História natural, área de vida, abundância de Blastocerus dichotomus (IIliger, 1815) (Mammalia, Cervidae) e monitoramento de uma população à montante da hidrelétrica Sérgio Motta, Rio Paraná, Brasil

Tese (doutorado)—Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, 2004.O cervo-do-pantanal Blastocerus dichotomus é um cervídeo adaptado à vida em áreas alagadas, com distribuição histórica bastante ampla na América do Sul. As informações disponíveis sobre a espécie em vida livre são escassas e, em sua maioria, estão baseadas em observações aéreas. Esta tese aborda a auto-ecologia do cervo-do-pantanal, com ênfase no comportamento espacial de animais rastreados na Bacia do rio Paraná, em diferentes condições. Este estudo é parte de um projeto de pesquisas coordenado pela UNESP de Jaboticabal e financiado pela CESP, como parte das ações compensatórias referentes ao reservatório formado pela usina hidrelétrica Sérgio Motta ou “Porto Primavera”. Ao todo, 86 cervos-do-pantanal marcados contribuíram para a composição do presente trabalho, entre maio de 1998 e agosto de 2002. Esta tese contém uma revisão introdutória e três capítulos, abordando os seguintes temas: 1- estimativas de área de vida e seleção de habitat por B. dichotomus na região do Parque Estadual do Rio do Peixe - SP (20 animais marcados); 2 - Estimativas populacionais e rastreamento de 20 animais antes e durante o enchimento da cota 253m do reservatório da hidrelétrica Sérgio Mota, rio Paraná - MS (20 animais marcados); 3 - Análise comparativa da área de vida e sobrevivência de animais marcados em 4 regiões à montante da hidrelétrica (64 animais marcados, dos quais 12 são incluídos também nos capítulos 1 ou 2). Os resultados revelam que o cervo-do-pantanal necessita de uma área de vida inferior a esperada para um herbívoro do seu porte, que foi menor do que a área de vida do veado campeiro no PARNA de Emas - GO, por exemplo. Este fato pode ser explicado pela grande produtividade do ambiente de várzea, especialmente durante o período vazante e pelo hábito misto de forrageio apresentado por B. dichotomus, que lhe permite obter com eficiência os nutrientes disponíveis na rica flora da planície fluvial. A análise para uso de habitat não revelou existência de padrões de seleção na escala investigada e, na maioria das condições estudadas, os machos apresentaram áreas de vida maiores do que as fêmeas. As áreas estimadas para o período seco foram geralmente menores do que as estabelecidas na cheia. Durante o enchimento artificial, a orientação do deslocamento apresentado pelo cervo-do-pantanal foi similar a apresentada em cheias naturais. O reservatório da usina hidrelétrica afetou as regiões mais próximas à barragem, onde a mortalidade foi maior. O registro da reação apresentada pelos animais durante o enchimento artificial pode auxiliar o manejo futuro da espécie, que 3 apresenta potencial para a auto-relo cação e reitera a importância do reflorestamento prévio da futura Área de Preservação Permanente de mananciais represados. Os resultados apresentados são subsídios ao esforço de conservação da espécie no Brasil.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq).The Marsh Deer is an endangered species adapted to wet regions in South America. The available information about its biology is scarce and most is based on aerial surveys. This thesis focuses on the auto-ecology and spatial behavior of radio-tagged animals at the Paraná River Basin and is part of the mitigating contract between the public ministry of São Paulo State and the concessionary (CESP) for the operation license for power production. We tracked 86 marsh deer in different places from May 1998 to August 2002. After an introductory review this work has three chapters, with the following arrangement: 1- home range estimates and habitat selection by marsh deer in the Rio do Peixe State Park (20 tagged deer); 2- estimates of abundance and distribution of marsh deer during and after the artificial flooding caused by the Sérgio Motta power dam (aerial surveys and 20 animals tagged); and 3- evaluation o f space use and survival function in four places inside the study area (Rio Aguapei - AG, Fazenda Cisalpina - CS, Rio do Peixe - PX and Mato Grosso do Sul - MS) - by the tracking of another 52 deer. The results show that marsh deer need a smaller area than do other deer such as the pampas deer in the Emas National Park - GO. It is due the productivity o f the system “flood plain - river” and also due the marsh deer’s foraging behavior, typical of mixed feeding strategists. That trait allows the marsh deer to thoroughly resources from plants in a smaller area, meanly during the drying period. The habitat analyses did not show selection patterns for the scale used in this study. The males had large areas than did females and the home ranges during the dry season were smaller than during the wet season for both. During the artificial flooding the animals moved in a similar fashion as they do during the natural flooding. The marsh deer’s predictable behavior is very important and can be helpful in the future. The species confirms the necessity of permanent areas of preservation (APP) be formed before the artificial flooding. If this vegetated area is available, the animals would relocate themselves, like marsh deer does. The reservoir of the hydroelectric affected animals living close to the dam where the mortality was higher. This work was a contribution for the conservation efforts of this species in Brazil

