Distribución actual y potencial del jaguar (Panthera onca) en Oaxaca, México

There are only a few records for the jaguar (Panthera onca) in Oaxaca, hence it is considered to be a state with scarce knowledge on the species. This study presents an update regarding the geographic distribution of the species and generates a potential distribution model for the jaguar in the state. Data bases from national and international scientific collections and literature were reviewed and fieldwork was carried out. We obtained 31 records; 83.87% from fieldwork and 16.13% from literature and scientific collections. The selected records have a veracity class I, and they consist mainly in skulls and skins (48.39%), and footprints and scats (25.81%). Most of the records were located in the regions of Sierra Madre de Oaxaca (53.33%) and Sierra Madre del Sur de Oaxaca y Chiapas (13.33%), in the municipalities of Santiago Camotlán and Santa Maria Chimalapa, respectively. The cloud forest was the vegetation type with the most records (30%); the majority of them were found near communal protected areas, which therefore represent an excellent conservation strategy. The potential distribution map of the species shows 5 major regions in the state with high presence probability.