Tobler, M. W.;Carrillo-Percastegui, S. E.;Powell, G.
Habitat use, activity patterns and use of mineral licks by five species of ungulate in south-eastern Peru
Journal of Tropical Ecology
2009
Journal Article
25
261-270
0000-00-00
Los Amigos;Parque Nacional Bahuaja-Sonene;Reserva Nacional Tambopata;mammals;habitat preferences;intermediate spatial scales;clay licks;colpas
We studied the habitat use, activity patterns and use of mineral licks by ï¬ve species of Amazonian ungulate using data from four 60-d camera trap surveys at two different sites in the lowland rain forest of Madre de Dios, Peru. Camera traps were set out in two regular grids with 40 and 43 camera stations covering an area of 50 and 65 km2 , as well as at ï¬ve mineral licks. Using occupancy analysis we tested the hypothesis that species are spatially separated. The results showed that the grey brocket deer (Mazama gouazoubira) occurred almost exclusively in terra ï¬rme forests, and that the white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari) used floodplain forest more frequently during some surveys. All other species showed no habitat preference and we did not ï¬nd any spatial avoidance of species. The white-lipped peccary, the collared peccary (Pecari tajacu) as well as the grey brocket deer were strictly diurnal while the lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris) was nocturnal. The red brocket deer (Mazama americana) was active day and night. The tapir was the species with the highest number of visits to mineral licks (average 52.8 visits per 100 d) followed by the white-lipped peccary (average 16.1 visits per 100 d) and the red brocket deer (average 17.1 visits per 100 d). The collared peccary was only recorded on three occasions and the grey brocket deer was never seen at a lick. Our results suggest that resource partitioning takes place mainly at the diet level and less at a spatial level; however, differences in small-scale habitat use are still possible.