Activity and reproductive patterns of lizards in the Chaco of Argentina

We studied the activity and breeding pattern of dominant lizard species in the Arid Chaco, the southernmost subregion of the Chaco ecoregion (Chancaní Reserve, Córdoba province, Argentina). Lizards were captured with pitfall traps over a 4-year period. In total, 1449 individuals belonging to 11 of the 12 lizard species recorded in the area were trapped. Of these, we selected six species for a detailed analysis: Teius teyou and Stenocercus doellojuradoi accounted for 63% of the captures, Tropidurus etheridgei, Liolaemus chacoensis and Homonota fasciata accounted for 32%, and 5% comprised Leiosaurus paronae and the remaining five species. All the studied species were active during the warm–rainy season (September to March). Monthly lizard captures were highly correlated with monthly mean temperature and rainfall. No captures occurred during the remaining months of the year. All reproductive tactics known for the Chaco lizards were observed in Chancaní, including single clutch in a short breeding season in summer or autumn, as well as an extended breeding season with multiple clutches. Stenocercus doellojuradoi and L. paronae showed a singular reproductive timing, suggesting the occurrence of egg retention. Compared with sub-tropical Chaco sites, the Arid Chaco only differs in the lack of winter activity, resulting from the lower temperature and rainfall regime of our study site.Fil: Pelegrin, Nicolas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Cordoba. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecologia Animal; ArgentinaFil: Bucher, Enrique Hugo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Cordoba. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecologia Animal; Argentin

Nesting habitat of the Tucuman Parrot Amazona tucumana in an old-growth cloud-forest of Argentina

Tucuman Parrot Amazona tucumana breeds in the cloud-forest of south-eastern Bolivia and north-western Argentina (or Southern Yungas forest). We studied the nesting requirements of the Tucuman Parrot and assessed cavity availability, reuse, and spatial pattern of nests in El Rey National Park-one of the last mature, undisturbed areas of the Southern Yungas forest. We recorded 44 nesting attempts in seven tree species, with most nests (95%) being located in live canopy trees > 60 cm DBH. Most parrot nest-cavities occurred in Blepharocalix salicifolius (60%) and cavities in this species were selected significantly more than expected based on availability. Nests were shallower and higher than nests of other Amazona species. For all years combined, mean nest density of Tucuman Parrot was 0.24 ± 0.04 nest ha-1 and the distance to the nearest active nest was significantly greater than the distance between all trees used as nests. Nesting pairs of Tucuman Parrot were separated by 144.1 ± 152.8 m, while potential nest-trees were 66.0 ± 55.4 m apart. Density of suitable cavities for nesting was 4.6 cavities ha-1. Approximately 16 suitable cavities were available for each breeding pair (0.24 breeding pair ha-1 and four suitable cavities ha-1) and 5% of the suitable cavities available were occupied, suggesting that suitable cavities are not a limiting resource. However, due to the territorial behaviour of breeding pairs, some of these cavities are unavailable to other breeding pairs. The spatial requirements of Tucuman Parrot for nesting could limit management actions intended to increase the density of nesting pairs.Fil: Rivera, Luis. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Cátedra de Desarrollo Sustentable y Biodiversidad; ArgentinaFil: Politi, Natalia. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Cátedra de Desarrollo Sustentable y Biodiversidad; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Bucher, Enrique Hugo. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Zoología Aplicada; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

La cotorra como especie invasora: el caso de las pampas

¿Cómo se explica que la cotorra (Myiopsitta monachus), que vivía en la Argentina principalmente en zonas boscosas y semiáridas, haya invadido espontáneamente el pastizal pampeano y aparecido también en pueblos y hasta en grandes ciudades?Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Genetic evidence of extra-pair paternity and intraspecific brood parasitism in the monk parakeet

