Feeding habits of the maned wolf, Chrysocyon brachyurus (Carnivora: Canidae), in southeast Brazil

Abstract

The feeding habits of the maned wolf were studied in southeast Brazil to understand its response towards changes in the environment and in relation to its prey. By occurrence, miscellaneous fruits, small mammals and wolf's fruit were the most consumed items. Armadillos, small mammals and wolf's fruit (Solanum lycocarpum) provided most of the ingested biomass. While wolf's fruit and small mammals were mainly consumed in the dry season, other miscellaneous fruits were taken mostly in the wet season. There was selectivity in the predation on some small mammal species. The maned wolf's diet followed patterns similar to those found in more pristine areas.

O hábito alimentar do lobo guará foi estudado no sudeste do Brasil para descrever suas respostas as alterações do ambiente e em relação as suas presas. Por frequência de ocorrência, as frutas silvestres, os pequenos mamíferos e a fruta-do-lobo foram os itens mais consumidos. Tatus, pequenos mamíferos e a frutas-do-lobo (Solanum lycocarpum) constituíram os itens mais importantes em relação à biomassa ingerida. A fruta-do-lobo e os pequenos mamíferos foram consumidos principalmente na estação seca, enquanto os demais frutos silvestres na época das chuvas. Houve seleção de algumas espécies de pequenos mamíferos. A dieta do lobo guará apresentou padrões semelhantes aqueles encontrados em áreas mais preservadas.

Keywords:

• Brazil
• Chrysocyon brachyurus
• diet
• prey selection
• savannah
• seasonality

Acknowledgements

We thank Javier A. Simonetti for reviewing an earlier version of the manuscript. Two anonymous referees and Anne Zillikens gave valuable suggestions to the final version. Maria Helena P. Machado helped with the English text. Antônio C. Dias and Luís C. Sousa provided logistical support and assistance to collections in the field. Alexandre Percequillo, Luis F. Silveira and Márcio R. C. Martins helped, respectively, with mammal, bird and reptile identifications. Financial support was provided by a grant from FAPESP – Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo.