Sérgio L. Mendes

Diet of two sympatric carnivores, Cerdocyon thous and Procyon cancrivorus , in a restinga area of Espirito Santo State, Brazil

The crab-eating fox ( Cerdocyon thous (Linnaeus, 1766)) and the raccoon ( Procyon cancrivorus (Cuvier, 1798)) are medium-sized nocturnal carnivores (3–8 kg) belonging, respectively, to families Canidae and Procyonidae (Berta 1982, Langguth 1975, Yanosky & Mercolli 1993). Both are widely distributed over the Neotropical Region (Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana, Paraguay, Uruguay, northern Argentina and the greater part of Brazil) (Berta 1982, Brady 1979, Langguth 1975, Santos & Hartz 1999), being sympatric over most of their range. In Brazil both species are found in various different habitats, including the coastal plains ( restingas ) (Berta 1987, Langguth 1975, Motta-Junior et al . 1994, Novaes 2002, Santos & Hartz 1999, Wang & Sampaio 2001).

Low paternity skew and the influence of maternal kin in an egalitarian, patrilocal primate

Levels of reproductive skew vary in wild primates living in multimale groups depending on the degree to which high-ranking males monopolize access to females. Still, the factors affecting paternity in egalitarian societies remain unexplored. We combine unique behavioral, life history, and genetic data to evaluate the distribution of paternity in the northern muriqui (Brachyteles hypoxanthus), a species known for its affiliative, nonhierarchical relationships. We genotyped 67 individuals (22 infants born over a 3-y period, their 21 mothers, and all 24 possible sires) at 17 microsatellite marker loci and assigned paternity to all infants. None of the 13 fathers were close maternal relatives of females with which they sired infants, and the most successful male sired a much lower percentage of infants (18%) than reported for the most successful males in other species. Our findings of inbreeding avoidance and low male reproductive skew are consistent with the muriquis observed social and sexual behavior, but the long delay (≥2.08 y) between the onset of male sexual behavior and the age at which males first sire young is unexpected. The allocation of paternity implicates individual male life histories and access to maternal kin as key factors influencing variation in paternal—and grandmaternal—fitness. The apparent importance of lifelong maternal investment in coresident sons resonates with other recent examinations of maternal influences on offspring reproduction. This importance also extends the implications of the “grandmother hypothesis” in human evolution to include the possible influence of mothers and other maternal kin on male reproductive success in patrilocal societies.

Diet of margay, Leopardus wiedii, and jaguarundi, Puma yagouaroundi, (Carnivora: Felidae) in Atlantic Rainforest, Brazil

This study identifies the food habits of the margay, Leopardus wiedii (Schinz, 1821), and the jaguarundi, Puma yagouaroundi (E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilare, 1803), in the Vale do Rio Doce Natural Reserve and in the Sooretama Biological Reserve, Espirito Santo, Brazil. We determined the diet of both species by the analysis of scats. Fecal samples were collected from April 1995 to September 2000 and identified based on the presence of hairs that were ingested during self-grooming. Scats were oven-dried and washed on a sieve, and the screened material was identified using a reference collection. Of the 59 fecal samples examined, 30 were confirmed to be from the margay and nine of them from the jaguarundi. Mammals were the most consumed items in the diet of the margay, occurring in 77% of the fecal samples, followed by birds (53%) and reptiles (20%). Among the mammals consumed, marsupials (Didelphimorphia) were the most common item (66%). In the diet of the jaguarundi, birds were the most consumed items and occurred in 55% of the fecal samples; mammals and reptiles occurred in 41% and in 17% of the fecal samples, respectively. From this work we conclude that the margay and jaguarundi fed mainly upon small vertebrates in the Vale do Rio Doce Natural Reserve and in the Sooretama Biological Reserve. Although sample sizes are therefore insufficient for quantitative comparisons, margays prey more frequently upon arboricolous mammals than jaguarundis, which in turn prey more frequently upon birds and reptiles than margays. This seems to reflect a larger pattern throughout their geographic range

Juvenile green turtles ( Chelonia mydas ) in the effluent discharge channel of a steel plant, Espírito Santo, Brazil, 2000–2006

This study, carried out from August 2000 to July 2006, began out of the recognition of a special ecological situation, when an aggregation of juvenile green turtles (Chelonia mydas) was found inside the effluent discharge channel of a steel plant located near Vitoria, the State of Espirito Santo capital, eastern Brazil. The green turtles were captured through either cast nets or a set net or by hand (one turtle was captured alive on one of the channel banks); after data collection, they were released back into the discharge channel. Information is here reported on the temporal pattern of occurrence, size-classes, residency, presence of tumours and growth rates of tumoured and non-tumoured green turtles in the study area. A total of 640 individual green turtles were captured in the six years; 44 8 of them were captured just once, and 192 were captured two or more times. Curved carapace length ranged between 25.2 and 77.5 cm. Among the captured green turtles, 59.1 % were classified as being in normal body condition and without any tumours, 6.6% were either underweight or emaciated but without any tumours, and 34 . 4 % had tumours, with different levels of the tumour severity score.

