Comportamentos de uma população de Quati Nasua nasua (Linnaeus, 1766) em áreas pavimentadas de um Parque urbano no Cerrado, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil.

Abstract

The coati (Nasua nasua) is a carnivore that occurs throughout South America and has a high behavioral plasticity, forming social groups both in the wild and in altered and urbanized areas. Studies of the behavior of this species can provide important information and understand its adaptive characteristics to the urban environment. This study aimed to evaluate the behavioral differences between adult and young coatis and between their groupings, regarding the time spent in the different activities of these animals in paved areas. The study was carried out in one of the largest parks in the city of Campo Grande, in the center-west of Brazil. An area of Cerrado remnants, with a strong degree of urbanization. Coati behaviors were recorded from direct observations in daily transects throughout the study area. The size of the observed groups ranged from 7 to 12 individuals in the larger groups and from 3 to 6 individuals in the smaller groups. The frequency of time spent by the animals in their daily activities varied throughout the study, being distributed among foraging (60%), moving (26%), socializing (11%) and resting (3%). Our results indicated that there was variation in the composition of groups over time, with no fixed members or formation of new groups by nucleator individuals, such as dominant or dissident males or females. This aspect may be a consequence of adaptation to the conditions of urbanization in the area, favoring individuals in their search for food and socialization.

Key-words: Urbanization, Conservation unit, Procionid, ethology, adaptation