Diet Overlap and Foraging Activity between Feral Pigs and Native Peccaries in the Pantanal

Abstract

Inter-specific competition is considered one of the main selective pressures affecting species distribution and coexistence. Different species vary in the way they forage in order to minimize encounters with their competitors and with their predators. However, it is still poorly known whether and how native species change their foraging behavior in the presence of exotic species, particularly in South America. Here we compare diet overlap of fruits and foraging activity period of two sympatric native ungulates (the white-lipped peccary, Tayassu pecari, and the collared peccary, Pecari tajacu) with the invasive feral pig (Sus scrofa) in the Brazilian Pantanal. We found high diet overlap between white-lipped peccaries and feral pigs, but low overlap between collared peccaries and feral pigs. Furthermore, we found that feral pigs may influence the foraging period of both native peccaries, but in different ways. In the absence of feral pigs, collared peccary activity peaks in the early evening, possibly allowing them to avoid white-lipped peccary activity peaks, which occur in the morning. In the presence of feral pigs, collared peccaries forage mostly in early morning, while white-lipped peccaries forage throughout the day. Our results indicate that collared peccaries may avoid foraging at the same time as white-lipped peccaries. However, they forage during the same periods as feral pigs, with whom they have lower diet overlap. Our study highlights how an exotic species may alter interactions between native species by interfering in their foraging periods.

The retina of the collared peccary (Pecari tajacu): structure and function

“…Scotopic parameters were low, and there was virtually no increase in a‐ and b‐wave amplitudes in the five consecutive scotopic responses, indicating lack of a dark adaptation process (Table ). These results are incompatible with behavioral data collected by Galleti et al . showing activity of the peccary mostly at night and in the early morning.…”

Investigating animal activity patterns and temporal niche partitioning using camera‐trap data: challenges and opportunities

“…; Galetti et al. ). Interestingly, some conclusions from camera‐trap research on species activity patterns have challenged previous conclusions regarding species‐specific temporal activity (Bischof et al.…”

The circular nature of recurrent life cycle events: a test comparing tropical and temperate phenology

“…Historical phenological databases hold information on FFD, defined as the emergence time of the first opened flower observed in a given species at a specific location (Fitter, Fitter, Harris, & Williamson, 2002;Marsham, 1789;Tooke & Battey, 2010). Scientists and citizens-scientists have registered the first reproductive event observed for common species, marking the beginning of the spring in temperate regions (Fitter et al, 2002;Miller-Rushing, Inouye, & Primack, 2008;Roberts, Tansey, Smithers, & Phillimore, 2015;Sparks & Carey, 1995;Tooke & Battey, 2010). The relatively low diversity of species and phenological patterns in temperate zones, compared to tropical areas (e.g.…”

“…have used FFD as a key phenological parameter to analyse changes and triggers in temperate species' phenology, especially for tracking climate change effects on plant life cycles(Cleland, Chuine, Menzel, Mooney, & Schwartz, 2007;Fitter et al, 2002;Miller-Rushing et al, 2008;Roberts et al, 2015;Sparks & Carey, 1995;Tooke & Battey, 2010). Consequently, FFD has enabled detection, comparison and synthesis of trends and shifts in flowering phenology, as well as tracking the effects of climate change on reproduction of temperate vegetation(Chambers et al, 2013;Menzel et al, 2006;Primack & Miller-Rushing, 2011).…”