Comparación morfológica de heces de Mazama gouazoubira y el ciervo introducido Axis axis (Cetartiodactyla: Cervidae)

Abstract

Morphological comparison of feces of Mazama gouazoubira and the introduced axis deer Axis axis (Cetartiodactyla: Cervidae). The use of signs to identify terrestrial mammal species is a widely used methodology, to indirectly study their presence and abundance in a place. However, identification can often be difficult due to the coexistence of taxonomically close species. Two species of cervids coexist in much of northeastern Argentina, Mazama gouazoubira (G. Fischer [von Waldheim], 1814) and Axis axis (Erxleben, 1777). The objective of this work was to compare the feces of both species to facilitate the identification task in field work. The shape of the feces is similar in both species, however, the size of the feces of M. gouazoubira is significantly smaller than that of A. axis, mainly in the width of the pellets.