Use of mineral licks by mammals and birds in hunted and non‐hunted areas of Yasuní National Park, Ecuador

Abstract

AbstractMineral licks are sites where a diverse array of mammals and birds consume soil or drink water, likely for mineral supplementation. Many of those same animals are targets of hunters. Camera traps triggered by heat and motion were used to document use of mineral licks by birds and mammals over approximately 2 months at two lowland forest sites in eastern Ecuador, one that has experienced considerable hunting by indigenous Waorani (four mineral licks) and one that is largely unaffected by hunting (five licks). We obtained 264 photographs representing nine mammal species and one photograph of a bird at the hunted site; 1123 photographs of 12 mammal species and 73 of three bird species were obtained at the site without hunting. Photographs were counted if at least 30 min elapsed between photographs of the same species at the same camera location. Activity (photographs/100 trap‐days) was higher at all licks at the site without hunting (mean = 436; range 276–665/100 trap‐days) than at the hunted site (mean = 123; range 89–151/100 trap‐days). Diurnal activity was, overall, lower at the hunted site, particularly during the middle of the day. Species not recorded at the hunted site included two primates (white‐bellied spider monkey Ateles belzebuth; Venezuelan red howler monkey Alouatta seniculus), white‐lipped peccary, Tayassu pecari and two large‐bodied birds (common piping‐guan, Pipile pipile; Salvin's curassow, Mitu salvini); all are common prey of local hunters. Red brocket deer, Mazama americana was the most frequently photographed species at both sites, but was less active during the day at the hunted site.