Ecologia alimentar do cachorro-do-mato, Cerdocyon thous (Carnivora-Canidae), no Parque Florestal de Itapetininga, municipio de Atibaia, sudeste do Brasil

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

1996

RESUMO

Cerdocyon thous is a medium sized canid with a wide distribution in South America. In spite of being common, there are few works on the ecology of this species in Brazil. The aim of this study was to identify the food items consumed by C. thous in a secondary forest (1,800 ha; 800-1,390 m altitude; 1,450 mm/year) in the region of Atibaia, São Paulo State, Southeast Brazil. The study area presents a dry season from April to September and a wet one from October to March. The diet was studied through scat analysis (N = 234) collected weekly in the field from July/93 to June/94. The importance of each food item was based on its frequency in the scats and its relative volume. Seventy item types were identified from the scats, fifty-two of which of animal source and eighteen from vegetal source. Fruits were the main category in the diet, being found in 85% of the scats, representing 51 % of the total volume. Vertebrates were present in 54% of the scats, making 43% of the total volume. Mammals were present in 35% of the scats, birds in 22%, reptiles in 9%, and amphibians in 4%. Arthropods were frequent (47% of the scats), but contributed with little volume (5%). Fruits and arthropods were more frequent in the scats during the wet season and mammals were more frequent in the dry season. The diet range of C. thous in the study area was broad and the frequency of the food types apparently varied according to their availability in the field

ASSUNTO(S)

variações sazonais habitos alimentares ecologia canideo

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

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