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Temperature influences the activity patterns of armadillo species in a large neotropical wetland

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Abstract

In this study, we characterized the activity patterns and estimated the activity overlap between two armadillo species (Dasypus novemcinctus and Euphractus sexcinctus) in the Pantanal wetlands of Brazil. We report the effect of daily mean ambient temperature on activity onset and duration of these armadillos. We captured seven yellow armadillos and three nine-banded armadillos and fitted them with very high frequency radios and temperature loggers. By monitoring the temperature of the environment (air temperatures and burrow temperatures), we inferred when the armadillo was active (above ground) or inactive (inside the burrow). Yellow armadillos were active mainly during the daytime and in the beginning of the night, while nine-banded armadillos were active mainly during the night. However, nine-banded armadillos presented a bimodal activity pattern, becoming active for a short period in the middle of the morning and/or afternoon. The proportion of activity overlap was 0.28 between the species, occurring primarily at the beginning of the night. At lower temperatures, yellow armadillos tended to leave their burrows earlier and were active for longer periods. This is probably an adaptation to their physiological constraints and limited thermoregulatory capabilities. Xenarthrans could be used as models to obtain valuable information about how physiology affects mammal behavior.

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Acknowledgments

This study was performed under License No. 006/2007, granted by the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources, and License No. 22906-1, granted by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation. All applicable international and national guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed. We thank William J. Loughry for useful comments on the manuscript draft and all colleagues and friends who helped with the fieldwork and the manuscript. We thank the two anonymous referees for their valuable comments and suggestions. We are grateful to Embrapa Pantanal for logistic support, Program of Long Term Ecological Research/Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (520056/98-1) for financial support, IDEA WILD for donating equipment, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico for the productivity fellowship awarded to G. Mourão and J. Marinho-Filho and the scholarships to Í.M. Medri and T.B. Maccarini, and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior for the scholarships awarded to N. Attias and Í.M. Medri.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ecology and Conservation Graduate Program, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde - Cidade Universitária, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, s/n - Caixa Postal 549, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil

    Thiago Bernardes Maccarini & Nina Attias

  2. Ecology Graduate Program, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde - Cidade Universitária, University of Brasilia, s/n - Caixa Postal 549, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil

    Ísis Meri Medri

  3. Zoology Department, University of Brasilia, Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro, Brasília, DF, Brazil

    Jader Marinho-Filho

  4. Embrapa Pantanal, Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, Rua 21 de Setembro 1880, Corumbá, MS, Brazil

    Guilherme Mourão

Authors
  1. Thiago Bernardes Maccarini
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  2. Nina Attias
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  3. Ísis Meri Medri
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  4. Jader Marinho-Filho
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  5. Guilherme Mourão
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nina Attias.

Additional information

Communicated by: Karol Zub

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Maccarini, T.B., Attias, N., Medri, Í.M. et al. Temperature influences the activity patterns of armadillo species in a large neotropical wetland. Mamm Res 60, 403–409 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-015-0232-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-015-0232-2

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