RESULTS
A total of 1796 photographs were recorded (1004 in RD, 792 in EP), with
a sampling effort of 3710 camera traps day (Table 1). Records ofMazama americana (red brocket) and M. gouazoubira (gray
brocket) were combined due to difficulties in differentiate both species
using our photograph registers. Six out of the 16 species analyzed
showed a significantly difference in the temporal activity pattern
between both areas (Appendix 2). Even though ocelots and South American
tapirs (Tapirus terrestris ) were mainly nocturnal, they presented
more diurnal records in RD (Table 1). Pumas and deers were nocturnal in
RD, but cathemeral in EP (Table 1). Tapetis (Sylvilagus
brasiliensis ) and collared peccaries (Pecari tajacu ) could not
be classified according to activity pattern categorizations. Tapetis
were nocturnal in EP, but in RD presented also crepuscular activities
(Table 1). Peccaries were diurnal in RD, but in EP presented also
nocturnal and crepuscular activities (Table 1).
The 24-h cycles for ten species were not significantly different between
RD and EP and, therefore, records from both areas for these species were
combined. For predators, jaguars and crab-eating-foxes were nocturnal,
whereas tayras and coatis were diurnal (Table 1). For the potential
preys, big-eared opossums (Didelphis aurita ), nine-banded
armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus ), lowland pacas (Agouti
paca ), lesser anteaters (Tamandua tetradactyla ), and giant
armadillos were nocturnal (Table 1). The Azara’s agouti
(Dasyprocta azarae ) was the only diurnal species (Table 1).
Although we found an overlap between the temporal activity of predators,
the W test revealed dissimilarities (Figure 2) in the following
pairwise comparisons: jaguars and pumas in EP, with less overlap during
the daylight as jaguars were nocturnal and pumas cathemeral; jaguars
with tayras and coatis in both areas, where the latter subordinate
species were diurnal with low overlap with jaguars; pumas with ocelots
and crab-eating-foxes in EP, where pumas used more of the daylight than
the latter species; pumas and tayras in both areas, especially during
the crepuscular hours, where tayras had a higher activity; pumas and
coatis in RD, with little overlap during the daylight; and ocelots with
tayras and coatis in both areas, with low overlap during the daylight.
The W test revealed no significant differences between the
temporal activity of predators in the following pairwise comparisons:
jaguars and ocelots in both areas; jaguars and crab-eating-foxes in both
areas; jaguars and pumas in RD; pumas and ocelots in both areas; pumas
and crab-eating-foxes in RD; pumas and coatis in EP; and ocelots with
crab-eating-foxes in both areas.
The overlap between the temporal activity of predators and their
potential preys was diverse, and the W test revealed no
significant dissimilarities (Figure 3) in the following pairwise
comparisons: jaguars in both areas with opossums, anteaters, giant
armadillos, nine-banded armadillos, tapirs, and pacas; jaguars with
tapetis in EP and with deers in RD; pumas with peccaries in EP and with
pacas in RD; pumas with deers in both areas; ocelots with anteaters and
pacas in both areas; ocelots with opossums and nine-banded armadillos in
EP; and crab-eating-foxes with tapetis in EP. Conversely, the Wtest revealed significant dissimilarities (Appendix 3) in the following
pairwise comparisons: jaguars with agoutis and peccaries in both areas;
jaguars with tapetis in RD and with deers in EP; pumas in both areas
with opossums, anteaters, nine-banded armadillos, tapetis, and agoutis;
pumas with peccaries in RD and with pacas in EP; ocelots in both areas
with tapetis and agoutis; ocelots in RD with opossums and nine-banded
armadillos; carb-eating-foxes in both areas with opossums and agoutis;
and crab-eating-foxes with tapetis in RD. Tayras and coatis are not
known to prey upon medium- to large-sized mammals.