Conservation and ecology of the short-eared dog (Atelocynus microtis),a rare wild canid of the Amazon basin (Manu National Park, Peru).

Coordinators: Maria Renata Pereira Leite Pitman.

Partners of this project:

Short-eared Dog, Short-eared Fox, Small-eared Dog, Small-eared Zorro

Atelocynus microtis Sclater, 1882:631 [1883]. Type locality "Amazons", restricted by Hershkovitz (1957) to "south bank of the Rio Amazonas, Pará, Brazil."

Red List Status: Data Deficient (DD)

Taxonomy
Atelocynus is a monotypic genus. Originally described as Canis microtis by Sclater (1882), was placed in the genus Lycalopex by Studer (1905), Cerdocyon by Pocock (1914), Dusicyon by Osgood (1934), and Atelocynus by Cabrera (1940). Reviewing the generic classification, Languth (1975) endorsed the monotypic genus Atelocynus. Clutton-Brock et al. (1976) placed it back in Dusicyon and Van Gelder (1973) in the genus Canis (subgenus Atelocynus). Atelocynus microtis is the currently accepted classification, based on cladistic hypotheses of relationship (Berta,1987).

Description
The short-eared dog is a medium-sized canid (10 kg). The tail is bushy, particularly in comparison to the short pelage on the rest of the body, with a light-coloured underside. The head is fox-like, with a long, slender muzzle and rounded, relatively short ears. The pelt colour can range from black to brown to rufous grey. Pelage is often darkest in a dorsal line from the head to the tail, though various colour patterns are observed in different individuals and is not clear if this is in relation to age, distribution or molt; in Cocha Cashu Biological Station, Madre de Dios, Peru, both reddish and black individuals have been observed (Leite, 2000). According to Hershkovitz (1961), an adult female was one-third larger than an adult male in captivity. The dental formula is: I3/3, C1/1, P4/4, M2/3, total 42. Figures 1 & 2 show tracks of an adult short-eared dog recorded in Cocha Cashu, Peru.

We have an ongoing research programme on the ecology and conservation of the short-eared dog at Cocha Cashu Biological Station and is planning a strategy for its conservation in the whole Amazon basin, in collaboration with local institutions. Personnel: Dr. Maria Renata Pereira Leite, Dr. Robert S. R. Williams, and Mr. Mathew Swarner.

Gaps in knowledge: The biology and ecology of the species is virtually unknown. Especially lacking is any estimate of density and an understanding of the species’ habitat requirements.

Acknowledgments
We would like to thank A.Gardner, H.Beck, A.Forsyth, T.Defler, M.Messias, M.Vivo, C.Canaday, L.Jost, L.Coloma, F.Campos Y., M.Foster, L.Lopez, M.Silman, S.Miller, R.Wallace, F.Wilkinson, A.Salas, D.Wilamowski, M.Boddicker, P.Santos and S.Ferrari, who shared their field observations; M.Hafner, B.Stanley, B.Patterson, V.Pacheco, J.Amanzo, A.Percequillo, O.Vaccaro, D.Hills, S.Maris, L.Salles, S.Marques-Aguiar, C.Indrusiak and T.Pacheco who helped us with museum data; A.Shoemaker, D.Kleiman, M.Murphy, C.Arias, for helping us with data on captive animals, and to N.Pitman, who helped with the manuscript preparation. Special thanks go to J.Terborgh, who encouraged and stimulated this work from its inception; and to Disney Conservation Fund, IdeaWild and Wildlife Materials for financial support.