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Kaizer M, Fabres B, Aguiar-Silva FH, Sanaiotti TM, Dias AR, Banhos A. The prey of the Harpy Eagle in its last reproductive refuges in the Atlantic Forest. Sci Rep 2023; 13:18308. [PMID: 37880262 PMCID: PMC10600338 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44014-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja) is threatened with extinction throughout its distribution in the neotropical forests. In the Atlantic Forest, deforestation has reduced the number of suitable habitats, with only a few remnant forest fragments hosting active nests; currently, the only known nests in this region are in the Central Atlantic Forest Ecological Corridor (CAFEC), in Brazil. Little is known about Harpy Eagle diets in this region, despite this information being essential for developing effective conservation strategies. We classified the composition, frequency, richness, ecological attributes, and conservation status of the species that make up the Harpy Eagle's diet in its last refuges in the CAFEC. Between 2017 and 2021, we collected and analyzed 152 prey remains and 285 camera trap photographs from seven active nests. We identified at least 16 mammal species (96.7%), one parrot and other bird remains (3.3%). The Harpy Eagle's diet consisted mainly of medium-sized arboreal, folivorous, frugivorous, and diurnal mammals. Five prey species are currently threatened with extinction at global, six at national and seven at regional levels. The majority of the diet consists of Sapajus robustus, which is threatened, and Bradypus variegatus, which is not threatened. In addition to the effects of habitat loss and hunting, the Harpy Eagle may also suffer from the decline in the populations of their prey in the Atlantic Forest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mylena Kaizer
- Projeto Harpia - Mata Atlântica (Harpy Eagle Project - Atlantic Forest), Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo - UFES, Alto Universitário, Guararema, Alegre, Espírito Santo, 29500-000, Brazil
- Projeto Harpia (Harpy Eagle Project - Brazil), Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia - INPA, Av. André Araújo, 2936, Aleixo, Manaus, Amazonas, 69067-375, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zoologia - PPGZOOL, Universidade Federal do Amazonas - UFAM, Av. General Rodrigo Otávio Jordão Ramos, 3000, Coroado, Manaus, Amazonas, 69077-000, Brazil
| | - Brener Fabres
- Projeto Harpia - Mata Atlântica (Harpy Eagle Project - Atlantic Forest), Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo - UFES, Alto Universitário, Guararema, Alegre, Espírito Santo, 29500-000, Brazil
- Projeto Harpia (Harpy Eagle Project - Brazil), Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia - INPA, Av. André Araújo, 2936, Aleixo, Manaus, Amazonas, 69067-375, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Biologia Animal) - PPGBAN, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo - UFES, Avenida Fernando Ferrari, 514, Prédio Barbara Weinberg, Vitória, Espírito Santo, 29075-910, Brazil
| | - Francisca Helena Aguiar-Silva
- Projeto Harpia - Mata Atlântica (Harpy Eagle Project - Atlantic Forest), Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo - UFES, Alto Universitário, Guararema, Alegre, Espírito Santo, 29500-000, Brazil
- Projeto Harpia (Harpy Eagle Project - Brazil), Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia - INPA, Av. André Araújo, 2936, Aleixo, Manaus, Amazonas, 69067-375, Brazil
- Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia - INPA, Avenida André Araújo, 2936, Petrópolis, Manaus, Amazonas, 69067-375, Brazil
| | - Tânia Margarete Sanaiotti
- Projeto Harpia - Mata Atlântica (Harpy Eagle Project - Atlantic Forest), Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo - UFES, Alto Universitário, Guararema, Alegre, Espírito Santo, 29500-000, Brazil
- Projeto Harpia (Harpy Eagle Project - Brazil), Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia - INPA, Av. André Araújo, 2936, Aleixo, Manaus, Amazonas, 69067-375, Brazil
- Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia - INPA, Avenida André Araújo, 2936, Petrópolis, Manaus, Amazonas, 69067-375, Brazil
| | - Alexandro Ribeiro Dias
- Projeto Harpia - Mata Atlântica (Harpy Eagle Project - Atlantic Forest), Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo - UFES, Alto Universitário, Guararema, Alegre, Espírito Santo, 29500-000, Brazil
- Reserva Particular de Patrimônio Natural Estação Veracel, Rodovia BR-367, 37, Porto Seguro, Bahia, 45810-000, Brazil
| | - Aureo Banhos
- Projeto Harpia - Mata Atlântica (Harpy Eagle Project - Atlantic Forest), Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo - UFES, Alto Universitário, Guararema, Alegre, Espírito Santo, 29500-000, Brazil.
