Abstract

BERTASSONI, Alessandra  and  MILLEO COSTA, Leny C.. Behavioral repertoire of giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla, Linnaeus 1758) in nature at Serra da Canastra National Park, MG and in captivity at Curitiba Zoo, PR, Brazil. Rev. etol. [online]. 2010, vol.9, n.2, pp. 21-30. ISSN 1517-2805.

The behavioral repertoire of the giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), a mammal from Pilosa Order, was studied at Serra da Canastra National Park, MG and at Curitiba Zoo. The behavioral categories of maintenance, movement, alert, inter and intra specific were determined, totalizing 24 patterns in nature and 27 in captivity. The comprehension and analysis of this species behavior is relevant once the description of behavioral categories for this species in wild and captivity are insufficient. Also ethological studies assist in wildlife improvement and welfare of captive populations. The most frequent behavior was foraging to wild as captivity animals. The captivity giant anteater’s shown behavioral flexibility through intra-specific patterns demonstrated adaptive process to a species known as solitary in wild.

Keywords : Giant Anteater; Behavior; Captivity; Serra da Canastra National Park; Foraging.

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