Vol. 46 No. 4, 2007

Food Habits of Four Armadillo Species in the Cerrado Area, Mato Grosso, Brazil

Teresa Cristina da Silveira Anacleto

Department of Biology, University of Mato Grosso State, Nova Xavantina, Mato Grosso, CP 08, CEP 78690-000, Brazil

Teresa Cristina da Silveira Anacleto (2007) Studies based on scatology can substantially improve our knowledge of armadillo ecology.  This study describes the food habits of armadillo species in the Cerrado area of Mato Grosso, Brazil by examining fecal samples.  Collection of feces occurred through walking along linear transects, occasionally capturing free-living armadillos, and finding dead armadillos.  In total, 19 samples from 4 species were examined: Priodontes maximus (n = 8), Euphractus sexcinctus (n = 8), Dasypus novemcinctus (n = 2), and Cabassous unicinctus (n = 1).  Feces of P. maximus and E. sexcinctus were characterized by their size, odor, and consistency.  Feces size did not considerably vary among species, but the odor and consistency were more distinctive.  In total, 21 categories of food items were identified.  Termites, ants, and beetles were the most frequent prey.  Fecal samples of all species also contained high percentages of soil particles. Euphractus sexcinctus had the most diverse diet, including invertebrates, plants, and vertebrates.  Dasypus novemcinctus basically consumed Isoptera (5 species).  Priodontes maximus and Cabassous unicinctus had less-diverse diets.  Diets of certain pairs of species overlapped more than others.  Insects were a prey category important to all species, thus leading to overlapping niches.  However, when prey biomass was considered in the analyses, the niche of E. sexcinctus was considerably distinct from those of the other species.

Key words: Diet, Armadillo, Scatology, Cerrado, Xenarthra.

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