Procyon cancrivorus (Cuvier, 1798)

Voss, Robert S. & Fleck, David W., 2017, Mammalian Diversity And Matses Ethnomammalogy In Amazonian Peru Part 2: Xenarthra, Carnivora, Perissodactyla, Artiodactyla, And Sirenia, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2017 (417), pp. 1-1 : 1-

Procyon cancrivorus (Cuvier, 1798)

Figure 16D

VOUCHER MATERIAL (TOTAL = 1): Boca Río Yaquerana (FMNH 88876).

OTHER INTERFLUVIAL RECORDS: San Pedro (Valqui, 1999)

IDENTIFICATION: The single specimen of Procyon that we examined from the Yavarí- Ucayali interfluve (FMNH 88876) consists of the well-preserved skin and skull of a young adult female (with fully erupted permanent dentition but unworn molars). These elements exhibit all of the diagnostic qualitative traits of the subgenus Euprocyon and its single referred species, P. cancrivorus , including reversed fur on the nape of the neck, lack of a distinct lingual accessory cusp on I3, the isolated hypocone of P4, and massively developed molars with robust cingula and rounded-coniform cusps ( Hollister, 1915).

The external and craniodental dimensions of FMNH 88876 compare closely to those of almosttopotypical (Surinamese) specimens of Procyon cancrivorous tabulated by Husson (1978) but are slightly smaller for least interorbital breadth and zygomatic breadth and slightly larger for breadth of M1. The differences are not large enough, however, to suggest any substantial geographic variation among Amazonian populations of this species, all of which could be referred to the nominotypical race if a trinomial nomenclature were adopted. Selected measurements of FMNH 88876 are: headand-body length, 494 mm; length of tail, 307 mm; hind foot, 143 mm; ear, 55 mm; condylobasal length, 127.0 mm; nasal length, 36.0 mm; least interorbital breadth, 25.2 mm; least postorbital breadth, 27.0 mm; zygomatic breadth, 81.8 mm; breadth of braincase, 56.8 mm; maxillary toothrow (C1–M2), 52.2 mm; breadth of M1, 13.8 mm.

ETHNOBIOLOGY: The crab-eating raccoon is called tsisebiekkid (“one that is like the coati”). Although the name indicates a perceived similarity to the coati, the raccoon is not considered a type of coati. Few Matses have seen a crab-eating raccoon, and not all are familiar with its name. Some of our informants had heard of them, but none had seen one. The raccoon is of no economic importance to the Matses.

Since raccoons are so rarely encountered, the Matses have no specific beliefs regarding them and no special medicinal plants for contagions by a raccoon spirit. However, Matses medicine men say that they could make a child ill if touched or looked upon, and certain medicinal plants (“coati otter medicine”) would be expected to be effective.

MATSES NATURAL HISTORY: The raccoon is similar to the coati, but bigger and darker colored.

Figures

FIG. 16. Adult skulls of four sympatric procyonid species, illustrating taxonomic differences in size and shape: Potos flavus (A, AMNH 268249), Bassaricyon alleni (B, AMNH 98709), Nasua nasua (C, AMNH 76642), Procyon cancrivorus (D, AMNH 94247). All illustrated crania are from western South America, but only AMNH 268249 is from the Yavarí-Ucayali interfluve.