Space use patterns of the burrowing echimyid rodent,Clyomys laticeps

Abstract

Space use patterns of a population are a result of the set of movements of its individuals, which are directly influenced by their attributes and environmental conditions. Understanding space use patterns and its determinants may give us insights about a species’ ecology, social and mating systems. Although echimyid rodents display a variety of mating and social systems, movements of burrowing species are poorly studied due to their cryptic habits. Hence, in this study, we evaluated the effects of body mass, sex, and palm fruit availability on space use patterns of the burrowing echimyid Clyomys laticeps, by measuring their daily home range (DHR) and intensity of habitat use. In 9 months of study in a “cerrado campo sujo” site, we tracked 14 adults with the spool‐and‐line in a backpack method. Adult males had larger DHR size than females, probably as a response to greater body mass and reproductive behavior. Furthermore, adult females had greater intensity of habitat use, presenting site fidelity, which can be due to offspring care as a response to non‐seasonal reproduction observed in our study and/or due to nest site defense strategy to avoid energetic costs associated with burrow construction. Differently from expected, food availability (i.e., Allagoptera campestris palm fruits) had no influence on the space use patterns of C. laticeps. As in other herbivorous rodents, shifts in proportion of consumed food items according to their availability may explain the lack of this influence in our study. Our findings suggest that space use patterns of C. laticeps are mainly explained by behavioral and physiological differences between sexes, including body mass and reproductive strategies. Additionally, larger male movements and female site fidelity suggest a solitary behavior and a polygynous mating system, although further studies regarding spatial organization and genetic structure are necessary to support these suggestions.

Broad‐headed spiny rats (Clyomys laticeps) as ecosystem engineers in the Brazilian savannah

“…Reinforcing the idea that C. laticeps is solitary, proposed by Ferrando et al . (), only a single individual was trapped in each of the five burrow systems. These individuals were released near the place of capture, and were further recaptured in different burrow systems.…”

“…Description of burrow architecture may help to understand their occupancy, because burrow complexity, size of burrow entrances and number and width of tunnels, along with other attributes, may determine species composition and diversity of the commensal fauna (Mukherjee et al, 2017). Reinforcing the idea that C. laticeps is solitary, proposed by Ferrando et al (2019), only a single individual was trapped in each of the five burrow systems. These individuals were released near the place of capture, and were further recaptured in different burrow systems.…”

“…Recent research suggests a nocturnal activity pattern (Ferrando & Leiner, 2018) and a solitary behavior, with C. laticeps females presenting site (e.g. burrow) fidelity and males moving larger distances, probably to maximize mating opportunities and as a response to their larger body size (Ferrando, Lamberto & Leiner, 2019). Females may occupy the same burrow system for 3-8 months, whereas males visit several burrows in a single month.…”

First report of the intestinal helminth community in the broad-headed spiny-rat Clyomys laticeps (Rodentia, Echimyidae)

“…It is found in open areas of Cerrado and Pantanal biomes, and occurs in grassland habitats in central Brazil and Paraguay (Bezerra & Bonvicino, 2015). It has semi-fossorial habits and sexual size dimorphism, with males having a larger body mass and daily home range than females (Ferrando et al, 2019). A recent study suggested that spiny rat burrows are occupied by a single individual of this species, indicating that they are solitary, and also that this species has non-seasonal, year-round reproduction, and a polygynous mating system (Ferrando et al, 2019).…”

“…It has semi-fossorial habits and sexual size dimorphism, with males having a larger body mass and daily home range than females (Ferrando et al, 2019). A recent study suggested that spiny rat burrows are occupied by a single individual of this species, indicating that they are solitary, and also that this species has non-seasonal, year-round reproduction, and a polygynous mating system (Ferrando et al, 2019). Spiny rats are considered mainly as frugivore-herbivores, acting both as predators and dispersers of seeds of palms (Bezerra & Bonvicino, 2015), although insect fragments have been frequently recorded in their stomachs (Ferrando, pers.…”