Unveiling the Dietary Selection of Lowland Tapirs (<i>Tapirus terrestris</i>) in a Tropical Rainforest.

ABSTRACT: Large terrestrial herbivores play crucial roles in shaping ecosystem structure and function through their foraging activities. Still, the dietary ecology of elusive tropical species remains poorly understood. We investigated the diet composition of lowland tapirs (Tapirus terrestris), the largest terrestrial herbivore in the Neotropics, using DNA metabarcoding of fecal samples from 31 latrines in Carlos Botelho State Park, Brazil. We characterized local plant communities through vegetation plots and analyzed five leaf economic spectrum (LES) traits from both consumed and surrounding vegetation to assess selective feeding patterns. Lowland tapirs consumed 61 plant species from 69 genera and 46 families, predominantly those from the Melastomataceae, Asteraceae, and Myrtaceae families.

SUBMITTER: Lautenschlager L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12935466 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature