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Damage by squirrels to cocoa pods

Authors:
  • Universidad Sur del Lago Jesus María Semprum, UNESUR

Abstract and Figures

We studied the magnitude of the damage caused by squirrels (Sciurus granatensis) as function of the length, color and ripeness of cocoa pods in 39 farms belonging to three municipalities at Merida State, Venezuela. No statistically significant differences (p>0,05) were found for the length of damaged pods as compared to the length of the pods without damage. However, the magnitude of damage differs (p<0,05) according to the four color categories of the pods being detected a preference by the yellow and green pods which belong to the variety of Cacao known as Criollo of thinner and softer bark and with higher sugar content in the mucilage. In the same way, it was found that the magnitude of damage differs between ripe pods compared to unripe ones. The damage was greater in mature pods because they are more detectable by squirrels and have greater nutritional value.
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ISSN 2477-9458
BOLETÍN DEL
CENTRO DE
INVESTIGACIONES
BIOLÓGICAS
MAGNITUD DEL DAÑO POR ARDILLAS (SCIURUS GRANATENSIS) EN FUNCIÓN DE LA
LONGITUD, COLOR Y MADUREZ DE MAZORCAS DE CACAO DE LA CORDILLERA
DE MÉRIDA, VENEZUELA.
SCIURUS GRANATENSIS

MÉRIDA, VENEZUELA.
Misael Molina y Jesús Briceño.....................................................................................
DIVERSIFICACIÓN E IDENTIFICACIÓN DE LOS MICROHÁBITATS DE AGUA DULCE EN
VENEZUELA. PARTE II: LISTADO DE ESPECIES (COLEOPTERA).
      
COLEOPTERA
Mauricio García.........................................................................................................
DINAMICA POBLACIONAL DE TRIBOLIUM CASTANEUM (HERBST 1747) (COLEÓPTERA:
TENEBRIONIDAE) EN FASE DE IMAGO SOMETIDO A DIETA EXPERIMENTAL.


            

AVES DEL PARQUE NACIONAL HENRI PITTIER, VENEZUELA. PARTE I: NO PASSERIFORMES.


Vol.52, N0 3, Diciembre 2018
UNA REVISTA INTERNACIONAL DE BIOLOGÍA
PUBLICADA POR LA
UNIVERSIDAD DEL ZULIA, MARACAIBO, VENEZUELA




Magnitud del daño por ardillas (Sciurus granatensis) en función de la longitud, color y
madurez de mazorcas de Cacao de la Cordillera de Mérida, Venezuela.
Molina y Briceño.
156
Magnitud del daño por ardillas (Sciurus granatensis) en
función de la longitud, color y madurez de mazorcas de
Cacao de la Cordillera de Mérida, Venezuela.
Misael Molina y Jesús Briceño3
   
lia. 2   3



   Sciurus granatensis) en fun
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Palabras Clave
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Boletín del Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas
Vol. 52. Nº 3, Septiembre - Diciembre 2018, Pp. 156-169 157
Magnitude of damage by squirrels (Sciurus granatensis) as
function of length, color and ripeness of cocoa pods at the
Cordillera de Mérida, Venezuela.

Sciurus granatensis)










Key Words
Introducción
Theobroma cacao L.
et al
 
       
    












Magnitud del daño por ardillas (Sciurus granatensis) en función de la longitud, color y
madurez de mazorcas de Cacao de la Cordillera de Mérida, Venezuela.
Molina y Briceño.
158
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
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


 

et al





niliasis por Moniliophthora roreri,    Phytophthora
palmivoraBotryodiplodia theobromae 
.
Sciurus granatensis , Sciuridae) es se

   

  


et al.



por Sciurus gambianus y Fanisciurus sp.     Pa-
raxerus poensis, Potoxerus stangeri, Myosciurus pumilio, Heliosciurus rufobrachium
y Funisciurus leucogenis Funambulus tristiatus y F.
palmarum et alSciurus va-
riegatoides 
et al. 
S. granatensis. 
et al. 
Boletín del Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas
Vol. 52. Nº 3, Septiembre - Diciembre 2018, Pp. 156-169 159

 
          

et
al        et
al   





et al. 

Materiales y métodos
Área de estudio


 



nicipios
No.  


 
 


cia I.

   

II.

   
San Rafael. 
   