Introduction: The monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) is a widespread invasive species native to southern South America that has become established in many regions of the world. Monk parakeets breed in a large, fully enclosed structure built from twigs, which consist of one to many individual brooding chambers. The species has been considered to be socially and genetically monogamous. However, genetic relatedness of adults to juveniles in the native area was found to be lower than expected for monogamy. To assess the significance of this discrepancy, we examined individual and population genetic patterns of microsatellite loci at two sites in Córdoba province, Argentina. Results: We sampled 154 nestlings and 42 adults in Córdoba, Argentina. Mean value of pairwise relatedness of nestlings within chambers was about 0.40. Contrarily, relatedness of nestlings between chambers was close to zero. We found a considerable degree of variation in nestling pairwise relatedness and parentage within chambers, including chambers with combinations of unrelated, half-sib, and full-sib nestlings. The proportion of sibling relatedness indicated monogamy in 47% and extra pair-paternity in 40% of the chambers. We also found intra-brood parasitism in 3% of the chambers. Conclusions: Our results indicate that the monk parakeet is sexually polygamous in its native range in Argentina, which is consistent with the observed mean value of relatedness of adults to juveniles of about 0.4. We also confirm the existence of intra-brood parasitism. High density of monk parakeets may favor occurrence of extra-pair paternity and intra-brood parasitism in the native sites.Fil: Martinez, Juan Jose. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales; Argentina;Fil: de Aranzamendi, Maria Carla. Consejo Nacional de Invest.cientif.y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnol.conicet - Cordoba. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecologia Animal; Argentina;Fil: Masello, Juan Francisco. Max Planck Institute for Ornithology; Alemania; Consejo Nacional de Invest.cientif.y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnol.conicet - Cordoba. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecologia Animal; Argentina;Fil: Bucher, Enrique Hugo. Consejo Nacional de Invest.cientif.y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnol.conicet - Cordoba. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecologia Animal; Argentina

Ecology and conservation of the Alder Amazon (Amazona tucumana)

El Loro Alisero (Amazona tucumana) es endémico de las selvas subtropicales de montaña del noroeste de Argentina y sur de Bolivia (Yungas Australes). En este trabajo se recopila información publicada y novedosa sobre aspectos ecológicos y de conservación del Loro Alisero. Se registró al Loro Alisero consumiendo semillas, frutos y flores de 18 especies nativas y 5 exóticas. Se identificaron nidos en 10 especies de árboles distribuidos entre los 1470-2200 msnm y se encontró una alta variabilidad en la densidad de nidos. Se detectaron seis dormideros que albergan la totalidad o una buena parte de las poblaciones de un área, por lo que una buena estrategia de monitoreo de sus poblaciones sería realizar conteos en ellos todos los años, de manera de tener una estimación de las tendencias poblacionales a largo plazo. Fueron registrados 7650 individuos en 26 sitios en Argentina y Bolivia. Es probable que el tamaño poblacional actual sea menor que el anterior a la década de 1980, cuando las capturas para el comercio internacional de mascotas alcanzó su máximo. Los resultados obtenidos sugieren que el Loro Alisero cumple con los criterios para ser categorizado como Vulnerable según la Lista Roja de la UICN. Dado sus requerimientos específicos de reproducción y alimentación es necesario elaborar pautas de manejo forestal y crear áreas protegidas que aseguren la conservación de la especie.The Alder Amazon (Amazona tucumana) is an endemic parrot from the subtropical montane forests of northwestern Argentina and southern Bolivia (Austral Yungas). We collected published and novel information on the species biology, ecology, and conservation. We recorded Alder Amazon feeding on seeds, fruits, and flowers of 18 native and 5 alien species. We identified nests in 10 tree species along an elevation gradient between 1470-2200 masl and we found a high variability in nest density. We found six roosts harbouring whole or most of the populations of an area; therefore, to monitor population trends it would be a good strategy to conduct roost counts yearly. We recorded 7650 individuals in 26 sites in Argentina and Bolivia. The current population size is probably lower than the level before the 1980's when captures for the international pet trade attained a maximum. Our data suggest that Alder Amazon meets the criteria to be categorized as Vulnerable under the Red List of IUCN. Due to the specific reproductive and feeding requirements it is necessary to delineate forest management guidelines and create protected areas that can assure the species conservation.Fil: Rivera, Luis Osvaldo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Cátedra de Desarrollo Sustentable y Biodiversidad; Argentina. Fundación para la Conservación y Estudio de la Biodiversidad; ArgentinaFil: Politi, Natalia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Cátedra de Desarrollo Sustentable y Biodiversidad; Argentina. Fundación para la Conservación y Estudio de la Biodiversidad; ArgentinaFil: Bucher, Enrique Hugo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Zoología Aplicada; Argentin

