Unveiling the ghost: short-eared dog (Atelocynus microtis) distribution, activity patterns, habitat use, relative abundance, and occupancy in Bolivia

The short-eared dog ( Atelocynus microtis ) is one of the world’s least-known canids and one of Latin America’s least-known carnivores. We performed a systematic summary of published and unpublished distributional records for the species across Bolivia ( n = 500), and between 2001 and 2024, we ran 34 intensive camera-trap surveys across the lowland portions of the Greater Madidi-Tambopata Landscape (northwestern Bolivia and southeastern Peru) and the Llanos de Moxos Biocultural Landscape (northern Bolivia), which resulted in 594 independent events for the short-eared dog. Short-eared dogs were primarily diurnal, with camera-trap capture frequencies of 0.18–2.4 independent events per 100 camera-trap nights across 21 (61.8%) of the 34 surveys. A comparison with camera-trap data from ocelots ( Leopardus pardalis ) extrapolated an average density of 15 individuals/100 km 2 , suggesting that short-eared dogs are less abundant than other medium-sized carnivores but more abundant than larger-bodied carnivores (e.g., jaguar). Our results reveal variation in short-eared dog relative abundance and occupancy between survey sites and over time. Occupancy analyses emphasized a strong preference for intact forest, underscoring the importance of protected areas and other management units that preserve forest cover in the Amazon.