We showed that even moderate seasonal variation in temperature can influence the relationship between a keystone tropical forest predator and a dominant prey item. We suggest that the first ensured low detectability conditions for sloths foraging at night and the second posed a thermally unsuitable climate that forced sloths to forage under riskier daylight. bright moonshine) and positively affected by seasonally cool temperatures. Results: Here we show that sloth predation by harpy eagles was negatively affected by nocturnal ambient light (i.e. We analysed the effects of climatic conditions and vegetation phenology on the prey species profile of harpy eagles using generalised linear mixed models. For each predation event, field assistants systematically recorded the species killed. Telemetered harpy eagles were seen hunting and feeding on individual prey species. Methods: Our study was conducted between 20 at Soberanía National Park, Panamá. This effort incidentally enabled us to understand the prey profile of harpy eagles over multiple seasons. This motivated a comprehensive effort to reintroduce this species into parts of Mesoamerica. The harpy eagle is considered Near Threatened. Yet the role of environmental variables on the regulation of predator-prey interactions between sloths and harpy eagles are unknown. The harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja) is a sloth-specialist and exerts strong top-down control over its prey species. Sloths are largely or strictly nocturnal, and depend on crypsis to avoid predation. In tropical forests, sloths are the arboreal vertebrate attaining the greatest biomass density, but their capacity to regulate body temperature is limited, relying on behavioural adaptations to thermoregulate. For species with limited ability to control core body temperature, even mild climatic variation can determine major behavioural outcomes, such as foraging and predator avoidance. However, tropical forests are only weakly seasonal compared with temperate and boreal regions. Available under License Creative Commons Attribution.īackground: Climate plays a key role in the life histories of tropical vertebrates.
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