The effect of domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) on the activity pattern of pacas (Cuniculus paca) and agouti (Dasyprocta azarae)

• Grant number: 21/13039-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2022
• End date: December 10, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Applied Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Rita de Cassia Bianchi
• Grantee: Leticia Vitória da Silva
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The domestic dog (Canis familiaris) has already contributed to the extinction of 11vertebrate species around the world and is considered a threat to around 188 other species. As it is a species domesticated by humans, the increase in populations of domestic dogs hassled to an increase in studies seeking information about their interactions with wild free-living mammals. However, in Brazil, there are still few studies focused on the impact of dogs on wild fauna. In Brazil, pacas and agouti are among the species affected by domestic dogs, both by direct predation and by changes in behavior due to persecution. Thus, I will assess whether dogs affect the activity schedule of pacas and agouti in different Protected Areas in the state of São Paulo. I will compare the activity time of pacas and agouti with the activity time of domestic dogs and other non-predatory species, through records of camera traps installed in the period from 2011 to 2017. I will calculate the density distribution probability by estimating the kernel density and the overlap coefficient, comparing the overlap between areas with and without dogs and between species. I will also assess whether pacas and agouti will avoid dog registration sites, through the time difference in which these species are registered after dog registration at the sampling point. This study will be extremely important to understand the threat of dogs in Conservation Units as well as in future planning of management and conservation measures for several species.(AU)