Padrão de atividade do Mão-pelada, Procyon cancrivorus (Carnivora: Procyonidae), em um remanescente de Mata Atlântica no sudeste do Brasil

Abstract

The activity pattern is an essential component of the natural history of species and fundamental for understanding the ecology of organisms. The present study aimed to characterize the activity pattern of the crab-eating raccoon (Procyon cancrivorus) in an Atlantic Forest remnant, determining whether there is influence of seasonality and lunar attributes on the activity of the species. The study was carried out in the Linhares-Sooretama Block, in southeastern Brazil. We used camera traps installed on unpaved internal roads and inside the forest between June/2005 and May/2019. We obtained 132 independent records. The species was classified as nocturnal, with 96.9% of observations at night. The raccoon was active for approximately 14 hours, with records between 17h and 06h (mean vector = 23:51h; 95%CI = 23:19h–00:22h), showing only one peak of activity. The records, in its majority, were obtained during the dry season (n = 89; 67.4%), on nights of waning moon (n = 50; 37.9%) and new moon (n = 42; 31.8% ), with lower percentage of lunar illumination (n = 66; 50%). However, the pattern of daily activity did not differ regarding to any of the analyzed attributes. The nocturnal behavior of P. cancrivorus may reflect the interaction with other species, including prey and predators. The more intense activity in the dry season may be related to the effect of the photoperiod and the reproductive period. Considering that the raccoon has been poor studied and its activity can be influenced by the analyzed parameters, we recommended that such elements be considered in future species specific studies.