Do telemetry harnesses affect giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) behavior and welfare?

Springer Science and Business Media LLC - Tập 68 - Trang 1-6 - 2022
Alessandra Bertassoni1, Daniela Caixeta-Oliveira2,3, Juliana Macedo Magnino Silva2, Victor Gonçalves de Castro3, Guilherme Lopes do Amaral2, Débora Regina Yogui4,5, Danilo Kluyber4,6, Arnaud L. J. Desbiez4
1Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
2Instituto Estadual de Florestas - IEF-MG, Praça Tubal Vilela, Uberlândia, Brazil
3Nobilis - Conservação da Fauna Silvestre, Uberlândia, Brazil
4Instituto de Conservação de Animais Silvestres, Campo Grande, Brazil
5Nashville Zoo, Nashville, USA
6Naples Zoo, Naples, USA

Tóm tắt

Telemetry provides researchers with invaluable data and has contributed to the progress of animal ecology and behavioral studies. However, the impact of biotelemetry devices on animal behavior and welfare has been evaluated in a few species. The telemetry device (GPS or VHF) is attached to a harness made especially for giant anteaters (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) due to its particular anatomy, and this is the best way to access the scheduled spatiotemporal data of the species’ movement. We evaluated the adverse effects of biotelemetry devices on giant anteaters’ behavior and welfare. Behavioral analysis on giant anteaters in captivity (n = 3) was conducted by observing them with and without the GPS-harness. We also include data on GPS-harness dysfunction and animal injuries observed from free-ranging tagged animals (n=74). The GPS-harness influenced the behavior distributions frequency, but no new or atypical act was verified. Free-ranging individuals detached the harness twice, five removed the front part of the harness, and three had skin injuries . This is the first study to document telemetry device effects on giant anteaters. To date, severe adverse effects of harness-attached GPS tracking devices were not reported for this species. Our data supports the continued use of this method for monitoring free-ranging or captive giant anteaters. However, we recommend and stress the importance of continued research that helps improve telemetry and monitoring techniques.