Novos relatos de carrapatos infectados por Rickettsia bellii no Brasil

This study investigated the occurrence of rickettsial infection in ticks collected from wild animals in two areas of Brazil. Amblyomma dubitatum ticks were collected from a capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) in Guarda-Mor municipality, state of Minas Gerais, and Amblyomma pseudoconcolor ticks were collected from a six-banded armadillo (Euphractus sexcinctus) in Corumbá municipality, state of Mato Grosso do Sul. Attempts to isolate rickettsia in Vero cell culture were performed with one A. dubitatum tick and one A. pseudoconcolor tick, which were previously shown by the hemolymph test to contain Rickettsia-like structures within their hemocytes. Rickettsiae were successfully isolated in Vero cell culture from the two tick species. The two isolates were identified as Rickettsia bellii, since gltA partial sequences were 99.9%-100% identical to corresponding sequences of R. bellii in GenBank. While there have been several previous reports of R. bellii infecting A. dubitatum ticks, we provide the first report for A. pseudoconcolor, which increases to 25 the number of R. bellii-infected tick species in the American continent.O presente trabalho investigou a ocorrência de infecção por Rickettsia em carrapatos coletados em animais selvagens de duas áreas do Brasil. Carrapatos da espécie Amblyomma dubitatum foram coletados de uma capivara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) no município de Guarda-Mor, Minas Gerais, enquanto exemplares da espécie Amblyomma pseudoconcolor foram coletados de um tatu-peba (Euphractus sexcinctus) do município de Corumbá, Mato Grosso do Sul. Tentativas para isolar Rickettsia em cultura de células Vero foram realizadas com um exemplar de A. dubitatum e um de A. pseudoconcolor, que foram previamente positivos no teste de hemolinfa com estruturas semelhantes a Rickettsia visualizadas em seus hemócitos. Rickettsia foram isoladas com sucesso em culturas de células Vero a partir das duas espécies de carrapatos. Os dois isolados foram identificados como Rickettsia bellii, uma vez que suas sequências parciais do gene gltA foram 99,9-100%, idênticas a sequências de R. bellii do GenBank. Embora haja vários relatos anteriores de R. bellii infectando A. dubitatum, este é o primeiro relato em A. pseudoconcolor, aumentando para 25 o número de espécies de carrapatos infectadas por R. bellii no continente americano

Aerial line transect survey to estimate abundance of marsh deer (Blastocerus dichotomus) (Illiger, 1815)

The objective was to estimate abundance of marsh deer in the Paraná River basin of this work. The results provided information to support further analysis of the impact of the Porto Primavera flooding lake over population. Sixty-nine animals were recorded by aerial survey using distance sampling methodology. Animals were widely distributed throughout the study area. The uncorrected data resulted in a estimate density of 0.0035 ind/ha and a population size of 636 individuals. Correcting the g for the animals that could be missed the calculated abundance was 896 (CV=0.27) individuals. This methodology was applied with success to survey marsh deer. The result was important to evaluate the marsh deer status in the area, and for future analysis of the impact of the flooding dam.A população de cervo-do-pantanal (Blastocerus dichotomus) está drasticamente reduzida no Brasil. O nosso objetivo foi o de estimar a abundância do cervo-do-pantanal na bacia do Rio Paraná e discutir a metodologia aplicada. Os resultados darão suporte para uma análise do impacto do enchimento da represa de Porto Primavera sobre essa população. Sessenta e nove animais foram registrados através de sobrevôo utilizando-se a metodologia de transecção linear com amostragem das distâncias. Os dados não corrigidos resultaram em uma densidade estimada de 0,0035ind/ha e uma população de 636 indivíduos. A correção de g para os animais que não foram vistos apresentou uma densidade de 0,0049 ind/ha e uma abundância de 896 (CV=0,27) indivíduos. A metodologia foi aplicada com sucesso na estimativa de cervo-do-pantanal. Esse resultado é importante para avaliarmos a população do cervo-do-pantanal na área e para futuramente analisarmos o impacto do enchimento da represa

Meat and carcass characteristics of free-living capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris)

