Endemic and elusive trophic interactions: The first comprehensive description of the diet of short-eared dogs (Atelocynus microtis) in Amazon rainforests

Abstract

The short-eared dog (Atelocynus microtis) is the only endemic Amazonian canid species, which is also elusive and rarely recorded across its distribution, making it one of the least known canid species in the world. Even though it is considered to be a carnivore species, it has been reported to consume other food items, such as fruits. However, no comprehensive analysis of its diet is currently available in the literature. Here we report the first comprehensive analysis of the diet of wild and re-introduced individuals of A. microtis in the western Amazon (southeastern Peru). Its diet includes at least 34 distinct food items, including arthropods, vertebrates (fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals), fruits, and seeds. Our study confirms the potential of A. microtis to be considered omnivorous, as well as expands the known range of food items in its diet. As a mesocarnivore with an omnivorous diet, A. microtis has important potential implications for forest dynamics, such as seed dispersal and regulating prey populations, which should be further investigated.