Com o diabo no corpo: os terríveis papagaios do Brasil colônia

Desde a Antiguidade, papagaios, periquitos e afins (Psittacidae) fascinaram os europeus por seu vivo colorido e uma notável capacidade de interação com seres humanos. A descoberta do Novo Mundo nada faria além de acrescentar novos elementos ao tráfico de animais exóticos há muito estabelecido pelos europeus com a África e o Oriente. Sem possuir grandes mamíferos, a América tropical participaria desse comércio com o que tinha de mais atrativo, essencialmente felinos, primatas e aves - em particular os papagaios, os quais eram embarcados em bom número. Contudo, a julgar pelos documentos do Brasil colônia, esses voláteis podiam inspirar muito pouca simpatia, pois nenhum outro animal - exceto as formigas - foi tantas vezes mencionado como praga para a agricultura. Além disso, alguns psitácidas mostravam-se tão loquazes que inspiravam a séria desconfiança de serem animais demoníacos ou possessos, pois só três classes de entidades - anjos, homens e demônios - possuíam o dom da palavra. Nos dias de hoje, vários representantes dos Psittacidae ainda constituem uma ameaça para a agricultura, enquanto os indivíduos muito faladores continuam despertando a suspeita de estarem possuídos pelo demônio. Transcendendo a mera curiosidade, essa crença exemplifica o quão intrincadas podem ser as relações do homem com o chamado “mundo natural”, revelando um universo mais amplo e multifacetado do que se poderia supor a princípio. Nesse sentido, a existência de aves capazes de falar torna essa relação ainda mais complexa e evidencia que as dificuldades de estabelecer o limite entre o animal e o humano se estendem além dos primatas e envolvem as mais inusitadas espécies zoológicas.Since ancient times, parrots and their allies (Psittacidae) have fascinated Europeans by their striking colors and notable ability to interact with human beings. The discovery of the New World added new species to the international exotic animal trade, which for many centuries had brought beasts to Europe from Africa and the Orient. Lacking large mammals, tropical America participated in this trade with its most appealing species, essentially felines, primates and birds - especially parrots - which were shipped in large numbers. It should be noted, however, that at times these birds were not well liked. In fact, according to documents from colonial Brazil, only the ants rank higher than parrots as the animals most often mentioned as agricultural pests. On the other hand, some of these birds were so chatty that people suspected them to be demonic or possessed animals, since only three classes of beings - angels, men and demons - have the ability to speak. Nowadays, several Psittacidae still constitute a threat to agriculture, and the suspicion that extremely talkative birds were demon possessed has also survived. More than a joke or a mere curiosity, this belief exemplifies how intricate man’s relationships with the “natural world” may be. In this sense, the existence of birds that are able to speak adds a further twist to these relationships, demonstrating that the problem of establishing a boundary between the animal and the human does not only involve primates, but also includes some unusual zoological species

Nutrient, chlorophyll and zooplankton seasonal variations on the southern coast of a subtropical saline lake (Mar Chiquita, Córdoba, Argentina)

Mar Chiquita is the largest salt lake in South America. Because of its rich and diverse biodiversity, it has been designated a world site of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. Despite its importance, its limnological characteristics are poorly documented. Here we report a baseline assessment of the seasonal variations of several limnological parameters on the southern coast of the lake. Samples were obtained at two lake sites (pelagic and coastal) and an additional site in the Laguna del Plata estuary lagoon. We found that Mar Chiquita is a well-mixed eutrophic shallow lake with significant spatial and seasonal variations in its limnological parameters. Of particular relevance are the spring turnover and the clear water phase in summer, being characterized by nutrient peaks (total nitrogen, total phosphorus (P) and soluble reactive P) in early spring, followed by peaks in zooplankton and ammonia in late spring and summer, together with a decrease in chlorophyll and pH. These events appear related to seasonal variations in water temperature and the shallowness of the lake that allows strong biochemical interactions with sediments. Correlations among the studied parameters indicate a significant role of zooplankton (particularly the brine shrimp) in controlling phytoplankton abundance. Laguna del Plata has typical estuary characteristics, including high variability in salt concentrations (13-63 g.L-1), high nutrient levels (0.48 mg P.L-1) (hypereutrophic) and higher phytoplankton biomass than the main lake. Mar Chiquita characteristics show interesting similarities with those recorded in the Great Salt Lake in the USA.Fil: Pilati, Alberto. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa; ArgentinaFil: Castellino, Marcela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal; ArgentinaFil: Bucher, Enrique Hugo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal; Argentin

