Giant otters feeding on caiman: evidence for an expanded trophic niche of recovering populations
- 13 March 2012
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis Ltd in Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment
- Vol. 47 (1), 19-23
- https://doi.org/10.1080/01650521.2012.662795
Abstract
As water along dirt roads in the Pantanal floodplains diminishes, aquatic fauna becomes restricted to shallow pools. At the end of the 2009 dry season, we filmed giant otters living in pools predating on yacare caimans. Such predation has not been recorded in giant otters inhabiting the Pantanal. Individual otters captured sub-adult caimans. The otters did not share the prey, but conspecifics stole it after conflicts. Caiman predation could be related to resource scarcity in these marginal environments. Information on diet and interactions of endangered populations may underestimate their trophic niche when they recover from over-hunting and expand into sub-optimal habitat. À medida que as águas ao longo das estradas de terra na planície pantaneira diminuem, a fauna aquática se torna restrita às poças rasas do entorno. No final da estação seca de 2009, nós filmamos ariranhas predando jacarés em baías temporárias. Este tipo de predação não foi descrito antes para ariranhas do Pantanal. As ariranhas capturaram jacarés sub-adultos, individualmente. A presa não foi dividida voluntariamente, mas foi roubada por outros indivíduos do grupo, após conflitos. Esta predação pode estar relacionada com a escassez de alimento nestes ambientes marginais. Informações de dieta e interações em populações ameaçadas talvez subestimem seu nicho trófico quando estas se recuperam, após período sem caça, e expandem para ambientes sub-ótimos.Keywords
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