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Temporal and individual variation in the diet of the Neotropical otter, Lontra longicaudis (Olfers, 1818) (Carnivora, Mustelidae), as revealed by stable isotope analysis of vibrissae

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Abstract

The Neotropical otter, Lontra longicaudis, is a semiaquatic mustelid that preys upon fish, amphibians, and crustaceans, in variable proportions according to habitat and/or season. Due to the difficulty of observing this species in the wild, information on its ecology is typically obtained through vestiges, such as feces, which usually do not provide data at the individual level. Thus, this study aimed to assess temporal and individual variation in the diet of the Neotropical otter through chronologically ordered carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotopes data, as a proxy for dietary variation. For this purpose, isotopic values of 127 fragments of vibrissae collected from 21 individuals found dead along three coastal regions of southern Brazil were analyzed. Values ranged between − 24.0 and − 12.9‰ for δ13C and from 10.6 to 18.4‰ for δ15N. Vibrissae isotopic longitudinal data were variable, indicating individual changes in the proportion of food items consumed and in foraging sites that spanned from freshwater to marine environments. Most of the populational variation in isotopic composition resulted from differences between individuals. The results of this study revealed temporal and individual variation in resource and habitat use by the Neotropical otter in three coastal ecosystems, and suggest that a high individual foraging specialization may occur in this species.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação da Megafauna Marinha—ECOMEGA (Universidade Federal do Rio Grande—FURG), Núcleo de Educação e Monitoramento Ambiental—NEMA, ESEC do Taim (Instituto Chico Mendes—ICMBio), Grupo de Estudos de Mamíferos Aquáticos do Rio Grande do Sul—GEMARS and Laboratório de Mamíferos Aquáticos—LAMAQ (Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina—UFSC) for all the support during the study and also for providing Neotropical otter samples. The Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) provided access to scientific publications through the “Portal de Periódicos”. This article is part of T.S.C. Master’s dissertation at FURG under the supervision of E.R.S. T.S.C. received a scholarship from CAPES. The National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq – Brazil) provided a research fellowship to E.R.S. (PQ 310597/2018-8). This study is a contribution of the Research Group “ECOMEGA/CNPq”.

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  1. Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação da Megafauna Marinha—ECOMEGA, Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Rio Grande, RS, 96203-900, Brazil

    Thayara S. Carrasco, Renan C. de Lima, Silvina Botta & Eduardo R. Secchi

  2. Programa de Pós-graduação em Biodiversidade de Ambientes Costeiros, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, São Vicente, SP, 11330-900, Brazil

    Thayara S. Carrasco

  3. Programa de Pós-graduação em Oceanografia Biológica, Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Rio Grande, RS, 96203-900, Brazil

    Renan C. de Lima

  4. Grupo de Estudos de Mamíferos Aquáticos do Rio Grande do Sul—GEMARS, Torres, RS, 95560-000, Brazil

    Rodrigo Machado & Paulo H. Ott

  5. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Desenvolvimento Socioeconômico, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, Criciúma, SC, 88806-000, Brazil

    Rodrigo Machado

  6. Laboratório de Mamíferos Aquáticos—LAMAQ, Departamento de Ecologia e Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, 88040-970, Brazil

    Paulo C. Simões-Lopes

  7. Laboratório de Biodiversidade e Conservação, Universidade Estadual do Rio Grande do Sul, Osório, RS, 95520-000, Brazil

    Paulo H. Ott

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  1. Thayara S. Carrasco
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Carrasco, T.S., de Lima, R.C., Botta, S. et al. Temporal and individual variation in the diet of the Neotropical otter, Lontra longicaudis (Olfers, 1818) (Carnivora, Mustelidae), as revealed by stable isotope analysis of vibrissae. Mamm Biol 100, 505–520 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42991-020-00060-8

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