Diet and food resource use by the pygmy skunk (Spilogale pygmaea) in the tropical dry forest of Chamela, Mexico
Diet and food resource use by the pygmy skunk (Spilogale pygmaea) in the tropical dry forest of Chamela, Mexico
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DOI：
10.1017/s0952836905007417
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发表时间：
2005-11
影响因子：
2
通讯作者：
Lisette Cantú‐Salazar;M. Hidalgo-Mihart;C. López-González;A. González-Romero
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Lisette Cantú‐Salazar;M. Hidalgo-Mihart;C. López-González;A. González-Romero
在哈利斯科州Chamela热带干燥森林中，对墨西哥西部特有濒危物种侏儒臭鼬Spilogale pygmaea的饮食和食物资源利用模式进行了研究。对1997年、1998年和2000年获得的粪便（n = 104）和胃内容物（n = 5）的分析表明，侏儒臭鼬主要以无脊椎动物为食。昆虫幼虫是样品中最具代表性的食物。2000年期间，通过比较可用猎物的出现与粪便中发现的物品的出现，对食物资源的利用进行了量化。尽管侏儒臭鼬似乎是机会主义的觅食者，但一些无脊椎动物被积极选择，如昆虫幼虫和多足类动物，这表明侏儒臭鼬可能以高营养价值的猎物为目标。在研究年份的连续旱季和雨季之间，饮食变化很大，食物种类几乎没有重叠。在食物匮乏的旱季，侏儒臭鼬可能会调整食物资源的使用，以应对猎物丰度的时间变化，通过在饮食中加入其他食物。季节之间的饮食转换表明，侏儒臭鼬可能表现出与其他热带食肉动物相似的策略，以应对高度季节性的环境。
The diet and pattern of food resource use by the pygmy skunk Spilogale pygmaea , an endemic and threatened species of western Mexico, was evaluated in the tropical dry forest of Chamela, Jalisco. Analysis of scats ( n = 104) and stomach contents ( n = 5) obtained during 1997, 1998 and 2000 showed that pygmy skunks fed mainly on invertebrates. Insect larvae constituted the most represented food item in samples. During 2000, food resource use was quantified by comparing occurrence of available prey with occurrence of items found in scats. Even though pygmy skunks seem to be opportunistic foragers, some invertebrates were positively selected, such as insect larvae and Myriapoda, thus suggesting that pygmy skunks may target prey of high nutritional value. The diet varied considerably between consecutive dry and rainy seasons of the studied years, with little overlap in food items. Pygmy skunks may adjust food resource use in response to temporal variations in prey abundance, by incorporating other food items in their diet during the dry season, when food is scarce. Dietary switching between seasons indicates that pygmy skunks may exhibit strategies similar to those of other tropical carnivores to deal with a highly seasonal environment.