First records of Brazilian three-banded armadillo (Tolypeutes tricinctus, Mammalia, Cingulata, Chlamyphoridae) predation by jaguar (Panthera onca, Mammalia, Carnivora, Felidae)

Authors

  • Rodolfo Assis Magalhães Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Instituto de Ciências Biológicas (ICB), Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução (DGEE), Laboratório de Ecologia de Mamíferos. Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6876-8521
  • Liana Mara Mendes de Sena Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Instituto de Ciências Biológicas (ICB), Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução (DGEE), Laboratório de Ecologia de Mamíferos. Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1364-1769
  • Flávio Henrique Guimarães Rodrigues Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Instituto de Ciências Biológicas (ICB), Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução (DGEE), Laboratório de Ecologia de Mamíferos. Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4797-0085

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11606/1807-0205/2021.61.58

Keywords:

Bahia, Diet, Predator-prey interaction, Serra da Capivara National Park, Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest

Abstract

The jaguar Panthera onca and the Brazilian three-banded armadillo Tolypeutes tricinctus are two threatened mammals that coexist in the Caatinga dry forests and the Cerrado savannas of Brazil. Yet, to the best of our knowledge, interactions between these species have not been reported in the literature. Here, we present the first records of P. onca predation on T. tricinctus from two different areas in the Caatinga in northeastern Brazil. We showed that P. onca can pierce the hard carapace of T. tricinctus, which may be possible due to its distinctly strong bite and associated predation behavior. We argue that P. onca may be the most adapted non-human predator to feed on T. tricinctus, and that the smaller body sizes of P. onca individuals in the Caatinga may increase their likelihood to feed on smaller prey, including T. tricinctus. Thus, the originality of our records is probably more related to insufficient research in the areas where these species coexist than to the rarity of this interaction.

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References

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Published

2021-07-30

Issue

Vol. 61 (2021)

Section

Original Article

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How to Cite

Magalhães, R. A., Sena, L. M. M. de, & Rodrigues, F. H. G. (2021). First records of Brazilian three-banded armadillo (Tolypeutes tricinctus, Mammalia, Cingulata, Chlamyphoridae) predation by jaguar (Panthera onca, Mammalia, Carnivora, Felidae). Papéis Avulsos De Zoologia, 61, e20216158. https://doi.org/10.11606/1807-0205/2021.61.58

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