Cavity Occupancy by Lowland Paca (Cuniculus Paca) in the Lacandon Rainforest, Chiapas, Mexico

Abstract

Habitat occupancy is a good indicator of wildlife behavior and interactions with their environment. We used camera traps to study the use of cavities by lowland paca (Cuniculus paca) in three sites in the Lacandon Rainforest of Chiapas, Mexico. To understand the biotic, environmental, physical, anthropic, and behavioral elements that affect spotted lowland paca, the cameras recorded lowland paca activity in front of 29 cavities. Monitoring occurred continuously in cavities near permanent natural water bodies, underneath roots of trees, or inside hollow logs. These cavities were more frequently found in Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve (MABR), where hunting pressure was low. The daily occupancy and permanence of lowland paca in these cavities were associated with the presence of its offspring. There were no offspring recorded in cavities alongside rivers within grazing areas. This suggests the potential existence of a sink-source type of metapopulation, where community reserves and MABR would serve as source habitat, while riparian corridors would be sink habitat for this species. Lowland pacas used these locations, which were scattered through the study area, so long as hunting was moderate and riparian corridors with safe cavities in large trees were well preserved.

Abundance, density and habitat use of lowland paca (Cuniculus paca, Rodentia: Cuniculidae) in the Lacandon Rainforest, Chiapas, Mexico

“…This may be explained by: 1) An increase in paca movements favored by a shortage of cavities produced by seasonal floods or collapse of burrows; 2) food and water abundance. Proximity to permanent water sources has been documented as a key variable for selective use of cavities by pacas (Figueroa-de-León et al 2016a). Similarly, water bodies have proven key habitat elements related to paca defecation (Figueroa-de León et al 2016b) and reproduction (Epigmenio Cruz Aldán, Tuxtla Gutierrez Zoo, Chiapas, Mexico 2016 comm.…”

“…Capture rates were estimated by calculating the number of independent records (pictures) of pacas in relation to the total number of effective records of all species per season and habitat type. Effective pictures were those where pacas or their potential competitors and predators appeared (Pérez 1992; Dubost and Henry 2006;Figueroa-de-León et al 2016a).…”

“…These factors may be confounding potential effects of variables explaining paca abundance. Similarly, density estimates could have been subject to problems in distinguishing paca individuals because of low resolution of night pictures, and distance impairing the observation of the spot pattern of some pacas (Figueroa-de-León et al 2016a). In spite of this, cavity availability was the only variable with a significant link with paca densities, which suggests that cavities constitute a key resource driving paca population dynamics in the study area.…”

“…Capture rates were estimated by calculating the number of independent records (pictures) of pacas in relation to the total number of effective records of all species per season and habitat type. Effective pictures were those where pacas or their potential competitors and predators appeared (Pérez 1992; Dubost and Henry 2006;Figueroa-de-León et al 2016a).Relative abundance indices of pacas and other mammals (Appendix 1) were estimated using photo-trapping data (RAI ft ). These indices were calculated as follows: RAI ft v = number of independent records (pictures or videos) of C. paca / total effective pictures / sampling effort per 100 camera-days (Carbone et al 2001).…”

“…Besides, cavities used by pacas as shelters to avoid predation and adverse weather constitute habitat resources of utmost importance for pacas in the Lacandon Rainforest (Figueroa-de-León et al 2016a). Thus, source habitats for pacas such as MABR and the community reserve of Playon de la Gloria have high availability of cavities favoring higher paca densities and reproductive rates inferred from higher frequencies of newborns (Figueroa-de-León et al 2016a). On the contrary, sink habitats for pacas such as the transformed landscape included in this study have lower availability of appropriate cavities, lower densities and absence of newborns (Figueroa-deLeón et al 2016a).…”