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Pecho, A.E.P.
Characterization of the hairs of the potential prey of the puma (_Puma concolor_) in the Sauce Grande sector of the El Angola hunting reserve, Piura, Peru
2019  Full Book

The puma (_Puma concolor)_ is a felid of wide distribution in the American continent, adapted to diverse ecosystems. In the seasonally dry forests of northwestern Peru fulfills the ecological role of top predator and is the natural controller of a large number of species. Habitat fragmentation and conflicts with local people are part of the current problems surrounding this species. Faced with this, it is necessary to generate information about its ecology to make appropriate decisions for its management and conservation. Identification taxonomics of mammals through the morphology of their guard hairs is a method widely used for the study of the eating habits of carnivores. The objective of this study is to characterize the guard hairs of potential puma prey in the sector Sauce Grande del Coto de Caza El Angolo, Piura, Peru, in order to develop a guide to reference to identify the hairs of predated species found in the remains feces of the puma. It characterized the guard hairs of 20 flightless mammals. The samples were taken from specimens from scientific collections and in some cases from live individuals. The shape, color, cuticle and marrow were described qualitatively; and quantitatively the length and width. Likewise, the variation of the characteristics was analyzed by individual and between individuals of the same species. The most useful features for the identification are the type of marrow and the type of cuticle because they have evidence individual and intraspecific and provide interspecific variation for most species. Based on the results, a dichotomous key is proposed for the identification of 16 species and a family, as well as a catalogue of guard hairs of the species studied

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