Feeding ecology and key food resources for the endemic and threatened Tucuman Amazon Amazona tucumana in Argentina

Food resource availability regulates population levels and reproductive success in several parrot species. Of the 59 threatened parrot species in the Neotropics, information on diet is available for only 34. Unsustainable forest management can eliminate trees with seeds and fruits that are key food resources for parrots. Tucuman Amazon Amazona tucumana is an endemic and threatened parrot species categorized as Vulnerable that occurs only in Andean montane forests of northwestern Argentina and southern Bolivia; i.e., the Southern Yungas. The diet of Tucuman Amazon, food availability, specialization, key food resources, and seasonal and spatial variation of food resources were determined. Feeding bouts of Tucuman Amazon were recorded from December 2007 to February 2009 in El Rey National Park. Availability of trees with seeds, fruits or flowers that could be used by Tucuman Amazon as food resources was assessed in phenology plots in cloud forest (high elevation humid forest) and transition forest (semideciduous forest located in the piedmont). Both forest types showed marked seasonality in availability of food resources for Tucuman Amazon. Sixty-six percent of this species feeding bouts were on seeds. Podocarpus parlatorei is the most widely used tree species by Tucuman Amazon in the cloud forest during the reproductive period and Acacia visco in the transition forest in the non-reproductive period. Podocarpus parlatorei could be critical for the development of Tucuman Amazon chicks, due to the high fat and oil content of its seeds and fruits. Tucuman Amazon used fewer food tree species during the non-reproductive than the reproductive period, showing a greater specialization of food resources (i.e., narrower niche breadth). To ensure the production of fruits of P. parlatorei and A. visco, sustainable forest management in the Southern Yungas should retain an adequate level of these key resources for Tucuman Amazon.Fil: Rivera, Luis Osvaldo. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas; ArgentinaFil: Politi, Natalia. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas; ArgentinaFil: Bucher, Enrique Hugo. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Zoología Aplicada; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal; Argentin

Genetic relatedness in Monk Parakeet breeding trios

Monk Parakeets (Myiopsittamonachus) are cooperative breeders, which means that one adult helps the breedingpair (trios). We found a breeding trio composed of two males and one female ina single breeding chamber of a two-chamber compound nest. Males were fullsiblings.. The female was the halfsibling of both males. The female and one male were genetic parents of allnestlings. The sampled parakeet population showed a higher than expected levelof inbreeding. The Monk Parakeet provides an interesting model forunderstanding of the role and benefits of helping and extra parental behaviorin cooperative breeding birds.Fil: Bucher, Enrique Hugo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal; ArgentinaFil: Martínez, Juan José. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas; ArgentinaFil: de Aranzamendi, Maria Carla. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal; Argentin

Nesting success and productivity of Tucuman Parrots

Most of our knowledge of reproduction of wild parrots in the Neotropics comes from studies of tropical lowland species, with few studies addressing species of high-altitude forests. We studied the reproductive biology of Tucuman Parrots (Amazona tucumana) in north-western Argentina between 2004 and 2009. We obtained data on reproductive output for 86 nests and on causes of mortality for 94 nests. Mean clutch-size per nesting attempt was 3.6 eggs±1.0 (s.d.). Hatching success (proportion of eggs laid that hatch) was 0.77±0.17. Fledging success (proportion of nestlings that fledge) was 0.83±0.13. The overall breeding success (mean number of fledglings per laying female per year) was 2.3±0.8. Overall finite nesting success (daily survival rate to the power of the nesting length) was 0.53±0.27, and chick finite nesting success rate was 0.74±0.22. We did not find differences in reproductive rate between Tucuman Parrots and other species of Amazona parrot from lowland habitats. Productivity and nesting success of Tucuman Parrots had high values in some years and low values in others. This was probably related to fruiting events of Podocarpus parlatorei - a critical food item. The main causes of nesting failure were predation (16%) and abandonment (12%). Our results suggest that for several species of Amazona in lowland habitats, predation and poaching may be the main limiting factors whereas climatic factors and food availability may contribute most to nesting failure at higher altitudes.Fil: Rivera, Luis Osvaldo. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Politi, Natalia. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Bucher, Enrique Hugo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Técnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnol. CONICET - CÓrdoba. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecologia Animal; ArgentinaFil: Pidgeon, Anna. University of Wisconsin; Estados Unido