Keyword: conejillo de indias

Cavia tschudii es un roedor silvestre que habita pastizales y humedales andinos y costeros, cuyos aspectos ecológicos han sido poco estudiados. En este estudio describimos sus patrones de actividad diaria y evaluamos el efecto de la luminosidad lunar sobre su actividad nocturna durante las temporadas húmeda de 2019 y seca de 2020 en un área de juncales de un humedal costero de Perú. Además, evaluamos el solapamiento de actividad de C. tschudii con las especies que co-ocurrieron con él. Utilizando seis estaciones de cámaras trampa y analizando las fechas y horas de registros encontramos que durante ambas temporadas C. tschudii fue mayormente nocturno, los perros, catemerales y Rattus sp., nocturno. La actividad de C. tschudii tuvo un solapamiento moderado con los perros y alto con Rattus sp. Durante ambas temporadas C. tschudii mostró dos picos de actividad cuando la luminosidad lunar era de 76–100% y 1–25%. Asimismo, en la estación seca su actividad nocturna tuvo correlación positiva con la luminosidad lunar. Este es el primer estudio que en condiciones naturales evalúa los patrones de actividad diaria y lunar de C. tschudii. Concluimos que la actividad diaria de C. tschudii es mayormente nocturna durante ambas temporadas, pero durante la temporada seca la actividad nocturna se incrementa; el mayor solapamiento de actividad con Rattus sp. sugiere una posible competencia; y la actividad nocturna de C. tschudii durante la temporada seca sugiere que aprovecha la luz de la luna para mejorar su búsqueda de alimento y detección de depredadores.

Daily and moon activity patterns of Cavia tschudii (Rodentia) in a tropical coastal wetland. Cavia tschudii is a wild rodent that inhabits Andean and coastal grasslands and wetlands, whose ecological aspects have been rarely studied. In this study we describe their daily activity patterns and evaluate the effect of lunar luminosity on their nocturnal activity during the 2019 wet and 2020 dry seasons in a bulrush community of a coastal wetland in Peru. Moreover, we evaluated the activity overlap of C. tschudii with the species that co-occurred with it. Using six camera trap stations and analyzing the dates and times of the recordings, we found that during both seasons C. tschudii was mainly nocturnal, the dogs were cathemeral and Rattus sp. was nocturnal. The activity of C. tschudii had a moderate overlap with the dogs and a high overlap with Rattus sp. During both seasons C. tschudii showed two peaks of activity when the lunar luminosity was 76–100% and 1–25%. Likewise, in the dry season, its nocturnal activity had a positive correlation with lunar luminosity. This is the first study that evaluates the daily and lunar activity patterns of C. tschudii under natural conditions. We conclude that the daily activity of C. tschudii is mostly nocturnal during both seasons, but during the dry season the nocturnal activity increases; the highest activity overlap with Rattus sp. suggests a possible competition; and the nocturnal activity of C. tschudii during the dry season suggests that it takes advantage of moonlight to improve its foraging and predator detection.