Abstract
The diet of the andean bear Tremarctos ornatus was assessed in dry equatorial, tropical rainy, premontane, montane, and upper montane forests, and puna, whithin nine natural protected areas in Peru (Laquipampa, Chaparri, Cutervo, Yanachaga, Yanesha, Megantoni, Amarakaeri, Manu and Machu Picchu) between 2001 and 2008. Six hundred forty six records were obtained related to the bear’s diet: 522 (80.8%) food waste, 62 (9.6%) feces, 55 (8.5%) climbed trees with sign supplies, and 7 (1.1%) scrabbled roots and trunks. Two animal (1.7%) and 114 plant species (98.3%) included in 36 families, were identified. Fruits (35.2%), leaf bases (31.9%), stems (12.3%), and piths (10.2%) were the eaten plant parts. Bromeliaceae (58.5%), Arecaceae (10.3%), Cyclanthaceae (5.9%) and Poaceae (4.1%) were the botanical families most frequently used. The piths of palms (Arecaceae) were the main diet components in the tropical rainy and premontane forests, the fruits were during the rainy season in the dry equatorial one, while the resource availability produced diverse diets in the montane forest. Key words: andean bear, diet, feeding, Peru, protected natural areas.
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