Vertebrados terrestres presentes en las cuencas andinas de los ríos Nevado, La Gallina y Quebrada Seca, Región de Atacama

Abstract

Within the framework of a Baseline study, a sampling of terrestrial vertebrate fauna was carried out in the basins of the Nevado, La Gallina and Quebrada Seca rivers, in the Andean zone of the Atacama Region. The total richness of the basins was 64 species of terrestrial vertebrates: two reptiles, 48 birds and fourteen mammals. The greatest richness was found in the Nevado river, with 58 species. Nineteen species were classified under some conservation status (28%), with eight species in the "threatened" category. The native species were 59 (four of them endemic) and five species were introduced. Five habitats were described, and the highest richness corresponded to the "bofedal-vega wetland" (with 51 species), followed by scrub (with 47 species); while the lowest richness was grassland (with 11 species). The other two habitats were: area with low or no coverage (habitat with the largest surface in the study area) and "other wetlands". The most frequent species were Liolaemus rosenmanni, Attagis gayi, Lama guanicoe and Ctenomys fulvus. The abundance of reptiles was higher in the "other wetlands" habitat and was higher during the summer, followed by spring. In waterfowl, the abundance was similar in both type of wetlands and in summer, autumn and spring. For small mammals, the Relative Density Index values for Abrothrix andina were higher in summer, and for Phyllotis xanthopygus it was higher in summer and autumn, the last species being more abundant than A. andina in all seasons. For Lama guanicoe, a greater abundance was observed in winter, with high variability.