Cultivares na dieta de macacos-prego barbados, Cebus libidinosus Spix (Primates: Cebidae), em fragmentos florestais no sudeste do Brasil

Capuchin monkeys occupy a wide range of habitats where they feed on fruits, arthropods, and vertebrates. Their large home ranges (80-900 ha) suggest that living in forest fragments may challenge their adaptability. We identified and quantified the main food items of Cebus libidinosus Spix, 1823 in forests fragments (100 ha) in southeastern Brazil. We recorded the feeding activities of two groups using scan sampling over a 13-month period. The diet was composed of fruits, crops, animal prey, seeds, plant matter and undetermined. Fruit was eaten more in the wet season than in the dry season, and maize and sugar cane consumption peaked in the early dry season. The proportion of fruit in the diet was positively correlated with fruiting intensity of zoochorous trees. The plant diet included 54 species, with maize, Rhamnidium elaeocarpus, Acrocomia aculeata, Guazuma ulmifolia and Cariniana, being most important. Although dietary composition and diversity were similar to capuchins in larger forest fragments, feeding on crops attained higher percentages at times when zoochorous fruit production was low in fragments.Macacos-prego ocupam uma vasta gama de ambientes onde alimentam-se de frutos, artrópodes e vertebrados. Suas grandes áreas de vida (80-900 ha) sugerem que viver em fragmentos florestais pode ser um desafio a sua adaptabilidade. Foram identificados e quantificados os principais itens alimentares de Cebus libidinosus Spix, 1823 em fragmentos florestais (100 ha) no sudeste do Brasil. Registraram-se as atividades alimentares de dois grupos usando a varredura instantânea durante um período de 13 meses. A dieta compôs-se de frutos, presas animais, cultivares, sementes, material vegetal e indeterminado. Os frutos foram consumidos mais na estação chuvosa do que na estação seca e o consumo de milho e cana atingiu um pico no início da estação seca. A proporção de frutos na dieta foi positivamente correlacionada com a intensidade de frutificação das árvores zoocóricas. A dieta vegetal incluiu 54 espécies, com milho, Rhamnidium elaeocarpus, Acrocomia aculeata, Guazuma ulmifolia e Cariniana, sendo os mais importantes. Embora a composição da dieta e a diversidade tenham sido similares a grupos de macacos-prego em grandes fragmentos florestais, o uso de cultivares atingiu altas porcentagens em épocas quando a produção de frutos zoocóricos foi baixa nos fragmentos.3239Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

Terrestrial behavior in titi monkeys (Callicebus, Cheracebus, and Plecturocebus) : potential correlates, patterns, and differences between genera

For arboreal primates, ground use may increase dispersal opportunities, tolerance to habitat change, access to ground-based resources, and resilience to human disturbances, and so has conservation implications. We collated published and unpublished data from 86 studies across 65 localities to assess titi monkey (Callicebinae) terrestriality. We examined whether the frequency of terrestrial activity correlated with study duration (a proxy for sampling effort), rainfall level (a proxy for food availability seasonality), and forest height (a proxy for vertical niche dimension). Terrestrial activity was recorded frequently for Callicebus and Plecturocebus spp., but rarely for Cheracebus spp. Terrestrial resting, anti-predator behavior, geophagy, and playing frequencies in Callicebus and Plecturocebus spp., but feeding and moving differed. Callicebus spp. often ate or searched for new leaves terrestrially. Plecturocebus spp. descended primarily to ingest terrestrial invertebrates and soil. Study duration correlated positively and rainfall level negatively with terrestrial activity. Though differences in sampling effort and methods limited comparisons and interpretation, overall, titi monkeys commonly engaged in a variety of terrestrial activities. Terrestrial behavior in Callicebus and Plecturocebus capacities may bolster resistance to habitat fragmentation. However, it is uncertain if the low frequency of terrestriality recorded for Cheracebus spp. is a genus-specific trait associated with a more basal phylogenetic position, or because studies of this genus occurred in pristine habitats. Observations of terrestrial behavior increased with increasing sampling effort and decreasing food availability. Overall, we found a high frequency of terrestrial behavior in titi monkeys, unlike that observed in other pitheciids

