Enhancing individual identification of giant anteaters using natural pelage markings

Abstract

Identifying free-ranging wildlife individuals is crucial for advancing ecological research, monitoring and conservation planning. The giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN, presents substantial challenges for non-invasive individual identification due to the complexity and variability of its pelage patterns. Here, we compile and organize a structured visual catalog of pelage pattern variability in giant anteaters using camera-trap records obtained from two Brazilian biomes, the Pantanal and Cerrado. A total of 553 detections were reviewed, from which 36 high-quality images were selected following strict criteria for pelage visualization. We systematically documented variation in key diagnostic pelage patterns, including the upper and lower dorsal white stripes, dark band, elbow, and bracelet, as well as auxiliary patterns such as the wrist, mane, and instep. Using a dataset collected from two different field studies employing camera traps, we provide key pelage characteristics to facilitate individual identification, describing known diagnostic and auxiliary patterns, thus documenting individual variability. Rather than validating identification accuracy, this study provides a structured visual framework intended to support the interpretation and consistency of pelage-based individual identification. Our findings reinforce the importance of combining multiple pelage patterns during identification and highlight the value of curated image repositories for future ecological monitoring and methodological developments, including potential automated recognition applications. The framework proposed here may also be applicable to other mammalian taxa exhibiting subtle or low-contrast pelage patterns.