New observation on mycophagy: consumption of coconut mushroom (Oudemansiella cubensis) by the Brazilian squirrel (Guerlinguetus brasiliensis)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56152/StevianaFacenV16N2A1_2024Keywords:
feeding behaviour, fungal consumption, rodent dietAbstract
Squirrels and chipmunks are known to have mycophagous habits. Nonetheless, records of mycopaghy involving these animals not always present the fungal species involved, specially when they are epigeous mushrooms in Neotropical forests. Here, we report events of mycophagy involving the Brazilian squirrel (Guerlinguetus brasiliensis) and coconut mushroom (Oudemansiella cubensis), including description of the event and presenting photographs. The aim of this study is to discuss the mycophagous habit of the Brazilian squirrel.
Downloads
References
Alberti, M., Niveiro, N., Zied, D. C. & Albertó, E. (2020). Identification of Oudemansiella canarii and O. cubensis (Basidiomycota, Physalacriaceae) in Argentina using morphological, culture and molecular analysis. Harvard Papers in Botany 25(2), 131–143.
Aguirre, A. G., Teixeira, J., Zorzanelli, J. P. F., Colleta, G. D. & Sampaio D. (2018). Plant species in a tract of insular Atlantic Forest in Ilhabela (SP): Floristics, photographic documentation, and identifcation keys of arboreal dicotyledons based on vegetative characteristics. Biota Neotropical 18(4), e20170497.
Alvarenga, C. A. & