Field capture, chemical immobilization, and morphometrics of a little-studied South American carnivore, the lesser grison

LUENGOS VIDAL E.M.; CASANAVE E.B.; CASTILLO D.; LUCHERINI M.; CARUSO N.; LUENGOS VIDAL E.M.; CASANAVE E.B.; CASTILLO D.; LUCHERINI M.; CARUSO N.

WILDLIFE SOCIETY BULLETIN

The Wildlife Society

Lugar: Bethesda; Año: 2016 vol. 40 p. 400 - 405

0091-7648

A total of 23 free-ranging lesser grisons (Galictis cuja) were live trapped and 9 were radio-marked in two areas of the Pampas grasslands of Argentina. We assessed the chemical immobilization and success of trapping devices on this little-known South American mustelid. Both box-traps and rubber-padded leg-hold traps allowed us to capture lesser grisons. However, leg-hold traps had greater capture efficiency. Although the liberation time was longer with tiletamine-zolazepam than ketamine-xylazine, field immobilization of lesser grisons with both drug combinations was effective and safe. The high frequency of thermal regulation problems suggests that body temperatures of chemically-restrained lesser grisons should be routinely monitored. Neither collars nor backpack harnesses were effective methods for attachment of radio transmitters. Trapped individuals showed male-skewed sexual size dimorphism and sex ratio of trapped individuals. Capture times suggest that lesser grisons are largely diurnal. Most of the data presented in this study are the first published on the lesser grison and provide baseline information for future research and conservation.