 
   
 
   
Magnitud del daño por ardillas (Sciurus granatensis) en función de la longitud, color y
madurez de mazorcas de Cacao de la Cordillera de Mérida, Venezuela.
Molina y Briceño.
160
 
   
La Escondi
da.

   
El Silencio. 
   

nos.

   
La Hedionda.    
    
    
San Isidro.    

    
    
Apure.    
    
    
La Esperan


   
Las Tres


   
 
   
San Isidro. 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
Boletín del Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas
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 
   
Mi Herencia. 
   

Trinidad I.

   

Trinidad II.

   
La Florida. 
   
La Trinidad. 
   
San Rafael. 
   
 
   
 
   
La Esperan


   
La Esperan


   
El Rosal. 
   

nes.

   
 
   
Magnitud del daño por ardillas (Sciurus granatensis) en función de la longitud, color y
madurez de mazorcas de Cacao de la Cordillera de Mérida, Venezuela.
Molina y Briceño.
162
Figura 1.
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Recolección y procesamiento de los datos
    

 


  
      


     



 












         




Análisis estadísticos
Relación entre la magnitud del daño y la longitud de la mazorca



Magnitud del daño por ardillas (Sciurus granatensis) en función de la longitud, color y
madurez de mazorcas de Cacao de la Cordillera de Mérida, Venezuela.
Molina y Briceño.
164



Relación entre la magnitud del daño y el color de la mazorca
      








Relación entre el grado de madurez de la mazorca y la magnitud del daño






Resultados y Discusión
Longitud de la mazorca y magnitud del daño




por Mollineau et al.
Color de la mazorca y nivel de daño
 


Boletín del Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas
Vol. 52. Nº 3, Septiembre - Diciembre 2018, Pp. 156-169 165
Fig. 2. 



Magnitud del daño por ardillas (Sciurus granatensis) en función de la longitud, color y
madurez de mazorcas de Cacao de la Cordillera de Mérida, Venezuela.
Molina y Briceño.
166
          


con el de Mollineau et al. 
S. granatensis y el color de

Fig. 6.            




   
  
 


 




et al.


Boletín del Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas
Vol. 52. Nº 3, Septiembre - Diciembre 2018, Pp. 156-169 167


   



et al

     
 Microcebus ravelobensis y M. murinus       
et al. 
la Ardilla Callosciurus nlaysonii


 S. granatensis  

S.
granatensis 

Grado de madurez y magnitud del daño








     
 

        





Magnitud del daño por ardillas (Sciurus granatensis) en función de la longitud, color y
madurez de mazorcas de Cacao de la Cordillera de Mérida, Venezuela.
Molina y Briceño.
168
Agradecimientos
    
 


. 



Literatura citada
        
Sciurus aestuans
ATTANASI, A.
.

BOAITEY, A. 

.Sciurus granatensis


.Theobroma cacao
Sciurus granatensis   

 

JIMÉNEZ, E


  .        

LINARES, O.



Sciurus granat-
ensisTheobroma cacao

Boletín del Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas
Vol. 52. Nº 3, Septiembre - Diciembre 2018, Pp. 156-169 169
. Sciurus variegatoides

 

.

.




Theobroma cacao





       

SINGLETON, G. R.   




           

  




da. Ed.
Esta revista fue editada en formato digital y publicada
en diciembre de 2018, por el Fondo Editorial Serbiluz,
Universidad del Zulia. Maracaibo-Venezuela
Vol.52 Nº 3___________
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INVESTIGACIONES BIOLÓGICAS
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This updated 2nd edition, two decades after the publication of the first edition, combines information from the latest scientific research on rodent pests and their control. It includes 19 chapters discussing: the natural history of rodents and preadaptations to pestilence; commensal rodents; rodents in agriculture and forestry; rodents as carriers of disease; non-chemical and non-lethal chemical control methods, with special reference to food stores; chemical control methods; laboratory evaluation of rodenticides; field evaluation of rodenticides; resistance to anticoagulant rodenticides; damage assessment and damage surveys; rodent control in protection of humans and animal health; rodent control in temperate field crops and forestry; rodent control in tropical field crops; sociology and communication of rodent management in Developing Countries; ethics in rodent control; environmental impacts of rodenticides; monitoring rodenticide residues in wildlife; rodent control and island conservation; and rodent control 20 years since the publication of the first edition. This book is essential reading for all those involved in rodent pest control, including researchers, conservationists, practitioners and public health specialists.