Abstract

DE LA OSSA V., Jaime; C. VOGT, Richard  and  DE LA OSSA LACAYO, Alejandro. DISCOVERY OF CANNIBALISTIC OOPHAGY IN PELTOCEPHALUS DUMERILIANUS: (TESTUDINES: PODOCNEMIDIDAE). Actu Biol [online]. 2009, vol.31, n.90, pp.79-82. ISSN 0304-3584.

It is presented for the first time the discovery of cannibalistic oophagy in Peltocephalus dumerilianus (Schweigger, 1812) (Testudines: Podocnemididae), detected during a diet study in natural environment for this species, in which samples of stomach and intestinal contents coming from 36 mature animals were examined, the animals were captured as subsistence hunt by the riverside community of São Luis, municipality of Barcelos, Amazons, Brazil. In the intestinal tract of one female external membranes corresponding to eight eggs of their same species were located; it is reaffirmed the opportunist and generalist character that P. dumerilianus (bighead Amazon river turtle) possesses in their natural feeding behavior.

Keywords : diet; natural environment; oophagy; Peltocephalus dumerilianus; Brazil.

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