Food habits of the ocelot, Leopardus pardalis, in two areas in southeast Brazil

The objective of this study was to compare the diet of the ocelot at two sites in southeastern Brazil: the small (957 ha), isolated Caratinga Biological Station (CBS), Minas Gerais and the large (>44,000 ha) contiguous area, comprised of the Vale do Rio Doce Natural Reserve (VRDNR) and the Sooretama Biological Reserve (SBR). We collected 60 scats in CBS from January 1997 to July 2000. Small rodents, small marsupials and primates were the most important items in terms of frequency of occurrence. In terms of biomass consumed, the brown howler monkey (Alouatta guariba) was the most important item. In the VRDNR/SBR we collected 77 scats from April 1995 to September 1996 and from January 1999 to September 2000. The main food items were armadillo (Dasypus sp.), small rodents, teju (Tupinambis merianae), and small marsupials. In VRDNR/SBR the ocelot had a more diverse diet, probably reflecting the diversity of prey species found in this area. The occurrence of ocelots in CBS indicates the adaptive flexibility of this felid to forests fragments, probably facilitated by the high biomass of potential prey – in this case, the primate Alouatta guariba.

The Northern Muriqui (Brachyteles hypoxanthus): Lessons on Behavioral Plasticity and Population Dynamics from a Critically Endangered Species

Since its onset in the early 1980s, our ongoing field study of the northern muriqui in southeastern Brazil has yielded original data on the behavioral ecology, reproductive biology, and life histories of one of the most critically endangered primates in the world. At the same time, a sixfold expansion in the size of our study population has provided insights into the plasticity of behavior and life history patterns that have important implications for muriqui conservation as well as for comparative models of primate socioecology. In this review of the history, growth, and diversification of our long-term study, we describe the transformation of our field site into a federally protected private reserve, the progression of the research questions as our knowledge has increased, and our predictions about the effects of increased population density on key demographic and life history variables. We also reiterate the need for more comparative studies of other muriqui populations, and reflect on the essential role that long-term, international collaborations have played in advancing the scientific and conservation agendas we have pursued from the start.

Feeding and Resting Postures of Wild Northern Muriquis (Brachyteles hypoxanthus)

Increased body size in Brachyteles has been regarded as an important evolutionary adaptation that allowed a greater reliance on leaves compared to other more frugivorous Atelidae, but its association with muriqui positional behavior and substrate use is still unknown. Here, we present original data on the feeding and resting postures of the northern muriqui (Brachyteles hypoxanthus) and evaluate predictions about the relationships between body size, postural behavior, and substrate use derived from previously published data for other atelids (e.g. Alouatta, Ateles, and Lagothrix). The study was undertaken from August 2002 to July 2003 on a large group of well‐habituated muriquis inhabiting the Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural – Felíciano Miguel Abdala in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Consistent with our predictions, we found that B. hypoxanthus was highly suspensory during postural feeding (60.9%) and commonly used tail–hind limb suspension/horizontal tripod (38.0%) or tail–forelimb/hind limb suspension (21.4%). However, although tail‐suspensory postures permitted the muriquis to use the terminal canopy and small‐sized substrates, these areas were also accessed via tail‐assisted above‐branch postural behaviors involving multiple substrates. Unexpectedly, tail‐suspensory postures were found to be frequently associated with large substrates, tree trunks, and the understory. We suggest that Brachyteles’ ability to access food resources from all areas of a feeding tree and from tree crowns at different canopy levels may account for their ability to efficiently exploit food resources in seasonal disturbed forest fragments of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest today. Am. J. Primatol. 75:74‐87, 2013.

The Vocal Identity of the Callithrix Species (Primates, Callitrichidae)

We have recorded long calls of free ranging groups of six Callithrix species, looking for species-specific parameters in the physical structure of the vocalizations. This comparative study is the first time a behavioral character (vocalization) has been incorporated in a study on Callithrix taxonomy. The long calls were analyzed in a digital sonograph and statistical comparisons performed, using analysis of variance. The data show that each of the six analyzed taxa can be distinguished on the basis of its call structure, mainly using the first long call note or syllable. In agreement with analyses based on morphological and genetic data, the vocalizations support the division of Callithrix into two groups: a jacchus-group and an aurita-group. The first group encompasses C. jacchus, C. geoffroyi, C. penicillata, and C. kuhlii, and the second, C. aurita, and C. flaviceps. Vocal parameters are able to distinguish all the taxa within each group, even C. flaviceps and C. kuhlii, whose specific status has been questioned. Differences between the four taxa of the jacchus-group suggested by vocalization data are not identical to those inferred on the basis of some morphological data. It is possible that vocalization differences are also influenced by historical secondary contact between populations and could have evolved as mechanisms of specific recognition and reproductive isolation. The results indicate that vocalization is a behavioral character that can be used to supplement other taxonomic data to study the phylogeny of the Callitrichidae and to improve our understanding of the evolution of the reproductive isolation of natural populations.

Noninvasive genetic sampling of endangered muriqui (Primates, Atelidae): efficiency of fecal DNA extraction

The muriqui (Brachyteles) is one of the most endangered primates in the world, however little is known about the viability of the remaining populations. We evaluated the technique of extracting DNA from wild muriqui feces for PCR applications. In order to determine the effect of the DNA in subsequent amplifications, we analyzed five different extracts. The importance of the recommended BSA and the HotStarTaq DNA polymerase was tested. The minimal conditions to successfully amplify highly degraded fecal DNA were determined, showing that the recommended reagents are not required. We envision that this method may be useful in further conservation management studies.

New Sightings of Northern Muriqui (Brachyteles hypoxanthus) Females in Forest Fragments Surrounding the Estação Biológica de Caratinga-Rppn Feliciano Miguel Abdala, Minas Gerais, Brasil

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