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ABSTRACT
Seed aggregation in latrines of rabbits is a little-studied process that may contribute substantially to seed dispersal and survival. We located Juniperus deppeana trees and the latrines used by the endemic Mexican cottontail rabbit Sylvilagus cunicularius within a 1 ha fragment of J. deppeana-dominated forest and evaluated their patterns of aggregation as microhabitats used by cottontail rabbits to consume the J. deppeana galbulus (fleshy cones) or to deposit their pellets with defecated seeds. Based on mean latrine area, we marked a 2 m × 2 m plot centred on the base of every tree or latrine within the study site. We counted all pellets within each plot and analysed them for the presence of seeds of Juniperus or any other species. We found seeds in 13% of all pellets, mainly those deposited in the latrines. If seeds are scarified by passing through the intestinal tract, seed germination in latrines may increase the probability of survival and establishment. Thus, the community structure and density could change in time as rabbits are changing the places where they place their latrines.
http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:372FEED4-5DFF-4144-A384-4FB30F480A26
Acknowledgements
We thank F. Aureli and M. Calviño-Cancela for comments on an earlier draft, and E.W. Schupp and another, anonymous reviewer for many suggestions and constructive criticism. This work was supported by the projects UVER-PTC-223 and PFA C-703/2013 to AJM, as well as doctoral scholarships 218107 (ELD) and 260164 (PSP).
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.