Depredación oportunista sobre Turdus grayi (Passeriformes: Turdidae) por Dasyprocta punctata (Rodentia: Dasyproctidae) en San Vito, Costa Rica

Abstract

On June 5, 2016 (08h00), we observed a predation event of this rodent on a songbird in the Wilson Botanical Garden of the Las Cruces Biological Station in San Vito, Province of Puntarenas, Costa Rica (8,785, -82,95916; 1200 msnm). Initially a male of D. punctata fed on fruits and roots, but suddenly after moving stealthily, he pounced on a yigüirro pigeon or brown blackbird (Turdus grayi). After capturing it with its front legs, the rodent killed it with its incisive teeth, and subsequently moved a few meters to start consuming it (Figure 1). The position that Guatusa used to prey and subsequently consume the bird is the same one it uses to feed on seeds; sitting on its hind legs and manipulating the food with the front legs (Mora & Moreira 1984). After about 15 minutes the rodent had consumed part of the bird including muscles, viscera and even its head. Finally, the rodent fled without leaving remains of the dam on the site when taking part of the carcass in the snout