The maned sloth Bradypus torquatus (Pilosa, Bradypodidae) is endemic to a small area in the Atlantic Forest of coastal Brazil.
It has been listed as a threatened species because of its restricted geographic range, habitat loss and fragmentation, and
declining populations. The major objectives of this study were to estimate its potential geographic distribution, the climatic
conditions across its distributional range, and to identify suitable areas and potential species strongholds. We developed a
model of habitat suitability for the maned sloth using two methods, Maxent and Mahalanobis Distance, based on 42
occurrence points. We evaluated environmental variable importance and the predictive ability of the generated distribution
models. Our results suggest that the species distribution could be strongly influenced by environmental factors, mainly
temperature seasonality. The modeled distribution of the maned sloth included known areas of occurrence in the Atlantic
Forest (Sergipe, Bahia, Espı´rito Santo, and Rio de Janeiro), but did not match the observed distributional gaps in northern
Rio de Janeiro, northern Espı´rito Santo or southern Bahia. Rather, the model showed that these areas are climatically
suitable for the maned sloth, and thus suggests that factors other than climate might be responsible for the absence of
species. Suitable areas for maned sloth were located mainly in the mountainous region of central Rio de Janeiro throughout
Espı´rito Santo and to the coastal region of southern Bahia. We indicate 17 stronghold areas and recommended survey areas
for the maned sloth. In addition, we highlight specific areas for conservation, including the current network protected areas.
Our results can be applied for novel surveys and discovery of unknown populations, and help the selection of priority areas
for management and conservation planning, especially of rare and relatively cryptic species directed associated with