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Aquatic Life in the Neotropics
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The capybara is a species that is bred for its meat in Brazil due to its elevated reproductive potential and because, being a herbivore, it does not compete directly with humans. Controversies exist regarding cecotrophy behavior in this animal. Cecotrophy is observed in lagomorphs and certain rodents and consists of the ingestion of a specific type of excrement produced in the cecum. Six adult capybaras were placed in individual pens and observed for 96 serial hours. During this period a behavioral pattern that we believe consisted of cecotrophy was observed 243 times. Animals sat on their hind limbs, stretched either limb out, bent over driving their heads in the direction of the anus and licked a pasty material that differed from normal oval-shaped feces. This behavior was observed between 10 h:48 min and 11 h:44 min after ingestion of food. When food was supplied at 5:00 p.m., 73% of the cecotrophy acts occurred between 6:00 and 12:00 a.m. while 27% between midnight and 6:00 a.m. The observation of cecotrophy behavior in capybaras is important because it suggests that maintenance expenses with protein supplements for this specie in captivity can be reduced.
During the annual dry season, illegal hunting of black and spectacled caiman in the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve in western Brazilian Amazon is widespreadPeres and Carkeek, 1993. Hunting occurs throughout the reserve, but is particularly intense in the northern Panauã region, where it provides the primary source of income for local residents during the dry season. While hunting prior to 1970 was principally to obtain caiman skins for sale, hunting today is entirely for the sale of caiman meat. People in the region do not eat the meat themselves, but after salting sell it to buyers who mix it with fish and in turn sell it in Pará state, Brazil, and in Colombia. Preliminary information suggests that the annual harvest is approximately 115 metric tons of fresh caiman meat, which would represent a harvest of 5230 black caiman and 2865 spectacled caiman. Despite this illegal hunting, the population of black caiman has one of the highest reported densities for Amazonia. The impact of hunting on wild populations may be reduced because the hunters take mostly adult and subadult males, from relatively accessible parts of the reserve. Hunting in the Mamirauá reserve illustrates that a sustained harvest of caiman populations may be possible under the right conditions.
Recordings of the vocalizations of the dolphin Sotalia fluviatilis guianensis were made in an estuarine complex at Cananéia in southeastern Brazil over a period of 10 years (19891998). This area is characterized by mangroves and the constant presence of dolphins. Recordings were obtained at depths of 24 m using digital and analog recorders at a speed of 19 cm/s. Four classes of sounds were identified. "Whistles," which are used in social activities, occurred with the greatest frequency (χ2 = 58.92, df = 3, P < 0.001). "Calls," which were very variable in form, were the second most common class used by family groups (χ2 = 10.96, df = 2, 0.005 > P > 0.001). There were no differences in the rates at which schools emitted whistles and calls (χ2 = 2.12, df = 1, 0.25 > P > 0.10). "Gargles" were apparently emitted by calves and were similar in structure to a low-frequency call. The fourth class, "clicks," are used in echolocation. Clicks varied considerably in their frequency of occurrence and frequency of emission, and were not always detected. There were significant differences in emission rates among the four classes (χ2 = 18.73, df = 3, P < 0.001). In addition, which class of sound was emitted depended on the type of activity exhibited by the dolphins (displacement, fishing, social) and on the social structure (family or school) adopted.
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