Information gaps about the distribution of species hamper the evaluation of conservation status and decisions on biodiversity conservation, affecting areas with high species richness and endemism to a greater extent. In this context, carrying out biological inventories in protected and unprotected areas is an important tool to fill these gaps by providing data on the composition, richness, and abundance of species in each locality. The southeastern region of Coahuila (northeast Mexico) is a region where biodiversity research is required, as anthropogenic activities pose a serious threat to the avian diversity of this region. The present study aimed to compare the capacity of protected and unprotected areas to support the richness, abundance, and composition of bird species, as well as providing a list of bird species from eight areas located in this region. The point count method was conducted at the sites, and one-way ANOVA was used to determine the effect of area type on species richness and abundance. Based on our field observations, literature review, and digital databases, the avifauna of these eight areas includes 388 species in 63 families. Of these, 5 species are endemic to Mexico, 6 species are of global conservation concern, and 35 species are of regional conservation concern. The species richness found in this study supports the importance of protected and unprotected areas in southeastern Coahuila. The results of our study highlight the need for further assessment to conserve the avian community, especially considering the increasing threats of anthropogenic disturbance, as well as additional studies that will allow for better characterization of the avifauna of the region. This will help to ensure the conservation of the birds currently threatened by strong anthropic pressure due to the conversion of semiarid ecosystems to agricultural and livestock areas as well as increasing urbanization.

The grasslands and shrublands of northern and central Mexico cover nearly 25% of the country and harbor high biodiversity. However, they are increasingly degraded by agriculture, urbanization, infrastructure development, and water overexploitation. To assess the status of medium- and large-sized mammals in these threatened ecosystems, we quantified species richness, relative abundance, and naïve occupancy across vegetation types and seasons. From April 2023 to February 2024, monthly track surveys and camera trapping were performed, and the data were analyzed in R. We documented 16 species representing four orders and nine families, with Carnivora being the most diverse (eight species). The species richness varied by habitat, ranging from 11 in montane forest to 13 in semi-desert grassland, the latter habitat having the highest Shannon and Simpson indices, particularly in the dry season. Odocoileus virginianus and Sylvilagus audubonii were consistently the most abundant species in montane forest and desert scrub, whereas Cynomys mexicanus predominated in semi-desert grasslands, accounting for >90% of detections during the rainy season. Rare species included Lynx rufus, Taxidea taxus, and Ursus americanus, each with isolated detections. Rarefaction and sample coverage curves approached asymptotes (>99%), indicating sufficient sampling effort. Naïve occupancy and encounter rates were highest for O. virginianus (0.82) and S. audubonii (0.68), with a strong positive correlation between the two metrics (r² = 0.92). These findings provide robust baseline information on mammalian diversity, abundance, and habitat associations in semi-arid anthropogenic landscapes, supporting future monitoring and conservation strategies.

Existe escasa información sobre la reproducción de la Garza nocturna corona clara (Nyctanassa violacea). En México, N. violacea es una especie residente que se distribuye en ambas vertientes, y con algunos registros de individuos en el interior del país. De marzo a junio de 2025, realizamos 10 visitas para la observación de aves en el Parque Ecológico La Aurora en Saltillo, Coahuila, complementados con registros de ciencia ciudadana. Registramos dos nidos y entre 2 a 5 individuos de N. violacea en nogales de nuez lisa (Carya illinoinensis). Nuestros registros se integraron a 47 registros adicionales obtenidas de ciencia ciudadana (eBird y iNaturalistMX), que confirmaron la presencia de la especie fuera de su área de distribución conocida en el noreste de México. Este reporte representa una oportunidad para ampliar el conocimiento de la distribución, movimientos y reproducción de esta especie.

Detailed knowledge of biodiversity is fundamental to supporting conservation and management strategies in protected natural areas, especially in mountain systems located in biogeographic transition zones (Chihuahuan Desert and Sierra Madre Oriental regions). The Sierra de Zapalinamé State Natural Reserve is a priority system in northeastern Mexico; however, comprehensive long-term inventories of its terrestrial vertebrate fauna have been limited. The objective of this study was to comprehensively characterize the richness and composition of the terrestrial vertebrate fauna of the Sierra de Zapalinamé State Natural Reserve using a long-term, multi-source dataset integrating systematic field surveys, biological collections, and citizen science records, and to assess the extent to which the reserve represents the vertebrate diversity of northeastern Mexico. A total of 415 terrestrial vertebrate species were recorded, comprising 299 birds, 67 mammals, 42 reptiles, and 7 amphibians. Despite its proximity to urban areas and industrial activities, the reserve maintains high levels of biodiversity, harboring a substantial proportion of the terrestrial vertebrate fauna of northeastern Mexico. The results emphasize the importance of the Sierra de Zapalinamé State Natural Reserve as a regional biodiversity hotspot and support the strengthening of long-term monitoring and management strategies to improve wildlife conservation in underrepresented ecoregions facing increasing environmental pressures.

Objective: To assess the diversity of rodent communities in semi-desert grasslands and xerophilous shrubland at the "Los Ángeles" Ranch in southeastern Coahuila. Design/methodology/approach: Monthly samplings were carried out from May to November 2020 using Sherman traps. The capture-recapture method was used to estimate species richness and abundance. Non-parametric estimators, species rarefaction curves, and rank abundance plots were utilized to measure species diversity. The Whittaker index was employed to assess species turnover between sampled communities. Results: A total of 205 individuals from three families and eight species of rodents were recorded, with the Cricetidae family being the best represented. The species rarefaction curve showed that the shrubland exhibited greater diversity compared to the grassland. The dominant species were Onychomys arenicola in the semi-desert grassland and Peromyscus zamorae in the xerophilous shrubland. Limitations/implications: There remains a need to extend long-term monitoring efforts to detect how anthropogenic activities influence species composition. Findings/conclusions: The study highlights the importance of grasslands for the conservation of rodents in the state. Semi-desert grasslands and shrublands provide natural resources that should be preserved to maintain biodiversity in semi-arid ecosystems