Foraging strategies of black-fronted titi monkeys (callicebus nigrifrons) in relation to food availability in a seasonal tropical forest

Many primates have to cope with a temporal scarcity in food availability that shapes their foraging strategies. Here we investigated the changes in diet, activity, and ranging behavior of a group of black-fronted titi monkeys (Callicebus nigrifrons) accor581149158FAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO2009/12124-0This research was funded by São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP, Grant No. 2009/12124-0). We also received field equipment and support from Fund to Education, Research and Extension (FAEPEX/Unicamp), Program of Academic Excellence (PROEX/Capes/Unicamp)

Ethological Approach to Autism Spectrum Disorders

The purpose of the study was to develop a new ethogram for the assessment of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and intellectual developmental disorder (IDD) and to test whether this instrument accurately distinguishes ASD participants ( n = 61) from IDD participants ( n = 61). An ethogram with 88 behavior elements was generated, including body postures, verbalizations, facial expressions, motor stereotypies, head postures, gaze behavior, gestures, and interpersonal distance. Significant differences were detected between both groups in classic ASD behaviors; in behaviors that are deficient in ASD according to established theoretical models, such as symbolic play, gaze direction, gaze following, and use of mental state language; in atypical behaviors that have also been described previously in ethological studies with ASD; and in the nonspecific behaviors of ASD, such as walk, look own body, explore, and cry. The predictive success of a diagnosis of ASD in the logistic regression model with the ethogram's factors was 98.4%. The results suggest that this ethogram is a powerful and useful tool for both the detailed study of the social behaviors of autistic children and adolescents, and for discriminating ASD and IDD

Behavioural thermoregulation in a small neotropical primate

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)The maintenance of body temperature in endothermic animals imposes considerable metabolic costs that vary with air temperature fluctuations. To minimise these costs, endotherms can adopt certain behaviours to adjust the pattern of heat transfer between their bodies and the environment. In this study, we evaluated whether a small Neotropical primate, the black-fronted titi monkey (Callicebus nigrifrons), living in a seasonal environment can use behavioural mechanisms to cope with fluctuations in the air temperature. We monitored the air temperature and the titi monkeys' behaviour over 1yr. When the animals were inactive, we recorded the microhabitat used, the huddling between individuals and the body postures adopted. The monkeys primarily responded to air temperature fluctuations through microhabitat selection: they spent more time in sunny places and used higher strata of forest under lower temperatures. Moreover, they used sunny microhabitats during the first hour of their active period after colder nights. The monkeys did not huddle or change body postures in response to air temperature fluctuations. Huddling behaviour seemed to be primarily influenced by social interactions, and body postures were more energy conserving, regardless of temperature. Titi monkeys, however, used more energy-conserving postures and huddling behaviour under cloudy conditions than sunny conditions, suggesting that these behaviours may be important when they are unable to thermoregulate by microhabitat selection. We concluded that fluctuations in air temperature can promote significant changes in the behaviour of titi monkeys and can impose important restrictions on mammals' activities, even in tropical regions.The maintenance of body temperature in endothermic animals imposes considerable metabolic costs that vary with air temperature fluctuations. To minimise these costs, endotherms can adopt certain behaviours to adjust the pattern of heat transfer between th1204331339FAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOCAPES - COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIORFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)sem informaçãosem informaçãoWe would like to thank the Municipal Secretariat of Planning and Environment of Jundiaí for granting permission to conduct this research at Serra do Japi Municipal Reserve. We also thank J. C. Bicca-Marques, P. S. Oliveira, C. S. Martins and M. B.Nagy-Re

Coupled population dynamics of two Neotropical marsupials driven by mesopredator's abundance

