Foraging behavior of Cavia magna cavies in Serra do Tabuleiro Estadual Park, Santa Catarina, Brazil

• Grant number: 11/05455-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: August 01, 2011
• End date: July 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Animal Behavior
• Principal Investigator: Patrícia Izar Mauro
• Grantee: Elisa Augusto dos Santos
• Host Institution: Instituto de Psicologia (IP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Cavia magna cavies Ximenez, 1980 are herbivores found in the north of Uruguay and in the south of Brazil. Few works related to C. magna have been accomplished, and none of them made it by direct observation, thus, what is known about its alimentary behavior is still incipient. Cavies, like other rodents, are fundamental to establish ecological equilibrium in diverse food chains. In this project, which composes of our laboratory's research line on Caviidae behavior, we propose to (1) study the foraging behavioral repertory and the diet of Cavia magna, (2) relate the environmental vegetation availability to the alimentary preferences, (3) observe the social context during foraging and (4) compare the use of resources in two phytogeographical regions in the Serra do Tabuleiro Stadual Park (PEST), in the Santa Catarina State. There is a high probability that C. magna originated the C. intermedia specie, which is endemically living on the Moleques do Sul islands, also in Santa Catarina, and that will make us approach on the phylogenetical relations between the two species through the alimentary behavior study. Making use of methods that permit data comparison, we intend to (5) compare the C. magna foraging behavior with the already described C. intermedia behavior, in our laboratory's previous researches and (6) compare the resource use by both species. The results found during this study will also be compared with Cavia aperea data found on literature, contributing to the group's phyilogenetical studies. To accomplish the project, we will carry out monthly travels to the PEST, in order to observe the sandbank vegetation and the ombrophile forest populations using the scan sampling method with instantaneous registry and 'overall occurrences' for interactions. We will identify and quantify the consumed plants and its availability, as well as the distance from shelter during foraging, including also interactions between individuals. (AU)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

SANTOS, Elisa Augusto dos. Cavia magna wild guinea pig (Rodentia: Caviidae) behavior and social organization. 2014. Master's Dissertation - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Psicologia (IP/SBD) São Paulo.