Frugivory and Seed Dispersal by the Lowland Tapir Tapirus terrestris in the Peruvian Amazon

Abstract

The lowland tapir Tapirus terrestris is the largest herbivore in the Neotropics and feeds on a large quantity of fruits, often ingesting the seeds and defecating them intact. Seed dispersal by the lowland tapir in the southwestern Amazon was studied by examining seeds from 135 dung samples collected between 2005 and 2007. Seeds of a total of 122 plant species were identified, representing 68 genera and 33 families. The species accumulation curve showed that more species can be expected with further sampling. Many species (45%) were only encountered once, and only 10 percent of all species were found in 4 10 samples, indicating that the lowland tapir is an opportunistic forager. Seed diversity showed a clear seasonal pattern and was highly correlated with fruit availability. Seed diameter ranged from o 1 to 25 mm with 81 percent o 10 mm diam. The size distribution of seeds found in lowland tapir dung generally followed that of seeds found in the forest, but had a lower proportion of seeds in the smallest size class (o 2.5 mm) and a larger proportion found in the largest size class (20-25 mm). The diversity of seeds encountered in dung of the lowland tapir in this study was much higher than in previous studies. We conclude that the lowland tapir is a potential disperser for a large number of plant species, including many that previously have been thought to be dispersed only by large primates.Abstract in Spanish is available at

Feeding Ecology of Five Neotropical Ungulates: A Critical Review

“…Indeed, T. terrestris and T. bairdii have often been observed foraging in patches of secondary vegetation (Naranjo 1995, Salas & Fuller 1996, Foerster & Vaughan 2002, Tobler 2002. The same pattern has been observed in other animal groups (Bowen et al 2007), reinforcing the hypothesis that tropical secondary forests may benefit part of the fauna (Wright & Muller-Landau 2006). The tapir's diet comprises mainly vegetative plant parts.…”

“…Based on collectors'curve approach (plotting accumulated number of the species against sampling effort), the studies for the lowland tapir showed that 53 fecal samples (Hibert et al 2011), 94 fecal samples (Barcelos et al 2013), and even 135 fecal samples (Tobler et al 2010) could not be adequate to estimate the diet richness of this ungulate. Regarding deer species, Gayot et al (2004) observed that 28 stomachs of the red brocket and that 34 stomachs of the grey brocket were both insufficient to assess suitably these ungulates diet (in terms of plant species).…”

“…Habitat fragmentation not only isolates local populations but also directly affects the amount of plant food resources available for ungulate populations by reducing plant species richness (Collinge 1996). The predominance of secondary forests in tropical regions and their effects on regional fauna have also been widely discussed in the conservation literature (DeWalt et al 2003, Wright & Muller-Landau 2006, Bowen et al 2007, Gardner et al 2007, Prado et al 2014. Further investigation of the foraging patterns of animals in these novel environmental contexts is needed.…”

Seed dispersal and predation of Buchenavia tomentosa Eichler (Combretaceae) in a Cerrado sensu stricto, midwest Brazil

“…Studies on the diet of T. terrestris described these animals as important dispersers, due to the diversity and quantity of seeds that they consume, the long distances traveled from the parent tree (Bachand et al, 2009;Bizerril et al, 2005;Bodmer, 1991;Golin et al, 2008;Tobler et al, 2010), and also because large seeds depend on large fruigivores that may be rare or absent (Lazure et al, 2010). According to quantitative and qualitative criteria suggested by Schupp (1993), tapirs may be considered good dispersers of B. tomentosa, as they frequently visited trees, consumed a large quantity of ripe fruits, and defecated viable seeds in favorable sites for germination.…”

“…Another evidence that supports this observation is that only seeds were found in feces of tapirs, after fruit maturation and natural drop, suggesting that the consumption of these fruits occurs only on the ground when fruits are accessible to these animals. According to Bodmer (1991) and Tobler et al (2010), tapirs forage in different habitats and have a broad diet, but the availability and abundance of fruits are decisive in the choice of food items.…”