According to the mesopredator release theory, when top predators are eradicated from an area, mesopredators become overabundant. Didelphis aurita is the largest marsupial in the Atlantic Rainforest, and it occurs in higher abundances in the absence of top predators. This mesopredator has similar ecological requirements to the sympatric marsupial Metachirus nudicaudatus. Considering the similar requirements, and that D. aurita is about three times the size of M. nudicaudatus, our hypothesis is that the increase in D. aurita's abundance may negatively affect M. nudicaudatus' population. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a two-year capture-mark-recapture study in an area in the Southeast of Brazil where top predator community is depauperated. The relationship between the population dynamics of these two marsupials was analyzed by including abundance of D. aurita and environmental conditions as explanatory variables of the population parameters of M. nudicaudatus. We observed that all demographic parameters of M. nudicaudatus fluctuated over time and responded negatively to D. aurita abundance. Our conclusion is that, at least on a monthly timescale, the interspecific relationship with D. aurita seems to influence more M. nudicaudatus' population than any other environmental covariate. These findings suggest that mesopredator release can promote negative effects on population parameters of other species within the same trophic level. Considering that top predators are no longer present in most of the remaining Atlantic Rainforest fragments, the marsupial D. aurita has become a key species in this biome, with relevant consequences arising from its interspecific interactions611113121CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal e Nível SuperiorCNPQ - Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológicosem informaçãosem informaçã

Example of morphological variation in Xenodontinae snake skulls.

<p>Dorsal view (A) and lateral view (B) of <i>Helicops angulatus</i> UFMT 7818, an eater of fish, lizards, and anurans; Dorsal view (C) and lateral view (D) of <i>Philodryas aestivus</i> IBSP 6771, an eater of mammals and anurans; Dorsal view (E) and lateral view (F) of <i>Phimophis guerini</i> IBSP 66406, an eater of lizards and mammals; Dorsal view (G) and lateral view (H) of <i>Phalotris mertensi</i> ZUEC 486, an eater of elongate vertebrates (caecilians and amphisbaenians).</p

Road-kills of the giant anteater in south-eastern Brazil: 10 years monitoring spatial and temporal determinants

Context. The giant anteater, Myrmecophaga tridactyla, is a large insectivorous mammal from Cerrado which is classified as vulnerable by the IUCN&apos;s red list. In spite of frequent giant anteater casualties, there continues to be a lack of published data on how road and landscape attributes affect road-kill rates - information that could prove useful in guiding mitigation measures.Aims. We seek to determine whether road and landscape attributes influence the incidence of road-kills of the giant anteater.Methods. From February 2002 to December 2012 (except for 2004), five roads in two regions in south-eastern Brazil were surveyed twice each month by car. We recorded temporal road-kill data for the giant anteater and related spatial road variables. These variables were also recorded at regular control sites every 2 km. We also took traffic volume data on stretches of the two roads to correlate with road-kills.Key results. Of the 45 anteater casualties recorded, there was a predominance of adult males. On roads MG-428 and SP-334, we found anteater road-kills were more common in the dry season, negatively correlated with traffic volume and related to the presence of native vegetation. Accordingly, road-kill sites tended to occur near the cerrado and grasslands and also appeared more frequently on some straight stretches of roadways. Although it was not shown to influence road-kill rates, topography data does point to regular overpass/underpass locations allowing population connectivity. Termitaria or ant nests were present at all road-kill sites, with 86% having signs of feeding.Conclusions. Native vegetation along roadways, together with straight road design, increases the probability of anteater road-kills by 40.1%.Implications. For mitigation, mowing and removing insect nests on roadsides, as well as roadside wildlife fencing in cerrado and grassland areas is suggested. Warning signs and radar to reduce vehicle speed are recommended for both human safety and anteater conservation. With regard to population connectivity, the absence of aggregated anteater road-kill data in this study meant that there were no particular crossing locations identified. However, the collected topography data do show places that could be used for roadway crossings. The measures indicated may apply to similar species and types of topography on other continents

Proportion of prey items recorded for xenodontinae snakes; an = anuran amphibians; bi = birds; ca = caecilids or amphisbenids; eg = lizard eggs; ew = earthworms; fi = fishes; li = lizards; ma = mammals; mo = mollusks; sn = snakes.

<p>Proportion of prey items recorded for xenodontinae snakes; an = anuran amphibians; bi = birds; ca = caecilids or amphisbenids; eg = lizard eggs; ew = earthworms; fi = fishes; li = lizards; ma = mammals; mo = mollusks; sn = snakes.</p