The neotropical otter Lontra longicaudis Olfers, 1818 is a semi-aquatic mustelid, distributed from northeastern Mexico to south of Uruguay, Paraguay and across the northern part of Argentina to Buenos Aires Province (Larivière, 1999). Investigations into the feeding habits of L. longicaudis indicate a predominant piscivorous-cancrivorous diet (Helder-José and Andrade, 1997; Pardini, 1998; Colares and Waldemarin, 2000; Quadros and Monteiro-Filho 2001; Alarcon and Simões-Lopes, 2004; Kasper et al., 2004, 2008; Passamani and Camargo, 2005; Quintela et al., 2008). Most of these studies have also reported the occurrence of mammalian items such as rodents, didelphid marsupials and other unidentified taxa in the fecal samples. In addition, Quintela et al. (2008) identified the mephitid Conepatus chinga in the feeding remains of a Neotropical otter from a coastal stream in southern Brazilian restinga. Therefore, despite the low frequency, mammals are a normal constituent of the diet of L. longicaudis.

In this paper we report the occurrence of armadillo (Cingulata: Dasypodidae) in the diet of the neotropical otter in southern Brazil. Claws, osteoderms and hairs of armadillo (Figure 1) were identified in one scat sample collected on August 12th, 2008 in an edge of a pluvial channel near a peat forest in Rio Grande city, southern Coastal Plain of Rio Grande do Sul State (32°07’42”S – 52°09’13”W), Brazil. Vegetation in the area is mainly composed by the arboreal Erythrina crista-galli and the herbaceous Scirpus giganteus, Eryngium pandanifolium, Bromelia antiacantha and Juncus sp. Other items identified in the scat were scales of Mugil platanus (Perciformes: Mugilidae), an abundant marine-estuarine fish in Patos Lagoon estuary (Fischer et al., 2004). This was the only scat sample containing armadillo remains in a total of 54 collected along the pluvial channel from November 2007 to August 2008. It was not possible to identify the armadillo species in the sample. Two species (Dasypus novemcinctus Linnaeus, 1758 and D. hybridus Desmarest, 1804) are found in and around the study area, being D. novemcinctus commonly trapped and recorded through footprints in the edges of pluvial channels and coastal streams. No carrion-eating invertebrates were found in the scat sample, suggesting that the otter may have captured the armadillo alive.

Figure 1. Claw and osteoderms of armadillo (Cingulata: Dasypodidae) found in Lontra longicaudis scat in southern Brazil. Photo: Fernando M. Quintela. . (click for larger version)

This is the first record of armadillo in the diet of Lontra longicaudis. Other larger-sized mammals were recorded in the diet of L. longicaudis in southern Brazil, such as the coypu Myocastor coypus (Colares and Waldemarin, 2000) and the capybara Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris  (Colares and Waldemarin, 2000; Quintela et al., 2008). However, small rodents represent the most common mammalian item found in the majority of investigations concerning the feeding habits of the neotropical otter (e.g. Helder-José and Andrade, 1997; Pardini, 1998; Alarcon and Simões-Lopes, 2004; Kasper et al., 2004, 2008; Quintela et al., 2008). Armadillos have been recorded in the diet of other carnivore species such as crab-eating fox Cerdocyon thous (Rocha et al., 2004), hoary fox Lycalopex vetulus (Jácomo et al. 2004), maned wolf Chrysocyon brachyurus (Jácomo et al., 2004; Rodrigues et al., 2007; Bueno and Motta-Junior, 2009), crab-eating raccoon Procyon cancrivorus (Gatti et al., 2006), and even free-ranging domestic cats Felis catus and dogs Canis familiaris (Campos et al., 2007). The present account suggests Lontra longicaudis is a predator of cingulates in the Campos Sulinos biome, and contributes  to the further understanding of the trophic ecology of the region's mammalian fauna.

REFERENCES

Alarcon, G.G., Simões-Lopes, P.C. (2004) The Neotropical otter Lontra longicaudis feeding habits in a marine coastal area, southern Brazil. IUCN Otter Spec. Group Bull. 21: 24-30.
Bueno, A.A., Motta-Junior, J.C. (2009) Feeding habits of the maned wolf, Chrysocyon brachyurus (Carnivora: Canidae) in southeast Brazil. Stud. Neotrop. Fauna Environm. 44: 67-75.
Campos, C.B., Esteves, C.F., Ferraz, K.M.P.M.B., Crawshaw Jr., P.G., Verdade, L.M. (2007) Diet of free-ranging cats and dogs in a suburban and rural environment, south-eastern Brazil. J. Zool. 273: 14-20.
Colares, E.P., Waldemarin, H.F. (2000) Feeding of the neotropical river otter (Lontra longicaudis) in a coastal region of the Rio Grande do Sul State, Southern Brazil. IUCN Otter Spec. Group Bull. 17: 6-13.
Fischer, L.G., Pereira, L.E.D., Vieira, J.P. (2004) Peixes estuarinos e costeiros: série biodiversidade do Atlântico Sudoeste, vol. 01. Ecoscientia, Rio Grande.
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Jácomo, A.T.A., Silveira, L., Diniz-Filho, J.A.F. (2004) Niche separation between the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), the crab-eating fox (Dusicyon thous) and the hoary fox (Dusicyon vetulus) in central Brazil. J. Zool. 262: 99-106. 
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Rodrigues F.H.G., Hass A., Lacerda A.C.R., Grando L.R.C.S., Bagno M.A., Bezerra A.M.R., Silva W.R. (2007) Feeding habits of the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) in the Brazilian Cerrado. Mast. Neotrop. 14: 37-51.

Résumé : Le tatou (Cingulata: Dasypodidae) dans la diète de la loutre neotropical (Lontra longicaudis) au su du Brésil
Onglis, poils et osteodermes du tatou ont été trovés dans un énchantillon d’excrément de la loutre néotropicale (Lontra longicaudis), au bord du canal pluvial proche d’une fôret paludéenne, dans la région sud de la Plaine Côtière de l´État du Rio Grande do Sul, au sud du Brésil. Le tatou a été probablement capture, puisqu’aucune carcasse d’invertébré en décomposition n’a été trouvé dans l’échantillon fécal. C’est la première fois que l’on recense des restes de tatou dans la diète de la Lontra longicaudis.
Revenez au dessus

Resumen: Armadillo (Cingulata: Dasypodidae) en la dieta de la nutria neotropical (Lontra longicaudis) en el sur de Brasil
Uñas, pelos y osteodermis de armadillo (Cingulata: Dasypodidae) fueron encontrados en una muestra de heces de la nutria neotropical (Lontra longicaudis) en la margen de un canal pluvial cerca a una vegetación palustre en la región sur de la Planicie Costera del Estado de Rio Grande do Sul, sur de Brasil. Es probable que el armadillo depredado ha sido activamente capturado, una vez que invertebrados descompositores de armazones no fueron encontrados en la muestra  fecal. Este es el primer registro de armadillo en la dieta de la Lontra longicaudis.
Vuelva a la tapa

Resumo: Tatu (Cingulata: Dasypodidae) na dieta da lontra neotropical (Lontra longicaudis) no sul do Brasil
Unhas, pêlos e osteodermes de tatu (Cingulata: Dasypodidae) foram encontrados em uma amostra de fezes da lontra neotropical (Lontra longicaudis) na margem de um canal pluvial próximo a uma mata palustre na região sul da Planície costeira do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, sul do Brasil. Provavelmente o tatu predado foi ativamente capturado, uma vez que invertebrados decompositores de carcaças não foram encontrados na amostra fecal. Este é o primeiro registro de tatu na dieta de Lontra longicaudis.
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