Ecologia trófica de lobos-guarás (Chrysocyon brachyurus) (Mammalia: Carnivora) em região da Serra da Mantiqueira de São Paulo

Abstract

The maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) is a large canid. It is widespread in South America, with the Brazilian territory as its main occurrence area. They inhabit open habitats associated with grasslands or savannas. They have an omnivorous and seasonal diet, consisting of fruits and small vertebrates. The main objective of this study was to understand the taxonomic composition of the maned wolf's diet in an area of the Serra da Mantiqueira, in São Bento do Sapucaí - SP. Samples were collected between December 2021 and September 2022, totaling 10 field campaigns. Among the 281 records of animal and plant parts found in the wolves' feces, 41 taxa could be identified, with 47% composed of vertebrate remains, 18% of invertebrates, and 35% of plant origin. This indicates an omnivorous diet for the maned wolves of São Bento do Sapucaí - SP, with a tendency to consume rodents and a preference for animalorigin items. Rodents made up most of the food consumed by the wolves in the study, with 64 out of 281 records. The rodent species found in the maned wolves' feces: Bibimys labiosus, Thaptomys nigrita, Clyomys laticeps, and Holochilus brasiliensis, represent the first record for the region. The study identified 16 vertebrate taxa, 7 invertebrate taxa, and 10 plant taxa. Among animal-origin items, the order with the most representative was Rodentia, followed by Coleoptera. There were more items from forest species compared to species found only in one of the habitats, either Fields or Forests. The following species are novel in the composition of the maned wolf's diet: Plants - Cenchrus echinatus, Desmodium incanum, Hymenaea courbaril, Myrsine umbellata, Syagrus romanzoffiana, Animals - Clyomys laucha, Oligoryzomys flavescens, Rattus rattus, Sooretamys angouya, Thaptomys nigrita. Even with a lower sample collection of feces during the Spring and Summer seasons, the consumption of animal and plant items tends to maintain similar consumption proportions, with a probable preference for animal items.