Food habits in peripheral populations of Zaedyus pichiy and Chaetophractus villosus (Cingulata, Chlamyphoridae) in the Chilean Patagonia

ABSTRACT

In Chile the armadillos Zaedyus pichiy (Desmarest, 1804) and Chaetophractus villosus (Desmarest, 1804) have peripheral populations restricted to steppes and plains near western slopes of the Andes, being also inadequately studied. We present information on feeding habits of both species by analysis of feces obtained in two study areas of Aysén district, Chilean Patagonia. In 38 feces of Z. pichiy we identified two plant taxa, six invertebrate and four vertebrate; in 72 feces of C. villosus we identified three plant taxa, nine invertebrate and four vertebrate. In both armadillos species the invertebrates were the category more frequent and diverse. Coleoptera, Orthoptera and Hemiptera were the most abundant insects, and remains of ungulate Lama guanicoe (Müller, 1776) and lagomorph Lepus europaeus (Pallas, 1778) were the most frequent vertebrates. The rarefaction analysis indicates higher taxa richness in C. villosus than in Z pichiy and Pianka index indicates there is no significant trophic overlap between these two species of armadillos. Our results indicate omnivores/opportunistic foods habits in peripheral populations of both species, with higher consumption of invertebrates and plants; also they suggest that C. villosus lives in a broader environmental range, with a more diverse food habits and higher abundance in both study areas.

KEYWORDS
Feces; armadillos; omnivores-scavengers; peripheral distribution