Anderson Luiz de Carvalho

Contenção farmacológica do gato-do-mato-pequeno, Leopardus tigrinus, para colheita de sêmen, pela associação de tiletamina zolazepam e xilazina

This paper reports the anesthetic effects of the combination of tiletamine HCl, zolazepam HCl, and xylazine HCl in tigrinas, Leopardus tigrinus Schreber, 1775 (Fam. Felidae), submitted to semen collection by electroejaculation. Three different protocols and the individual anesthetic doses were calculated by interspecific allometric scaling, based on the usual recommendations for a 10.0 kg domestic dog: On Protocol 1 (n=10) the basis for calculation was 5.0mg/kg for tiletamine + zolazepam and 0.5mg/kg for xylazine; on Protocol 2 (n=12) 5.0mg/kg for tiletamine + zolazepam and 0.75mg/kg for xylazine; and on Protocol 3 (n=11) 5.0mg/kg for tiletamine + zolazepam and 1.0mg/kg for xylazine. The tigrinas were anesthetized on three different occasions with a minimum interval of 30 days. During 120 minutes after the drug administration cardiac and respiratory frequencies, rectal temperature, limb myorelaxation and sensitivity to deep pain were monitored. Latency period, anesthetic period, and contamination of the semen with urine were also monitored. From a total of 32 collections, 10 samples (31.2%) and 18 aliquots (0.07%) were contaminated and rejected, but this episodes were not detrimental for semen analysis and processing. A discrete increase in rectal temperature during electroejaculation caused by muscle contraction, followed by temperature decrease, was observed. Cardiac and respiratory frequency varied during the experiment, but remained within physiological standards for the species. The three tested protocols showed to be safe and effective to produce analgesia and anesthesia in L. tigrinus during semen collection by electroejaculation.

Alimentação de pequenos felídeos neotropicais (Felidae: Carnivora) e sobreposição de nicho trófico na paisagem mosaico antropizada no sul do Brasil

Understanding the diversity of a community and its dynamics is especially important in altered habitats such as agricultural ields, where this information can help biodiversity conservation programs. In an altered landscape of the interior Atlantic Forest, western Parana State, Brazil (25o41’ to 25o20’S and 53o56’ to 54o35’W), samples (310) were collected and a total of 110 samples could be determined for some small Neotropical felids, including 39 Leopardus guttulus (oncilla), 38 L. wiedii (margay) and 33 Puma yagouaroundi (jaguarondi). The diets of these felids contained typical synanthropic prey such as Mus musculus in 44% (L. guttulus), 32% (L. wiedii) and 15% (P. yagouaroundi) of the total samples. This observation and the sample collection in agricultural places demonstrate that felids can use this anthropized landscape. The small mammals (<100 g) were more common in the diet of these species. Nevertheless, the correction factor was shown to have signiicant eiciency in correcting estimates of biomass ingested for two of the three species of felids, and we therefore recommend that these species be used in future studies. Even with this observed coexistence, the food niche of the three species showed a large overlap.

Comparison of methods for determination of nutrient digestibility of a dry kibble diet for ocelots

In this experiment, methods of total fecal collection (TFC) and internal markers (acid-insoluble ash - AIA, crude fiber - CF, and acid-detergent fiber - ADF) were compared for determination of the coefficients of apparent digestibility (CAD) for dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), nitrogen-free extracts (NFE), and gross energy (GE) of commercial feline dry kibble for ocelots (Leopardus pardalis). Six adult animals, weighing 12.45±1.37 kg, gradually received experimental kibble in their usual diet until the beginning of the experiment and were submitted to an adaptation period ten days prior to the collection period. CAD obtained by TFC, AIA, CF, and ADF were, respectively, 73.7, 76.83, 62.01, and 46.03% for dry matter; 81.9, 84.8, 75.8, and 63.8% for crude protein; 85, 86.7, 78.5, and 69.1% for ether extract; 78.52, 79.55, 69.11, and 53.04% for nitrogen-free extracts; and 80.5, 82.2, 71.4, and 58.4% for gross energy. The AIA method showed to be efficient in determining coefficients of apparent digestibility and may contribute to investigations on the digestibility of diets for wild felines. In comparison to the items of ocelots usual diet, the kibble used in this paper provided an adequate nutritional supply with reduced daily costs per animal.