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Temporal activity patterns of terrestrial mammals in lowland rainforest of Eastern Ecuador

Abstract:

Daily activity patterns of most Neotropical mammals are not well described although general patterns (nocturnal, diurnal) are known. Yet general categories often do not reflect variation in activity over time or among different habitats or regions. We used camera traps to learn more about how daily activity patterns of mammals vary at a site in lowland rainforest of Ecuador. Cameras were deployed along trails at Tiputini Biodiversity Station during two periods: January 2005 to August 2008 and February 2010 to January 2012. We obtained 3649 photographs of 32 species. There was a pronounced peak of overall activity in early morning (06:00-08:00 h), reflecting the combined activity of several species, including Mazama americana red brocket deer, Myoprocta pratti green acouchy, Pecari tajacu collared peccary, and Sciurus igniventris northern Amazon red squirrel, among others. Daily activity of some species (e.g. Tapirus terrestris South American tapir) differed between the two sample periods, whereas that of others (e.g. M. americana) did not. Variation in activity across months also was pronounced in some species (e.g. M. americana, T. terrestris, Dasyprocta juliginosa black agouti, Tayassupecari white-lipped peccary), perhaps in relation to changes in rainfall patterns or habitat use. In addition, comparisons with previously published data demonstrated that daily activity patterns may vary locally between habitats and over broader geographic scales. © Society for Tropical Ecology.