The records from citizen science of an “endemic” agouti are not thoroughly evaluated nor examined

Of 181 georeferenced records analysed, 80.11% were incorrectly placed-many located in the Atlantic Ocean rather than on Roatán-with a mean distance was 8.15 km (SD = 20.9 km), although the distribution was highly skewed due to a few extreme misplaced records. Furthermore, potential confusion between D. ruatanica and D. punctata was noted, likely due to morphological similarities and photographic limitations. These findings highlight the importance of careful precise geolocation and species identification when using citizen science data for conservation purposes, especially for insular endemics. Improved validation protocols and expert oversight are necessary to enhance the reliability of such records in biodiversity monitoring.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
BMC Research Notes
Published
2025-09-29
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-025-07404-y
Citations
2
Primary Topic
Species Distribution and Climate Change
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
3.68

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

The records from citizen science of an “endemic” agouti are not thoroughly evaluated nor examined

Pablo Teta, Alexandre Schiavetti, Manfredo Alejandro Turcios-Casco
2 citations
BMC Research Notes
Species Distribution and Climate Change
3.68
article

The records from citizen science of an “endemic” agouti are not thoroughly evaluated nor examined

Pablo Teta, Alexandre Schiavetti, Manfredo Alejandro Turcios-Casco
article en
2 citations

Abstract

Of 181 georeferenced records analysed, 80.11% were incorrectly placed-many located in the Atlantic Ocean rather than on Roatán-with a mean distance was 8.15 km (SD = 20.9 km), although the distribution was highly skewed due to a few extreme misplaced records. Furthermore, potential confusion between D. ruatanica and D. punctata was noted, likely due to morphological similarities and photographic limitations. These findings highlight the importance of careful precise geolocation and species identification when using citizen science data for conservation purposes, especially for insular endemics. Improved validation protocols and expert oversight are necessary to enhance the reliability of such records in biodiversity monitoring.

BMC Research NotesVol. 18(1)
Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz (BR), Bernardino Rivadavia Natural Sciences Museum (AR), Honduras Foundation for Agricultural Research (HN)
Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
Openalex Percentile: Top 7%
Species Distribution and Climate Change
3.68
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.

The records from citizen science of an “endemic” agouti are not thoroughly evaluated nor examined — Pablo Teta, Alexandre Schiavetti, et al. · BMC Research Notes (2025) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS