Figure 1. Location of Emas National Park within the Cerrado of Brazil, and locations within the park and its surroundings where each methodwas employed.<strong>Edentata</strong> no. 8–<strong>10</strong> • 2009 27
Scat Detection DogsThree scat detection dog teams were employed tolocate scat of giant armadillos during May–July of2006 (3 teams), April–June 2007 (2 teams), andNovember 2007–February 2008 (1 team). Detectordogs have been demonstrated to be highly efficient atsurveying for presence of rare animals (Wasser et al.,2004; Harrison, 2006; Long et al., 2007) and theyhave demonstrated high accuracy at homing in ontarget animals even in the presence of sympatric speciesof the same family (Vynne et al., submitted). Toour knowledge, this study represents the first detectiondog project outside of North America, as well asthe first to employ the method for the giant armadillo(in addition to giant armadillo, dogs were trained tofind scat of giant anteater Myrmecophaga tridactyla,maned wolf Chrysocyon brachyurus, puma Puma concolor,and jaguar Panthera onca). Surveys were conductedon foot and principally during the morninghours (6:30 – 12:30 hs).While giant armadillo scat samples have yet to beDNA-confirmed, the same three dogs employed onthis study have a combined accuracy of 95% basedon DNA-confirmed sampling of 300 putativemaned wolf scat samples from the same study, aswell as a 91% DNA-proven accuracy for more than1,000 caribou and wolf samples they identified ona study conducted in Canada in 2006 and 2007(Vynne et al., submitted; Wasser et al., submitted).To ensure the highest accuracy of species ID possiblewithout DNA proof, we are only including forthe purpose of this study samples that received a“high” confidence ranking in at least two of the fivecategories: handler gestalt, dog response, presenceof tracks, size/shape, and smell. We collected andpreserved scats for future DNA, diet, and hormoneanalyses.Burrow censusDue to their large size in comparison with those ofother sympatric Dasypodidae, the burrows of thegiant armadillo are readily identifiable in the field.We employed two burrow survey methods to betterunderstand habitat selection by this species and thepreferred substrate for digging burrows. We used theburrow census walked by scat detection dog teamsto investigate habitat selection by giant armadillos.These teams walked daily ~<strong>10</strong> km loops withinpre-designated survey grids both inside and outsideof ENP (Figure 1). We conducted our surveys onfoot and GPS-recorded locations of all encounteredburrows. For the habitat use results, we include onlyburrows that were at least <strong>10</strong> m in distance from oneanother as an independent burrow.To better understand substrate selection for diggingburrows, we conducted systematic transect searchesinside ENP. Throughout the park, we walked transectgroups consisting of four parallel lines, each2 km in length and 1 km in distance from each other,starting at interior Park roads. These transects wererealized on foot, by car, and by ATV by two or moreobservers. Burrows within 5–25 m of each side ofthe transect line, depending on visibility due to differentvegetation, were marked with a GPS location,and it was noted whether the burrow occurred in thesoil, or at the base of an anthill or termite mound.We estimated sampled area as transect length multipliedwith twice the maximum distance of burrowvisibility. We calculated mean burrow density for alltransects and compared number of burrows foundin the soil, at the base of termite mounds, andin anthills.ResultsBiometryBetween March 2004 and September 2005, andbetween December 2006 and February 2007, fivemale and two female giant armadillos were capturedin Emas National Park, and an additional twofemales in the Park’s surroundings. Four males werefitted with a radio transmitter on their carapace.The fifth male was the only individual captured withthe jiqui trap and also the only one in which weimplanted a radio transmitter. In one instance, thejiqui was armed at an active burrow, but the animalescaped digging a second exit, a behaviour not previouslyobserved.All animals were adults, with mean body weightof 44.40 kg (SD = 4.1) for males and 28.00 kg(SD = 2.71) for females, and a mean total bodylength of 155.90 cm (SD = 4.46) for males and137.74 cm (SD = 4.01) for females (Table 1). Bothparameters’ means differed significantly betweensexes (F = 46.904, df = 8, p ≤ 0.001; F = 40.050,df = 8, p ≤ 0.001). We found significant gender differencesin mean body measurements in seven out ofthe 14 parameters recorded.All animals appeared to be in good health and physicalcondition. The mean of the anesthetic (tiletamine/zolazepam combination) dose was 3.8 ± 0.58 mg/kg.28<strong>Edentata</strong> no. 8–<strong>10</strong> • 2009
- Page 1 and 2: ISSN 1413-4411EdentataThe Newslette
- Page 3 and 4: TABLE OF CONTENTSiLetter from the E
- Page 5 and 6: IUCN/SSC Anteater, Sloth and Armadi
- Page 7 and 8: and a diverse flora of native fruit
- Page 9 and 10: the ant morphospecies found in Cycl
- Page 11 and 12: Observations of Intraspecific Aggre
- Page 14 and 15: (1985), la especie habita las provi
- Page 16 and 17: En todas las entrevistas realizadas
- Page 18 and 19: Scat-Detection Dogs Seek Out New Lo
- Page 20 and 21: Evidence for Three-Toed Sloth (Brad
- Page 22 and 23: most likely to kill a sloth at nigh
- Page 24 and 25: York State Museum, 222 Madison Aven
- Page 26 and 27: New Records of Bradypus torquatus (
- Page 28 and 29: 2004; Chiarello, 2008). In the ligh
- Page 30 and 31: Ecology of the Giant Armadillo (Pri
- Page 34 and 35: Home rangeA total of 115 independen
- Page 36 and 37: at Serra da Canastra (MG), where tw
- Page 38 and 39: of the other methods thus far teste
- Page 40 and 41: Morfometria de Tatu-Peba, Euphractu
- Page 42 and 43: da anestesia, os animais foram solt
- Page 44 and 45: provenientes do Pantanal da Nhecol
- Page 46 and 47: Eto-Ecología y Conservación de Tr
- Page 48 and 49: los dos ambientes principales de la
- Page 50 and 51: La mayoría de las capturas fueron
- Page 52 and 53: Abba, A. M. 2008. Ecología y conse
- Page 54 and 55: Newport, KY, USA) e soltos no mesmo
- Page 56 and 57: D. septemcinctus foi de 153 ± 21 m
- Page 58 and 59: (Xenarthra, Dasypodidae), num Cerra
- Page 60 and 61: (2007) thought these observations m
- Page 62 and 63: Chebez, J. C. 1994. Los Que Se Van.
- Page 64 and 65: ainda mais para o interior desta re
- Page 66 and 67: NEWSNew Specialist Group Website!Th
- Page 68 and 69: NOTES TO CONTRIBUTORSScopeEdentata,
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