Atelocynus microtis (Sclater, 1883) Cabrera, 1940
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6331155 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6335039 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03ACCF40-BF27-FFD9-7E87-FCAFF8E6D5A3 |
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treatment provided by |
Conny |
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scientific name |
Atelocynus microtis |
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Short-eared Dog
Atelocynus microtis View in CoL
French: Renard a petites oreilles / German: Kurzohrfuchs / Spanish: Zorro orejicorto
Other common names: Short-eared Fox
Taxonomy. Canis macrotis Sclater, 1883 ,
Para, Brazil.
Phylogenetic analysis showed A. microtis to be a distinct taxon most closely related to another monotypic Amazonian canid genus, Speothos , and this hypothesis is now widely accepted. Monotypic.
Distribution. W lowland Amazonia. Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru. View Figure
Descriptive notes. Head-body 72-100 cm, tail 25-35 cm; weight 9-10 kg. The head is fox-like, with a long, slender muzzle and rounded, relatively short ears. The pelt color can range from black to brown to rufous gray. Pelage is often darkest in a dorsal line from the head to the tail. However, various color patterns are observed in different individuals, and it is not clear whether color varies with age, habitat, or molt; in Madre de Dios ( Peru), both reddish and black individuals have been observed. The tail is bushy, particularly in comparison to the short pelage on the rest of the body, with a dark mid-dorsal band of thick erectile hairs and light-colored underside. The nasal bones are short; the forehead slightly convex; the frontal sinus small; the presphenoid very narrow with lateral wings and large bulla. The dental formulais13/3,C1/1, PM 4/4, M 2/3 = 42. The lower third incisor is short and not caniniform. The upper canines are distinctively long, their tips projecting outside the closed mouth for about 50 mm. The upper molars are narrow for their length.
Habitat. Favors undisturbed rainforest in the Amazonian lowlands. Recorded in a wide variety of lowland habitats, including terra firme forest, swamp forest, stands of bamboo, and primary succession along rivers. Sightings often associated with rivers and creeks, and there are reliable reports of Short-eared Dogs swimming in rivers. Records are very rare in areas with significant human disturbance, such as near towns or in agricultural areas. It is unclear whether the Short-eared Dog is able to utilize habitats outside wet lowland forests, although it has been documented at 1200 m in the Ecuadoran Andes at the edge of cloud forest.
Food and Feeding. A generalist carnivore with fish the most important item in their diet, according to one study at Cocha Cashu, Peru (presentin 28% of 21 scat samples). Insects (mainly Coleoptera ) were the second most frequently occurring item (17% of samples). Mammal remains, including agouti (Dasyprocta spp.), marsupials, and small rodents) were present in 13% ofthe scats and the remains offruits were found in 10%. Fruits of the palm Euterpe precatoria were found germinating in two scats, suggesting that Short-eared Dogs may facilitate seed dispersal for some species. Short-eared Dogs have been reported to eat fallen Brosimum fruits, and the Cofan Indians of Ecuadorreport that they are attracted to fallen bananas. Close to 4% of droppings contained the remains of frogs, including Osteocephalus taurinus, and this dietary habit is supported by independent observations elsewhere. Crabs (10-3% of samples), birds (10-3%), reptiles (3-4%), and vegetable fiber (3-4%) were other components of the diet at Cocha Cashu. The Short-eared Dog has been reported hunting alone and in pairs.
Activity patterns. Mostly diurnal, although it has also been photographed at night walking on trails of Madidi National Park, Bolivia, and one animal was captured in Colombia swimming after a Lowland Paca (Cuniculus paca) in a river at 03:00 h.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Ranging behavior and patterns remain largely unknown. The Short-eared Dog is mainly solitary. Three adult animals were observed to use a 1-6 km stretch of white sandy beach in Peru, infrequently using and sharing latrines with Neotropical Otters. Both wild and captive males have been reported to bear a strong musky odor, which is hardly noticeable in females.
Breeding. Breeding time is not known precisely, but pups have been found throughout the species’ range from April to December, suggesting that parturition occurs in the dry season. Three dens have been found inside hollow logs, one of them containing two adults and two pups, and another with the female and two pups. Another den containing three pups was found in a Lowland Paca burrow.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List. The species is on the Brazilian list of endangered species and on the preliminary list of Colombian endangered species. The Short-eared Dog is notoriously rare, and sightings are uncommon across its range. However, this may not always have been the case; the first biologists to study the species found it relatively easy to trap during mammal surveys in Amazonian Peru in 1969, and specimens were collected around the same time in Peru's Manu Basin (now Manu National Park), suggesting that the species was also relatively common in that area at that time. For unknown reasons, it appears to have temporarily vanished from the region between 1970 and 1987. Over the last decade, it appears that it may be recovering in south Peru and east Ecuador, with increasing numbers of sightings in recent years at both sites. Between 1987 and 1999, biologists working in the Peruvian department of Madre de Dios, mostly in the vicinity of Cocha Cashu Biological Station, reported 15 encounters with Short-eared Dogs. Threats include diseases from domestic dogs and habitat loss. There are no reports of widespread persecution of the species. An ongoing distribution survey suggests that the Short-eared Dog is rare throughout its range and threatened by the large-scale forest conversion underway in Amazonia. There are no known reports of the species being hunted or trapped for its fur. The species avoids developed areas, and there are no known cases of road kills, so the impact of vehicles on population numbers is probably minimal.
Bibliography. Defler & Santacruz (1994), Emmons & Feer (1997), Grimwood (1969), Hershkovitz (1961), Leite & Williams (2004), Nowak (1999), Pacheco et al. (1995), Parker & Bailey (1990), Peres (1991), Pitman et al. (2002), Rodriguez (1998), Terborgh et al. (1984).
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.
