The terrestrial tortoise clade Chelonoidis is endemic to the South American continent and nearby islands (Manzano, Noriega and Joyce, 2009). Three continental species are currently recognized that inhabit three distinct habitats (Farias et al., 2007). The “red-footed tortoise” (C. carbonaria) and “yellow-footed tortoise” (C. denticulata) are often sympatric tropical to semitropical taxa, but the former taxon generally prefers open and wet savannahs, whereas the latter distinctly prefers permanent and wet forest cover. In contrast, the “chaco tortoise”, C. chilensis, is arid adapted and lives along the eastern dry slopes of the southern Andes (Ernst and Barbour, 1989; Iverson, 1991).

Chelonians are long-lived animals characterized by a low mortality rate among adults, but a high mortality rate among hatchlings and embryos (Ferreira-Júnior, 2009). The eggs are generally lost by the death of fully or partially developed embryos and through predation (Gonçalves, Cechin and Barger, 2007).

The chelonians do not exhibit parental care, so that adults do not achieve protection of offspring and,

furthermore, the long period of embryonic development makes the nests vulnerable to predators (Pough, Heiser and MacFarland, 1993). Egg predators generally include invertebrates, small and large mammals, birds and tegú lizards (Gonçalves, Cechin and Barger, 2007; Salera-Junior, Portelinha and Malvasio, 2009).

Nasua nasua is a procionid with a broad distribution in South America, ranging from Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Brazil (Cheida et al., 2011). It occupies typically forested habitats, including deciduous and evergreen forests; gallery and cloud forests; “chaco”; and savanna (Redford and Stearman, 1993; Gompper and Decker, 1998).

On 26 January 2011, around 1700 h pm in a mesophyllous semideciduous forest fragment at the Parque Natural Municipal Ilto Ferreira Coutinho (14º37’40”S, 57º29’35”W, 407 m above sea level), in the urban area of Tangará da Serra, state of Mato Grosso, Brazil, an adult N. nasua was observed preying on eggs of C. denticulata. The embryos of C. denticulata were identified based on Hagan (1989).

The coati excavated the nest of C. denticulata using their front legs to find the eggs (n = 8). Then the animal broke the egg first, which exposed the embryo that was in an advanced stage of development (Fig. 1). After several attempts to open the plastron of the first embryo to consume the fleshy parts (viscera), the coati tried to do the same with the other seven embryos, but with no success. Opportunistically, the coati consumed the accessible parts of the embryos (such as legs, head and part of the cloaca).

Differently than observed for Podocnemis expansa and P. unifilis by Salera-Junior, Portelinha and Malvasio (2009) and Trachemys dorbigni by Gonçalves, Cechin and Barger (2007), some chelonian species present a few predators. According to Swingland and Stubbs (1985) giant “jabutis” (Geochelone gigantea and G. elefhantopus) possess only one nest predator, a large

Herpetology Notes, volume 5: 19-21 (2012) (published online on 27 January 2012)

Nest predation of Chelonoidis denticulata (Testudines: Testudinidae) by the brown-nosed coati Nasua nasua (Carnivora: Procyonidae)

in central Brazil

Vitor Azarias Campos1, Fabrício Hiroiuki Oda2*, Aline Dartora3 and Patrícia Helena Gallo2

1 Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Av. Fernando Corrêa da Costa, s/n, CCBS-II, Boa Esperança, CEP 78060-900. Cuiabá, MT, Brazil. E-mail VAC: vitorazariascampos@hotmail.com

2 Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia de Ambientes Aquáticos Continentais. Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Nupélia - Núcleo de Pesquisas em Limnologia, Ictiologia e Aqüicultura - Bloco G-90, Av. Colombo, 5790, CEP 87020-900. Maringá, PR, Brazil.

E-mail FHO: fabricio_oda@hotmail.com, PHG: patygallohc@yahoo.com.br3 Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, Campus Univer-

sitário de Tangará da Serra, CPEDA - Centro de Pesquisas, Estudos e Desenvolvimento Agro-ambientais. Rodovia MT 358, KM 07, Jardim Aeroporto, CEP 78300-000, Tangará da Serra, MT, Brazil. E-mail AD: alinedartora@hotmail.com

* Corresponding author

Vitor Azarias Campos et al. 20

land crab (Birgus latro). However, records of predation on C. denticulata nests are unknown in literature.

Coatis are diurnal, scansorial and omnivore, feeding mainly on invertebrates, fruits, and occasional vertebrate prey (Redford and Stearman, 1993; Gompper and Decker, 1998; Peracchi, Rocha and Reis, 2002; Alves-Costa, Fonseca and Christófaro, 2004; Hirsch, 2009; Rocha-Mendes et al., 2010). Additionally, opportunistic feeding on frogs, dead birds and turtle eggs buried in the ground (undetermined species) has also been observed (Hirsch, 2009). Here we report the first record of a N. nasua as a potential predator of nests of the “jabuti”, C. denticulata.

The present study demonstrates that nests of C. denticulata are subject to predation by generalist species such as N. nasua, which contributes to the mortality of nests. In this context, it is important to emphasize the necessity of future studies, which are fundamental to the understanding of the impact of highly predatory behavior of coatis on chelonians nests.

Acknowledgements. We thank Fernando I. Martins, Paulo S. Bernarde, Mariana F. Felismino, Tiago S. Vasconcelos and one anonymous reviewer for comments on this manuscript. Amanda B. Campos and Ketlin Dartore for field assistance. The Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) provided financial support to V.A. Campos and P.H. Gallo, and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) provided financial support to F.H. Oda.

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Figure 1. Nasua nasua preying on eggs of Chelonoidis denticulata in a mesophyllous semideciduous forest fragment at the Parque Natural Municipal Ilto Ferreira Coutinho, municipality of Tangará da Serra, state of Mato Grosso, Brazil.

Nest predation of Chelonoidis denticulata 21

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Accepted by Philip de Pous