- Projeto Harpia (Harpy Eagle Project - Brazil), Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia - INPA, Av. André Araújo, 2936, Aleixo, Manaus, Amazonas, 69067-375, Brazil.
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Biologia Animal) - PPGBAN, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo - UFES, Avenida Fernando Ferrari, 514, Prédio Barbara Weinberg, Vitória, Espírito Santo, 29075-910, Brazil.
- Departamento de Biologia, Centro de Ciências Exatas, Naturais e da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo - UFES, Alto Universitário, Guararema, Alegre, Espírito Santo, 29500-000, Brazil.
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Zaman M, Roberts NJ, Zhu M, Vitekere K, Wang M, Jiang G. Temporal activity patterns of North China leopards and their prey in response to moonlight and habitat factors. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9032. [PMID: 35784060 PMCID: PMC9219109 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Revised: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The nocturnal activities of predators and prey are influenced by several factors, including physiological adaptations, habitat quality and, we suspect, corresponds to changes in brightness of moonlight according to moon phase. In this study, we used a dataset from 102 camera traps to explore which factors are related to the activity pattern of North China leopards (Panthera pardus japonensis) in Shanxi Tieqiaoshan Provincial Nature Reserve (TPNR), China. We found that nocturnal activities of leopards were irregular during four different lunar phases, and while not strictly lunar philic or lunar phobic, their temporal activity was highest during the brighter moon phases (especially the last quarter) and lower during the new moon phase. On the contrary, roe deer (Capreolus pygargus) exhibited lunar philic activity, while wild boar (Sus scrofa) and tolai hare (Lepus tolai) were evidently lunar phobic, with high and low temporal activity during the full moon, respectively. In terms of temporal overlap, there was positive overlap between leopards and their prey species, including roe deer and tolai hare, while leopard activity did not dip to the same low level of wild boar during the full moon phase. Human activities also more influenced the temporal activity of leopards and wild boar than other species investigated. Generally, our results suggested that besides moonlight risk index (MRI), cloud cover and season have diverse effects on leopard and prey nocturnal activity. Finally, distinct daytime and nighttime habitats were identified, with leopards, wild boar, and tolai hare all using lower elevations at night and higher elevations during the day, while leopards and roe deer were closer to secondary roads during the day than at night.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Zaman
- Feline Research Center of China National Forestry and Grassland Administration, College of Wildlife and Protected AreaNortheast Forestry UniversityHarbinChina
| | - Nathan James Roberts
- Feline Research Center of China National Forestry and Grassland Administration, College of Wildlife and Protected AreaNortheast Forestry UniversityHarbinChina
| | - Mengyan Zhu
- Feline Research Center of China National Forestry and Grassland Administration, College of Wildlife and Protected AreaNortheast Forestry UniversityHarbinChina
- College of Life ScienceYanan UniversityYananChina
| | - Kasereka Vitekere
- Feline Research Center of China National Forestry and Grassland Administration, College of Wildlife and Protected AreaNortheast Forestry UniversityHarbinChina
- University of GomaGomaDemocratic Republic of Congo
| | - Meng Wang
- Feline Research Center of China National Forestry and Grassland Administration, College of Wildlife and Protected AreaNortheast Forestry UniversityHarbinChina
- Chengdu ZooChengduChina
| | - Guangshun Jiang
- Feline Research Center of China National Forestry and Grassland Administration, College of Wildlife and Protected AreaNortheast Forestry UniversityHarbinChina
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