Individual identification of tepezcuincle (Cuniculus paca) through the use of footprints

Abstract

The present study had as an objective to design a method to identify individual pacas (Cuniculus paca) using their track characteristics and to apply it in the field. Plaster casts were obtained from the tracks of captive individual pacas, and six linear measures and one angle were taken. To determine if secondary sexual dimorphism exists, a Wilcoxon test was applied to each variable.  A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied over a covariance matrix of standardized data.  For the application of the method in the field, plaster casts were obtained in a 1 km transect established at the edge of the Soyolapan river, in San Martín Soyolapan, Santiago Comaltepec, Oaxaca, during two periods of five days each, in December 2006 and January 2007.  We found no differences between male and female tracks, so we concluded that secondary sexual dimorphism in paca tracks does not exist.  By means of PCA it was possible to identify 61 % of the individuals analyzed.  When applying this method an abundance of five individuals was estimated for the San Martín Soyolapan site.