Tài liệu tham khảo

Alvares CA, Stape JL, Sentelhas PC, Gonçalves JDM, Sparovek G (2013) Köppen’s climate classification map for Brazil. Meteorol Z 22(6):711–728. https://doi.org/10.1127/0941-2948/2013/0507 Ascensão F, Yogui DR, Alves MH, Alves AC, Abra F, Desbiez AL (2021) Preventing wildlife roadkill can offset mitigation investments in short-medium term. Biol Conserv 253:108902. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108902 Bertassoni A, Milléo Costa LC (2010) Behavioral repertoire of giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla, Linnaeus 1758) in nature at Serra da Canastra National Park, MG and in captivity at Curitiba Zoo, PR, Brazil. Revista De Etologia 9:21–30 Bertassoni A, Ribeiro MC (2019) Space use by the giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla): a review and key directions for future research. Eur J Wildl Res 65:1–11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-019-1334-y Cagnacci F, Boitani L, Powell RA, Boyce MS (2010) Animal ecology meets GPS-based radiotelemetry: a perfect storm of opportunities and challenges. Phil Trans R Soc B 365:2157–2162. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2010.0107 Del Valle JS, Halloy M (2003) El oso hormiguero, Myrmecophaga tridactyla: crecimiento e independización de una cría. Mastozool Neotrop 10:323–330 Di Blanco YE, Desbiez AL, Jiménez-Pérez I, Kluyber D, Massocato GF, Di Bitetti MS (2017) Habitat selection and home-range use by resident and reintroduced giant anteaters in 2 South American wetlands. J Mammal 98:1118–1128. https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyx019 Di Blanco YE, Pérez IJ, Díaz P, Spørring YK (2012) Cinco años de radiomarcaje de osos hormigueros (Myrmecophaga tridactyla): mejoras implementadas y lecciones aprendidas. Edentata 13:49–55 Foley CJ, Sillero-Zubiri C (2020) Open-source, low-cost modular GPS collars for monitoring and tracking wildlife. Methods Ecol Evol 1:553–558. https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13369 Heylen BC, Nachtsheim DA (2018) Bio-telemetry as an essential tool in movement ecology and marine conservation. In: YOUMARES 8 – oceans across boundaries: learning from each other. Springer International Publishing pp 83–107 Hofman MP, Hayward MW, Heim M et al (2019) Right on track? Performance of satellite telemetry in terrestrial wildlife research. PLoS ONE 14:e0216223. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0216223 Horning M, Haulena M, Tuomi PA, Mellish JAE, Goertz CE, Woodie K et al (2017) Best practice recommendations for the use of fully implanted telemetry devices in pinnipeds. Anim Biotelemetry 5:1–15 Kenward RE (2001) A manual for wildlife radio tagging: behavior and home ranges. In: A Manual for Wildlife Radio Tagging. Academic Press, New York pp 201–232 Kluyber D, Attias N, Alves MH, Alves AC, Massocato G, Desbiez AL (2021) Physical capture and chemical immobilization procedures for a mammal with singular anatomy: the giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla). Eur J Wildl Res 67:1–10. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-021-01503-4 Lameris TK, Müskens GJ, Kölzsch A, Dokter AM, Van der Jeugd HP, Nolet BA (2018) Effects of harness-attached tracking devices on survival, migration, and reproduction in three species of migratory waterfowl. Anim Biotelemetry 6:1–8 McComb B, Zuckerberg B, Vesely D, Jordan C (2010) Monitoring animal populations and their habitats: a practitioner’s guide. CRC Press, Boca Raton (FL) Medri ÍM, Mourão G (2005) Home range of giant anteaters (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) in the Pantanal wetland, Brazil. J Zool 266:365–375. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0952836905007004 Miranda F, Bertassoni A, Abba AM (2014) Myrmecophaga tridactyla. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014: e.T14224A47441961. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-1.RLTS.T14224A47441961.en. Portugal SJ, White CR (2018) Miniaturization of biologgers is not alleviating the 5% rule. Methods Ecol Evol 9:1662–1666. https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13013 Rosen DA, Gerlinsky CG, Trites AW (2018) Telemetry tags increase the costs of swimming in northern fur seals. Callorhinus Ursinus Mar Mamm Sci 34:385–402. https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12460 Sainsbury KA, Shore RF, Schofield H, Croose E, Campbell RD, Mcdonald RA (2019) Recent history, current status, conservation and management of native mammalian carnivore species in Great Britain. Mamm Rev 49:171–188. https://doi.org/10.1111/mam.12150 Schmidt TL (2012) Ethogram of the giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) in captivity: an experience in the Temaikèn Foundation. Edentata 13:38–48. https://doi.org/10.5537/020.013.0105 Sikes RS, Gannon WL, Animal Care and Use Committee of the American Society of Mammalogists (2016) Guidelines of the American Society of Mammalogists for the use of wild mammals in research and education. J Mamm 97:663–688 Stabach JA, Cunningham SA, Connette G et al (2020) Short-term effects of GPS collars on the activity, behavior, and adrenal response of scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah). PLoS ONE 15:e0221843. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0221843 Urbano F, Cagnacci F, Calenge C, Dettki H, Cameron A, Neteler M (2010) Wildlife tracking data management: a new vision. Phil Trans R Soc B 365:2177–2185. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2010.0081 Walker KA, Trites AW, Haulena M, Weary DM (2012) A review of the effects of different marking and tagging techniques on marine mammals. Wildl Res 39:15–30 Wiig Ø, Born EW, Laidre KL et al (2017) Performance and retention of lightweight satellite radio tags applied to the ears of polar bears (Ursus maritimus). Anim Biotelemetry 5:1–11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40317-017-0124-0 Wilson RP, Rose KA, Gunner R, Holton M, Marks N, Bennett NC et al (2020) Forces experienced by instrumented animals depend on lifestyle. bioRxiv