First record of the coexistence of two mesocarnivores in the Yucatán Peninsula, México

Sol de Mayo A.  Mejenes-López; Xiomara  Gálvez-Aguilera; Griselda Escalona-Segura; Jorge A. Vargas-Contreras; Oscar G. Retana-Guiascón; Guadalupe de los Ángeles  Cab-Paat

doi:10.12933/therya_notes-21-39

Sol de Mayo A. Mejenes-López Laboratorio y Colección Biológica de Vertebrados Terrestres. Instituto Tecnológico de Chiná, Tecnológico Nacional de México http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3342-5147
Xiomara Gálvez-Aguilera Caribbean Coast Conservancy https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2350-0732
Griselda Escalona-Segura El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Unidad Campeche http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6735-7878
Jorge A. Vargas-Contreras Facultad de Ciencias Químico Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Campeche https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4157-6669
Oscar G. Retana-Guiascón Laboratorio de Biodiversidad y Colecciones Científicas, Centro de Estudios de Desarrollo Sustentable y Aprovechamiento de la Vida Silvestre, Universidad Autónoma de Campeche https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5765-8506
Guadalupe de los Ángeles Cab-Paat Laboratorio y Colección Biológica de Vertebrados Terrestres del Instituto Tecnológico de Chiná, Tecnológico Nacional de México

DOI: https://doi.org/10.12933/therya_notes-21-39

Keywords: Deciduous tropical forest, Dzemul, Komchén de los Pájaros, mammals, private natural reserve, gray fox, spotted skunk

Abstract

The simultaneous occurrence of two or more species in space and time (coexistence) is the initial condition for interspecific interactions. One example is the little known binomial of Urocyon cinereoargenteus and Spilogale angustifrons. Our objective is to contribute information on the coexistence of these mesocarnivores in Komchén de los Pájaros, in the north of Yucatán, an area covered by low deciduous tropical forest. We placed eight camera traps from 23 December 2019 to 20 June 2020 in eight sampling stations. We depicted the daily activity patterns using an hourly circular diagram based on the frequency of camera-trap records. We obtained 68 camera-trap records with a sampling effort of 4,320 trap-hours over 180 days, with three corresponding to the coexistence of U. cinereoargenteus and S. angustifrons. The activity of U. cinereoargenteus occurred all day during the dry season. The relative abundance index of the coexistence of S. angustifrons and U. cinereoargenteus was 0.7 and for U. cinereoargenteus alone was 15.74. We recorded the synchronized activity of U. cinereoargenteus and S. angustifrons on three occasions. These events occurred at night, early morning hours, and dawn, which confirmed the coexistence of both species in space (low deciduous tropical forest) and time (dry season). The photographic records showed no antagonistic events and the fact that one species followed the other suggests mutualism. We confirmed the coexistence based on the follow-up behavior of U. cinereoargenteus by S. angustifrons, and believe that these two species are mutualist in the dry season and in the low deciduous tropical forest.

Author Biographies

Xiomara Gálvez-Aguilera, Caribbean Coast Conservancy

Coordinator of the Natural Protected Area Komchén de los Pájaros. She is also the coordinator of the Caribbean Coast Conservancy Association.

Griselda Escalona-Segura, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Unidad Campeche

Degree in Biology from the National Autonomous University of Mexico in 1989, Master of Science (Animal Biology) from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (1995). PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Kansas.

She has worked for several years on ecology of birds and mammals, as well as the use of fauna by communities for the proposal of management and conservation programs. She has been looking for alternatives; one of them, has been the work that we proposed on bird watching in the state since one side, requires basic knowledge and the other application. Thus, in recent years, the government sector has looked to this area and therefore was awarded a state distinction for the effort in the study and conservation of the birds of Campeche in 2013. But his work goes beyond this group taxonomic, is part of an integral and multidisciplinary work such as the misión of El Colegio de la Frontera Sur.

She coordinated diagnostic studies for the establishment of the Balam-Kú and Balam-Kin Ecological Conservation Areas in Campeche state.

She was postgraduate coordinator from 2002 to 2004 and 2012 cycle. Director of the Campeche Unit from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2016. She is currently the coordinator of the Campeche bird festival.

Jorge A. Vargas-Contreras, Facultad de Ciencias Químico Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Campeche

He has a degree in Biology from the Technological Institute of Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas. He obtained his Master's Degree in Animal Biology Sciences at the Faculty of Sciences of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). His thesis consisted of characterizing cave environments that are used by bat species in the Biosphere Reserve of "El Cielo," Tamaulipas. He got a Doctor of Philosophy degree at the Institute of Ecology, UNAM, and his dissertation dealt with the relationship of the complexity and diversity of the habitat with the diversity of bats in Campeche, Mexico. It is a desirable profile of PROMED. He collaborates as a professor-researcher in the Faculty of Biological Chemical Sciences of the Autonomous University of Campeche since September 2000, teaching various subjects in Biology, a program certified with Level 1 by CIEES and re-accreditation by CACEB. He has participated in several research projects with terrestrial vertebrates and flora in Tamaulipas and Campeche. He is responsible for the Research Laboratory and Biological Collections, and his research lines are Ecology of terrestrial vertebrates (particularly bats), plant ecology, and conservation. He is the author of several articles and book chapters.

Oscar G. Retana-Guiascón, Laboratorio de Biodiversidad y Colecciones Científicas, Centro de Estudios de Desarrollo Sustentable y Aprovechamiento de la Vida Silvestre, Universidad Autónoma de Campeche

Biologist graduated from the Faculty of Sciences of UNAM, he has a master's studies in Animal Biology and doctorate in Environmental Management and Natural Resources Management. Its research include the conservation and sustainable use of Wildlife, as well as the Integral Management of wildlife in community UMAS. During his professional career he has participated as a manager and collaborator in various research projects and technical reports on Knowledge and Maya Use of Biodiversity, Biological Collections and Sustainable Use of Wildlife in Community Territories. He has published scientific and outreach articles in national and international journals. He is also the author of book chapters and books, among which is the title: Wildlife of Mexico. Historical Aspects of its Management and Conservation published by the Economic Culture Fund. He has also participated in national and international congresses on the management and conservation of Wildlife, as well as in the organization and teaching courses at the graduate level and bachelor's degree in Cordados, Wildlife Management, Faunistic Resources and Natural Heritage.