Effect of carnivorous diet by the Pampas grey fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus) on spiny hackberry (Celtis ehrenbergiana) germination

Abstract

Pampas fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus) has a generalist omnivorous diet consuming numerous species of fruits, among which are the Celtis ehrenbergiana fruit (locally called “tala”). However, the diet of these animals can vary depending on the environment. The effect that an exclusively meat diet can have on these fruits is unknown. Objectives: a) to know if the seeds of C. ehrenbergiana suffer physical damage when passing through the digestive tract of Pampas foxes when they are fed exclusively meat; b) to explore whether a carnivorous diet affects seed viability, beginning of germination, power and germination rate. Methodologic: Germination was compared between seeds collected directly from the fruits and those obtained from feces of foxes in captivity fed exclusively on meat. Each treatment had 300 seeds (10 plates of 30 seeds each) that were placed in a germinator at a constant humidity and temperature of 25°C for 234 days. Results: Seeds of C. ehrenbergiana were not physically damaged when passing through the digestive tract of the Pampas fox and their germination power was 2.4 times higher than the seed of the fruits (t=-0.19; p=1*10-6). Conclusion: The effect of the passage of the seeds through the digestive tract of the Pampean fox would be beneficial for C. ehrenbergiana when the animals maintain carnivorous diets.