From forest mosaics to yucales: noninvasive monitoring untangles mammal–crop interactions in eastern Honduras
Forest–farm interfaces in tropical landscapes are pivotal hotspots of human–wildlife interaction. However, they remain poorly documented across Central America. This study investigated crop depredation at the forest edge of a 10 ha cassava (Manihot esculenta) field (“yucal”) in Mavita, Honduran Mosquitia, embedded within a mosaic of Pinus caribaea and tropical moist forest. From December 2024 to February 2025, three camera traps, coupled with solar-powered, motion-activated LED lights (“silent technology”), were deployed to identify the true crop-raiding community and describe diel activity. Contrary to local expectations, rabbits (Sylvilagus hondurensis) emerged as the primary crop raiders, while tapirs (Tapirus bairdii) were present but not the sole culprits. No evidence of pacas (Cuniculus paca) or armadillos (Dasypus mexicanus) was found. Light-assisted traps consistently recorded rabbits but were less effective for other taxa (e.g., ocelots), despite moderate-to-high temporal overlap among species. Ordinal models indicated that higher behavioral response codes were more likely later in the day, and rabbits showed lower behavioral intensities than other groups. These findings highlight how forest structure and edge context can shape detection and behavior and how misattribution of damage can arise in remote forest landscapes. Non-invasive diagnostics, including light-assisted camera traps, and buffer cassava plots at forest margins are recommended to accommodate wildlife foraging while reducing direct impacts on fields. This study provides forest-centric evidence to guide conflict mitigation and coexistence strategies within Miskitu territories of the Honduran Caribbean Lowlands.
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