Domestic dogs in Atlantic forest preserves of south-eastern Brazil: a camera-trapping study on patterns of entrance and site occupancy rates

Ac Srbek-Araujo,Ag Chiarello

doi:10.1590/s1519-69842008000400011

Ac Srbek-Araujo, Ag Chiarello

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/s1519-69842008000400011

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Abstract

Presence of exotic species in forest remnants is a major concern for the conservation of wild species, not only on islands, where potential impact is higher. Although the problem is widespread and increasing, there are few studies on Neotropical forests. Here we quantify the occurrence of domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) in an Atlantic forest reserve in south-eastern Brazil (Santa Lúcia Biological Station--SLBS). Throughout two years of monitoring with camera traps (2,142 camera-days), 25 records of 16 individual dogs were obtained in the interior of SLBS, making dogs the fourth most frequently recorded species of mammals in general and the first-ranking among Carnivora, ahead of the ocelot and puma, the top two terrestrial predators present in SLBS. Dogs entered the forest year round, in almost half of the sampled months (48%), and predominantly during daytime (89%). They were detected in various trails inside the reserve, but mostly in areas nearest to the reserve's border (<200 m from the edge). Record rates of domestic dogs did not correlate significantly with climate variables, with frequency of mammal records and richness in general, or with any particular mammal species (Spearman rank correlation, p > 0.05 in all cases), suggesting an erratic, non-seasonal pattern of entrance in the reserve. Data indicate that domestic dogs can be abundant and frequent visitors to little disturbed Atlantic forest reserves even when these are located in regions of low density of human population. The potential impact to native fauna is discussed.

Highlights

Domestic animals can impact native fauna in several ways, including increased predation (Lepczyk et al, 2004; Kays and DeWan, 2004), especially on islands (Burbidge, 1999; Anderson et al, 2006), and genetic introgression (Vilà and Wayne, 1999; Adams et al, 2003), which sometimes might disturb the genetic integrity of native species (Pierpaoli et al, 2003)
Past studies have explored the presence of domestic dogs in wild areas or their impact on wild species (Herranz et al, 2002; Butler et al, 2004; Manor and Saltz, 2004; Anderson et al, 2006), few studies have been conducted in Neotropical forests
In Brazil there is some information of domestic dog impacts on native fauna (Horowitz, 1992; Lacerda, 2002; Galetti and Sazima, 2006), observation of dog attacks to other domestic animals (Oliveira and Cavalcanti, 2002; Cavalcanti, 2003), dog presence in protected areas (Alves, 2003; Srbek-Araujo and Chiarello, 2005) and potential disease transmission (Courtnay et al, 2001)

Summary

Introduction

Domestic animals can impact native fauna in several ways, including increased predation (Lepczyk et al, 2004; Kays and DeWan, 2004), especially on islands (Burbidge, 1999; Anderson et al, 2006), and genetic introgression (Vilà and Wayne, 1999; Adams et al, 2003), which sometimes might disturb the genetic integrity of native species (Pierpaoli et al, 2003). We analyzed data on frequency of records, number of individuals, the spatial and temporal patterns of records and the interaction between native mammals and dogs, in a little-disturbed and well-preserved Atlantic forest reserve in south-eastern Brazil These data are important to better assess the potential impact of dogs on Neotropical mammals, and are important for planning management strategies of conservation units located in an increasingly urban environment

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