia, Bruna Bertagni de Camargo, Bruna M. Bezerra, Bruna Tamasauskas, Bruno Augusto Torres Parahyba Campos, Bruno Busnello Kubiak, Bruno H. Saranholi, Bruno Kazuo Nakagawa, Bruno Leles, Burton K. Lim, Calebe Pereira Mendes, Camila Alvez Islas
Abstract
Biological invasion is one of the main threats to native biodiversity. For a species to become invasive, it must be voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into a nonnative habitat. Mammals were among first taxa to be introduced worldwide for game, meat, and labor, yet the number of species introduced in the Neotropics remains unknown. In this data set, we make available occurrence and abundance data on mammal species that (1) transposed a geographical barrier and (2) were voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into the Neotropics. Our data set is composed of 73,738 historical and current georeferenced records on alien mammal species of which around 96% correspond to occurrence data on 77 species belonging to eight orders and 26 families. Data cover 26 continental countries in the Neotropics, ranging from Mexico and its frontier regions (southern Florida and coastal-central Florida in the southeast United States) to Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay, and the 13 countries of Caribbean islands. Our data set also includes neotropical species (e.g., Callithrix sp., Myocastor coypus, Nasua nasua) considered alien in particular areas of Neotropics. The most numerous species in terms of records are from Bos sp. (n = 37,782), Sus scrofa (n = 6,730), and Canis familiaris (n = 10,084); 17 species were represented by only one record (e.g., Syncerus caffer, Cervus timorensis, Cervus unicolor, Canis latrans). Primates have the highest number of species in the data set (n = 20 species), partly because of uncertainties regarding taxonomic identification of the genera Callithrix, which includes the species Callithrix aurita, Callithrix flaviceps, Callithrix geoffroyi, Callithrix jacchus, Callithrix kuhlii, Callithrix penicillata, and their hybrids. This unique data set will be a valuable source of information on invasion risk assessments, biodiversity redistribution and conservation-related research. There are no copyright restrictions. Please cite this data paper when using the data in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us on how they are using the data.