Vulnerability of small and medium-sized prey mammaln relation to their habitat preferences, age classes and locomotion types in the temperate Monte Desert, Argentina

TABENI, SOLANA; MARCOS NATALIA; ROSI, MARÍA I.; BENDER, BENJAMIN

MAMMALIAN BIOLOGY

ELSEVIER GMBH

Año: 2011 vol. 77 p. 90 - 96

1616-5047

In this study we examined predation by small felids upon small and medium-sized prey mammals in thecentral region of the Monte Desert. We analyzed the degree of vulnerability of prey mammals in relationto their habitat use patterns, modes of locomotion and age classes. Medium and small rodents were thepredominant prey in the diet of small cats. The most consumed smallmammalwas Akodon molinae, whichinhabits areas of dense cover, while species occurring in open habitats such as Eligmodontia typus wereless consumed. Among medium-sized mammals, Galea leucoblephara that depends on patches with highplant cover for refuge was more consumed than Microcavia australis that lives in colonies and displaysa complex set of antipredator strategies. Prey selectivity on small rodents showed that E. typus, whichuses bipedal locomotion and an erratic escape behaviour, was consumed in greater proportion than itsavailability. We suggest that although its specialized locomotory mode would diminish predator attacks,its preference for open habitats would increase the probability of predator?prey encounter. Consumptionof small mammals focuses mostly on adult individuals. However, we found a significant consumption ofsenile individuals of A. molinae, which points out that vulnerability tends to be high towards the age ofmaturity in this species.