This study aimed to evaluate carcass and meat characteristics of free-living capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) from agricultural areas of Grande Dourados, MS, Brazil. Carcass weight, yield and measures, as well as of commercial cuts weight of five animals (2 males and 3 females, body weight between 63.4-100 kg) were determined. The following parameters: moisture, protein, fat, ash, Ca, P and Fe, water holding capacity, cooking losses, shear force and color Instrumental color in CIE-Lab coordinates were determined to meat cuts (Loin, ribs, L. dorsi, chuck/brisket, ham and bottom sirloin). The dressing percentage average value was 62.47% of body weight and cold carcass yield was 57.89% of body weight, with no difference between sexes. The mean percentage of cold loss was 4.10%. Cuts yielding (ribs 24.98% and ham 27.29%) were not statistically different (P>0.05). There was no significantly (P> 0.05) difference between the moisture, protein and minerals content between the different cuts, but lipids content was significantly (P< 0.05) lower in loin. The results shown that free-living capybara have characteristics appropriate for commercialization, thus it is possible to development projects for the sustainable management of rural populations

Invasive species and bushmeat hunting contributing to wildlife conservation: the case of feral pigs in a Neotropical wetland

Knowledge of the reproductive biology is critical for the development of management strategies of the species both in captivity and in the wild, and to address conservation concerns regarding the sustainable use of a species. The present report characterizes some aspects of the reproductive biology of the wild red brocket deer inhabiting the North-eastern Peruvian Amazon region, based on the anatomical and histological examination of the female reproductive organs of 89 wild adult females in different reproductive states. The red brocket deer female presented ovarian follicular waves involving the synchronous growth of a cohort of an average 25 follicles but only one follicle generally survived and continued development, reaching maturity at 4 mm. Mean ovulation rate was 1.14 and litter size was 1 fetus. Females presented a low rate of reproductive wastage of 14.3% of embryos. Among the 89 adult females studied, 41 (46.1%) were pregnant and 48 (53.9%) were non-pregnant females. In the Northeastern Peruvian Amazon, conceptions occurred year-round in the red brocket deer but there were peaks in the rate of conception. Estimated yearly reproductive production was 0.76–0.82 young per adult female. Most pregnant females in advanced stage of pregnancy had at least one active CL, suggesting the persistence of CL throughout gestation

Complementary data on four methods for sampling free-living ticks in the Brazilian Pantanal

In this study, four methods for sampling free-living ticks that are used in ecological and human tick-bite risk studies were evaluated. Cloth dragging, carbon dioxide traps and visual searches and inspection of plant litter on the ground were used in field and forest areas within the Brazilian Pantanal. Among the three tick species collected, Amblyomma sculptum predominated, followed by Amblyomma parvum and Amblyomma ovale. Dragging, a cheap and simple technique, yielded the highest numbers of ticks, particularly nymphs. The visual search detected a high number of adult ticks and provided information on tick questing height. Even though laborious, plant litter examination showed that large numbers of ticks may use this stratum. Carbon dioxide (CO2) traps are expensive and difficult to handle, but they are highly efficient for adult ticks, especially A. parvum. These data indicate that one method alone is incapable of providing a representative sample of the tick fauna in a particular area and that multiple techniques should be used for tick population studies

<b>Breed and selection line differences in the temperament of beef cattle</b> - doi: 10.4025/actascianimsci.v35i2.16426

<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:DoNotShowRevisions /> <w:DoNotPrintRevisions /> <w:DoNotShowMarkup /> <w:HyphenationZone>21</w:HyphenationZone> <w:PunctuationKerning /> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas /> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables /> <w:SnapToGridInCell /> <w:WrapTextWithPunct /> <w:UseAsianBreakRules /> <w:DontGrowAutofit /> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> <p class="aTitulodoArtigo" style="margin-top: 12.0pt; mso-pagination: none;"><a name="_GoBack"></a></p><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" lang="EN-US">The temperament of four beef cattle breeds were measured using a flight time test (FT) and a behavior score test (BST). FT was defined as the time taken by animals to cross a distance of 2 m after weight scale. The BST used a visual assessment of cattle behavior in which the results of four categories defined the score: movements, breathing intensity, vocalization and kicking. FT and BST coefficients of heritability were estimated using the restricted maximum likelihood, considering half siblings. Caracu presented a lower BST value than the other breeds. Nellore presented intermediate results, followed by Guzerat and Gyr with similar and higher means (p < 0.05). Similar results were observed with FT, but Caracu and Nellore did not differ from each other. A low association between FT and BST was found (r_p= -0.36; p < 0.01). The correlation between a sire’s ranking, according to the predicted breeding values (p) estimated for FT and BST, was moderate and negative (r_s = -0.63; p < 0.001). Heritability estimates for FT and BST were 0.35 and 0.34, respectively. Inside Nellore breed, herds with different selection criteria for weight were compared. Our results show that selection line based on weight might positively modulate temperament of <em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bos indicus </em>cattle.</span><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" lang="EN-US"> </span></strong><p class="aresumo" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p> </p