Nest predation of Chelonoidis denticulata - Herpetology Notes

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 Campos 1 , Fabrício Hiroiuki Oda 2 *, Aline Dartora 3 and Patrícia Helena Gallo 2
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,
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.br
3 Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, Campus Universitário
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
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

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.
Vitor Azarias Campos et al.
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.
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.
References
Alves-Costa, C.P., Fonseca, G.A.B., Christófaro, C. (2004): Variation
in the diet of the brown-nosed coati (Nasua nasua) in
southeastern Brazil. J. Mamm. 85: 478-482.
Cheida, C.C., Nakano-Oliveira, E., Fusco-Costa, R., Rocha-Mendes,
F. and Quadros, J. (2011): Ordem Carnívora. In: Mamíferos
do Brasil, p. 269-271, Reis, N.R., Peracchi, A.L., Pedro,
W.A., Lima, I.P., Eds., 2ª Edição, Londrina.
Ernst, C.H. and Barbour, R.W. (1989): Turtles of the World.
Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C.
Farias, I.P., Jerozolimski, A., Melo, A., Viana, M.N., Martins, M.,
Monjeló, L.A.S. (2007): Population genetics of the Amazonian

Nest predation of Chelonoidis denticulata 21
tortoises, Chelonoidis denticulata and C. carbonaria, (Cryptodira:
Testudinidae) in an area of sympatry. Amphibia-Reptilia
28: 357-365.
Ferreira-Jr, P.D. (2009): Efeitos de fatores ambientais na reprodução
de tartarugas. Acta Amazonica 39: 319-334.
Gompper, M.E., Decker, D.M. (1998): Nasua nasua. Mamm.
Spec. 580: 1-9.
Gonçalves, F.A., Cechin, S.Z. and Bager, A. (2007): Predação de
ninhos de Trachemys dorbigni (Duméril & Bibron) (Testudines,
Emydidae) no extremo sul do Brasil. Rev. Bras. Zool. 24:
1063-1070.
Hagan, J.W. (1989): What’s the difference - Differentiating Geochelone
denticulata and Geochelone carbonaria. Tortuga Gazette
25: 3-4
Hirsch, B.T. (2009): Seasonal variation in the diet of ring-tailed
coatis (Nasua nasua) in Iguazu, Argentina. J. Mamm. 90: 136-
143.
Iverson, J.B. (1991): Patterns of survivorship in turtles (order Testudines).
Can. J. Zool. 69: 385-391.
Le, M., Raxworthy, C.J., McCord, W.P., Mertz, L. (2006): A
molecular phylogeny of tortoises (Testudines: Testudinidae)
based on mitochondrial and nuclear genes. Mol. Phylogenet.
Evol. 40: 517-531.
Manzano, A.S., Noriega, J.I., Joyce, W.G. (2009): The tropical
tortoise Chelonoidis denticulata (Testudines: Testudinidae)
from the Late Pleistocene of Argentina and its paleoclimatological
implications. J. Paleont. 83: 975-980.
Peracchi, A.L., Rocha, V.J., Reis, N.R. (2002): Mamíferos nãovoadores
da bacia do rio Tibagi. In: A bacia do rio Tibagi, p.
225-249, Medri, M.E., Bianchini, E., Shibatta, O.A., Pimenta,
J.A., Eds, Londrina, PR.
Pough, F.H., Heiser, J.B., McFarland, W.N. (1993): A Vida dos
Vertebrados, Atheneu Editora. São Paulo (SP), 839 pp.
Redford, K.H., Stearman, A.M.L. (1993): Notas sobre la biologia
de tres procionidos simpatricos bolivianos (Mammalia,
Procyonidae). Ecol. Boliv. 21: 35-44.
Rocha-Mendes, F., Mikich, S.B., Quadros, J., Pedro, W.A. (2010):
Ecologia alimentar de carnívoros (Mammalia, Carnivora) em
fragmentos de Floresta Atlântica do Sul do Brasil. Biota Neotr.
10: 21-30.
Salera-Jr., G., Portelinha, T.C.G., Malvasio, A. (2009): Predação
de fêmeas adultas de Podocnemis expansa Schweigger
(Testudines, Podocnemididae) por Panthera onca Linnaeus
(Carnivora, Felidae), no Estado do Tocantins. Biota Neotr. 9:
387-391.
Swingland, I.R., Stubbs, D. (1985): The ecology of mediterranean
tortoise (Testudo hermanii): Reprodution. J. Zool. 205:
595-610.
Accepted by Philip de Pous