Abstract

CHEMES, Silvina B.; GIRAUDO, Alejandro R.  and  GIL, Guillermo. Diet of Lontra longicaudis (Carnivora, Mustelidae) in El Rey National Park (Salta, Argentina) and its comparison with other populations from Paraná basin. Mastozool. neotrop. [online]. 2010, vol.17, n.1, pp.19-29. ISSN 0327-9383.

It was analyzed the diet of the Lontra longicaudis in El Rey National Park, within the Yungas forest eco-region, in the Argentine Northwest. Our data was compared with that from other populations previously studied in the Iberá Lagoon (Iberá marshes) and the Iguazú River (Paranaense forest) in the Argentine Northeast. We analyzed 130 feces from 37 latrines. Percentage of occurrence, relative frequency, percentage of relative importance and Levin's diversity were analyzed. We compared our results with those from other populations by means of the percentage similarity index, the re-sampling by bootstrapping and non-parametric analysis. We recorded 623 prey items. Fish, insects and crustaceans were more frequently consumed than amphibians, mollusks, reptiles and mammals. The majority of preys were benthonic organisms. Our results were more similar to the ones obtained in the Iberá Lagoon. Other studies in the Iberá and the Iguazú, published by the same author, were more similar between themselves. Differences in trophic adaptability, availability, temporal variation of preys or methodological biases among authors could be possible reasons for the diet differences of the populations studied in Argentina.

Keywords : Argentina; Diet; Lontra longicaudis; Yungas.

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