Seguimiento del Corechi ( Tolypeutes matacus ) por Medio de Carreteles de Hilo en el Chaco boliviano

Abstract

The three-banded armadillo Tolypeutes matacus is a key prey species for indigenous subsistence hunters in the Bolivian Chaco, and is categorized as Vulnerable by the 2009 Bolivia Red Book. This study is part of a larger program to promote sustainable use of the species. In order to describe fine scale movements, burrow / nest use, and feeding behavior, 33 three-banded armadillos were tracked using a spool-and-thread mechanism attached to their carapace. Seventeen animals were followed for a single 350 m spool of thread, because the spool often emptied of thread before the night’s activity was complete, and the animal could not be located though its 350 m track could be mapped. One female and four males were followed for five continuous days, and the other individuals for 2–4 days. The maximum distance tracked by thread was 1,650 m over five days. On average for every 350 m track, individuals visited five burrows, six digging/scratching sites, 0.5 termite nests, and summed 19 feeding bouts. Single-spool tracks tended towards linearity, whereas multiple spool tracks tended towards sinuosity. No significant differences were found between females and males or between juveniles and adults for any of these behavioral aspects. Conservation must focus on male-biased harvests, environmental education with local children and hunters, and protected areas with no hunting.