Data from: Population estimate and spatial distribution of capybaras in Lake Paranoá, Brasília, Brazil
Data files
May 13, 2025 version files 23.32 KB
Abstract
The capybara is the largest living rodent, attracting attention due to its large size, its formation of large herds, and because it is commonly seen in urban environments. Thus, understanding the dynamics of capybara populations living in urban environments is relevant, especially given the conflicts observed between the species and humans in these environments. Here, we investigated the hypothesis of overpopulation of the capybara in Lago Paranoá, a lake in a large neotropical city, Brasília, Brazil. To do this, we investigated their spatial distribution at the site and estimated the capybara population using a variation of the mark-recapture method and compared it to known population estimates for the species. We found that the capybaras in our study area mainly form small flocks of 1 to 9 animals and occupy almost the entire shore of Lake Paranoá. We estimated the occurrence of 0.30 to 0.52 ind./ha (average = 0.41 ind./ha), demonstrating that the number of capybaras in our region is small when compared to capybara counts in other regions (range 0.075 - 6.44 ind./ha). Furthermore, we found that although the capybara population fluctuates throughout the year, it appears to be stable, not supporting our initial hypothesis. Urban areas can provide habitat for some species, which may help offset negative effects of losses of unmanaged habitats; however, this raises the possibility of wildlife-human conflicts
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.fttdz094g
Description of the data and file structure
Over a year (10/2021 - 09/2022), the shore of Lake Paranoá was covered with the help of a voadeira (aluminum boat with an outboard motor) at a speed of around 20 km/h and approximately 30 m from the shore (Figure 2). The same route was covered every month for 12 months. We standardized the counts for the afternoon, after 4 pm, based on the literature, which reports greater activity of the species at dusk and dawn (Moreira et al., 2013c). Due to the large expanse of the shore of Lake Paranoá, complete monitoring took place over four sampling days, totaling around 8 hours of sampling per month. Counts were carried out on consecutive days whenever possible, except in cases of adverse weather conditions. When activities were canceled, the count was restarted on the next day with suitable conditions (to assess the capybara count days along with the number of capybaras sighted at each site, see Table S1). This division was aimed at homogeneity in the observation schedule, with as few interruptions as possible, reducing the influence of weather conditions on the results of the counts. Two simultaneous counts were carried out independently by two different observers (Mourão & Campos, 1995). In addition, to ensure independence in the counts, the two observers were positioned at opposite ends of the boat (bow/pop, Figure 2)
Files and variables
File: Santos_et_al._-_Population_estimate_and_spatial_distribution_of_capybaras_in_Lake_Paranoá__Brasília__Brazil.csv
Description:
Variables
- Date: Transection date
- Observer_1: number of capybara observed by the first observer
- Observer_2: number of capybara observed by the second observer
- Latitude: Latitudinal coordinate
- Longitude: Longitudinal coordinate