Daytime behavior of Lontra felina in 2 locations: Puerto Matarani and La Ballenita Bay, Islay Province, Arequipa, Peru
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Abstract
Although various studies have described behavioral aspects of the marine otter, Lontra felina, on coastal shores with human presence, both its behavior and its activity patterns have been scarcely studied on these types of habitats in Peru. We observed the diurnal behavior of marine otters in 2 locations with different anthropic impacts, Puerto Matarani and La Ballenita Bay, between 01 February and 31 May 2019. We carried out a total of 75 observation events, with 271 sightings and 12,405.4 s of observation. In Puerto Matarani marine otters were sighted more frequently in the water, while in La Ballenita, marine otters were sighted mostly on the rocks (χ2 = 43.8, d.f. = 1, P < 0.001). The frequency of observations for the different types of behavior showed significant differences between locations: they were more frequently observed moving and resting in La Ballenita and moving and diving in Matarani (χ2 = 52.6; d.f. = 5; P < 0.001). The behavioral categories did not differ significantly in the 4 months evaluated in Puerto Matarani, however, in La Ballenita we recorded temporal variations. In both locations, otters were frequently sighted near the coast, with peaks of high activity between 1:30 PM and 5:30 PM in Puerto Matarani and between 05:30 AM and 09:30 AM in La Ballenita. Our results suggest that the behavioral variations between locations could be related to the presence of fishing residues in Puerto Matarani and the presence of vacationers in La Ballenita.
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