Aspectos Ecológicos e Controle Reprodutivo em uma População de Capivaras Sinantrópicas no Campus da Universidade Federal de Viçosa - Viçosa, MG

• Autor(a) principal: Rodrigues, Marcos Vinícius
• Data de Publicação: 2013
• Tipo de documento: Tese
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: LOCUS Repositório Institucional da UFV
• Texto Completo: http://locus.ufv.br/handle/123456789/1457
• topic: Capivara; Ectoparasitas; Reprodução; Capybara; Ectoparasites; Reproduction; CNPQ::CIENCIAS AGRARIAS::MEDICINA VETERINARIA

Actions for population control of capybaras are frequently required because they are a synanthropic species with potential risk for economy and public health. In areas with water connection, the simple removal of individuals and groups is not effective as a means of population control seeing their quick territorial reoccupation. Thereby, the maintenance of hierarchically stable small family groups, without reproductive potential, can be a viable way to control population and the negative synanthropic effects in the areas of occurrence of capybaras. Once the hierarchical behavior relies on hormones, the contraceptive alternative which is conservative for the stability of capybaras family group is deferentectomy and tubal ligation. The maintenance of small family groups, composed only of adults in endemic areas of spotted fever (tick typhus), is still a means of containment of the environmental amplification of Rickettsia rickettsii, seeing the refractoriness observed in primary infected capybaras. To this end, this study aimed to characterize the territorial use by groups of capybaras in the central area of the Campus of UFV, collect biometric data from these animals and implement a reproductive management plan as means of population control. It was performed the identification and tracking of a population of 26 capybaras distributed in three groups, from May 2011 to January 2013. Each group was identified regarding territorial use, number of individuals, generic composition, hierarchical position and age class. The animals were conditioned, captured, weighed and measured.The animals underwent deferentectomy or ligation of fallopian tube, through adaption of conventional surgical techniques used for domestic animals. A semistructured questionnaire, formed by eight questions, was applied to users of the central area of the Campus of UFV, in order to register the perceptions concerning the reproductive management. In Group 1, it was performed the study of the reproductive behavior, through focal animal sampling, in periods before and after the contraceptive interventions. The population of capybaras in the central area of the Campus of UFV presents an ecological density of 0.92 ind / ha, being well adaptedto anthropic scenario. In the three groups the hierarchical structure and the territorial maintenance were clearly defined, with the presence of a dominant male in each group and older adult females took on a role of dominance in social activities. The great anthropic influence in the studied area induced concentration of activities of the capybaras during twilight and nocturnal periods. It was observed two events of quick succession of dominant males in group 3, and in group 1, it was confirmed the role of the submissive male in the reproduction of the group. From the biometric data, it was observed a strong correlation between body weight and the length measured from the muzzle to the base of the tail, and also between body weight and the footpad length. To this end, predictor linear regression formulas were produced. It was not observed differences in the behavioral manifestation of courtship and copulation by the dominant male prior and subsequent to the deferentectomy. The proposed reproductive management did not influence negatively on the individual or collective behavioral aspects. Thereby, the animals kept healthy and active, defending their territory, without migrations or births of new individuals, with an annual reduction of 28% of the total population of capybaras. After an application of a questionnaire, there was a consciousness by the interviewed in relation to the reduction of the number of capybaras present in the central area of the Campus of UFV after the reproductive management.