The maned sloth Bradypus torquatus (Pilosa, Bradypodidae) is endemic to a small area in the Atlantic Forest of coastal Brazil. It has been listed as a threatened species because of its restricted geographic range, habitat loss and fragmentation, and declining populations. The major objectives of this study were to estimate its potential geographic distribution, the climatic conditions across its distributional range, and to identify suitable areas and potential species strongholds. We developed a model of habitat suitability for the maned sloth using two methods, Maxent and Mahalanobis Distance, based on 42 occurrence points. We evaluated environmental variable importance and the predictive ability of the generated distribution models. Our results suggest that the species distribution could be strongly influenced by environmental factors, mainly temperature seasonality. The modeled distribution of the maned sloth included known areas of occurrence in the Atlantic Forest (Sergipe, Bahia, Espírito Santo, and Rio de Janeiro), but did not match the observed distributional gaps in northern Rio de Janeiro, northern Espírito Santo or southern Bahia. Rather, the model showed that these areas are climatically suitable for the maned sloth, and thus suggests that factors other than climate might be responsible for the absence of species. Suitable areas for maned sloth were located mainly in the mountainous region of central Rio de Janeiro throughout Espírito Santo and to the coastal region of southern Bahia. We indicate 17 stronghold areas and recommended survey areas for the maned sloth. In addition, we highlight specific areas for conservation, including the current network protected areas. Our results can be applied for novel surveys and discovery of unknown populations, and help the selection of priority areas for management and conservation planning, especially of rare and relatively cryptic species directed associated with forested habitats.
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机译：鬃毛树懒（Bradypus torquatus（Pilosa，Bradypodidae））是巴西沿海大西洋森林中的一小块地方病。由于其地理范围有限，生境丧失和破碎化以及种群数量减少，它被列为受威胁物种。这项研究的主要目的是估计其潜在的地理分布，分布范围内的气候条件，并确定合适的区域和潜在的物种据点。我们基于42个发生点，使用Maxent和Mahalanobis距离这两种方法，为鬃毛树懒建立了栖息地适宜性模型。我们评估了环境变量的重要性以及所生成分布模型的预测能力。我们的结果表明，物种分布可能受到环境因素（主要是温度季节性）的强烈影响。鬃毛树懒的模型分布包括大西洋森林中的已知发生区域（Sergipe，Bahia，EspíritoSanto和Rio de Janeiro），但与在里约热内卢北部，EspíritoSanto北部或巴伊亚州南部观察到的分布差距不匹配。相反，该模型表明这些区域在气候上适合于带鬃树懒，因此表明除了气候以外的其他因素可能是缺乏物种的原因。适用于鬃毛树懒的地区主要位于整个圣埃斯皮里图（EspíritoSanto）的里约热内卢中部山区，以及巴伊亚州南部的沿海地区。我们指出了17个要塞树的据点地区，并建议调查区域。此外，我们重点介绍了特定的保护区，包括当前的网络保护区。我们的结果可用于新颖的调查和未知种群的发现，并有助于选择优先领域进行管理和保护规划，尤其是针对与森林生境相关的稀有和相对隐秘物种。
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