Collared Peccary Wallows are Hubs of Animal Activity and Diversity in a Central American Wet Forest
ABSTRACT Despite research linking peccary wallows to increased amphibian biodiversity in wet tropical forests in Amazonia, wallow use by the broader vertebrate community has been overlooked. We investigated collared peccary (Pecari (Dicotyles) tajacu) activity patterns at wallows and used multiple d...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70713 |
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| author | Amanda Eckhoff Alondra Medina‐Charriez Megan Zerger Andrea Romero Destiny Hackney T. Mitchell Aide Kelsey Reider |
| author_facet | Amanda Eckhoff Alondra Medina‐Charriez Megan Zerger Andrea Romero Destiny Hackney T. Mitchell Aide Kelsey Reider |
| author_sort | Amanda Eckhoff |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Despite research linking peccary wallows to increased amphibian biodiversity in wet tropical forests in Amazonia, wallow use by the broader vertebrate community has been overlooked. We investigated collared peccary (Pecari (Dicotyles) tajacu) activity patterns at wallows and used multiple detection methods to assess wallow use by the vertebrate community in a Central American lowland wet forest in northeastern Costa Rica. We found significantly higher vertebrate activity and diversity at wallows compared to the nearby surrounding understory forest. We documented 13 amphibian, 2 reptile, 11 bird, and 16 nonvolant mammal species, and behaviors including reproduction, drinking, and bathing at wallows. Our observations suggest that wallows can sometimes persist for at least 6 years and are consistently used over that time period by peccaries and breeding amphibians. Our study improves understanding of the ecological importance of collared peccary wallows in the region amid recent changes to Central American peccary populations and ongoing land use and climate shifts. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-21f528adfc9044a8a50f051dd7fefdb4 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj-art-21f528adfc9044a8a50f051dd7fefdb42025-08-20T03:26:04ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582025-02-01152n/an/a10.1002/ece3.70713Collared Peccary Wallows are Hubs of Animal Activity and Diversity in a Central American Wet ForestAmanda Eckhoff0Alondra Medina‐Charriez1Megan Zerger2Andrea Romero3Destiny Hackney4T. Mitchell Aide5Kelsey Reider6Department of Biology James Madison University Harrisonburg Virginia USADepartment of Biology James Madison University Harrisonburg Virginia USADepartment of Biology Murray State University Murray Kentucky USADepartment of Biology; Department of Geography, Geology, and Environmental Science University of Wisconsin‐Whitewater Whitewater Wisconsin USASchool of Environment and Natural Resources Ohio State University Columbus Ohio USASmithsonian Center for Conservation and Sustainability National zoo Conservation Biology Institute Washington, DC USADepartment of Biology James Madison University Harrisonburg Virginia USAABSTRACT Despite research linking peccary wallows to increased amphibian biodiversity in wet tropical forests in Amazonia, wallow use by the broader vertebrate community has been overlooked. We investigated collared peccary (Pecari (Dicotyles) tajacu) activity patterns at wallows and used multiple detection methods to assess wallow use by the vertebrate community in a Central American lowland wet forest in northeastern Costa Rica. We found significantly higher vertebrate activity and diversity at wallows compared to the nearby surrounding understory forest. We documented 13 amphibian, 2 reptile, 11 bird, and 16 nonvolant mammal species, and behaviors including reproduction, drinking, and bathing at wallows. Our observations suggest that wallows can sometimes persist for at least 6 years and are consistently used over that time period by peccaries and breeding amphibians. Our study improves understanding of the ecological importance of collared peccary wallows in the region amid recent changes to Central American peccary populations and ongoing land use and climate shifts.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70713aquatic microhabitatbiodiversitycamera trapsCosta RicaDicotyles tajacuLa Selva Biological Station |
| spellingShingle | Amanda Eckhoff Alondra Medina‐Charriez Megan Zerger Andrea Romero Destiny Hackney T. Mitchell Aide Kelsey Reider Collared Peccary Wallows are Hubs of Animal Activity and Diversity in a Central American Wet Forest Ecology and Evolution aquatic microhabitat biodiversity camera traps Costa Rica Dicotyles tajacu La Selva Biological Station |
| title | Collared Peccary Wallows are Hubs of Animal Activity and Diversity in a Central American Wet Forest |
| title_full | Collared Peccary Wallows are Hubs of Animal Activity and Diversity in a Central American Wet Forest |
| title_fullStr | Collared Peccary Wallows are Hubs of Animal Activity and Diversity in a Central American Wet Forest |
| title_full_unstemmed | Collared Peccary Wallows are Hubs of Animal Activity and Diversity in a Central American Wet Forest |
| title_short | Collared Peccary Wallows are Hubs of Animal Activity and Diversity in a Central American Wet Forest |
| title_sort | collared peccary wallows are hubs of animal activity and diversity in a central american wet forest |
| topic | aquatic microhabitat biodiversity camera traps Costa Rica Dicotyles tajacu La Selva Biological Station |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70713 |
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