PROTECTING NATURE
Tropical dry forest in Mexico.
A MILESTONE FOR CONSERVATION IN MEXICO Sierra de Tacuichamona is the first State Reserve in Sinaloa. As a result of five years of collaboration between Nature and Culture, local communities, and the municipalities of Culiacán, Elota, and Cosalá, the Sinaloa State Government established Sierra de Tacuichamona State Reserve, the first of its kind in Sinaloa! Spanning 110,397 acres, Sierra de Tacuichamona protects oak forest, tropical dry forest, and river ecosystems. These diverse habitats are home to special and threatened species, including the margay (Leopardus wiedii) and the jaguar (Panthera onca). The area also contains the endangered cactus species Stenocereus martinezii. Nearby communities rely on water sources within the reserve for drinking and small-scale agriculture. Conserving the area will safeguard this important resource from cattle ranching and other threats, and also protect important carbon sinks and archaeological sites. Although there are three protected areas in Sinaloa, Sierra de Tacuichamona is the first new reserve in 16 years, and the first to reach the category of State Reserve! The area will serve as an example for future state reserves in Sinaloa.
Magdalenasaura adercum by Juan M. Daza.
A STROKE OF GENUS A new genus of lizard (called Magdalenasaura) was recently discovered in Colombia by a group of researchers from the Herpetology Laboratory of the University of Antioquia. One of the individuals of this new genus was collected in Melcócho-Santo Domingo Protected Forest Reserve, an area in the Colombian Andes previously created with your support! MelcóchoSanto Domingo was established in 2015 to protect a number of rare, endangered species, including the silvery-brown tamarin (Saguinus leucopus), a monkey found nowhere else in the world. The new genus adds to the 49 known genera in the gymnophthalmid family — scaly reptiles of small size and short limbs, which have the ability to see with their eyes closed. Members of this family typically live in tropical dry forests. Finding a new genus is particularly exciting, as there may be many unknown species that belong to Magdalenasaura. Biologists have already discovered two new species belonging to the genus: Magdalenasaura adercum and Magdalenasaura leurosquama.
The area safeguards habitat for all six cat species found in Mexico.
These recent discoveries show the power of your generosity! There may be many new species yet to be discovered in the wild places that you protect.
Visit natureandculture.org to read about the wildlife and wild places you protect!
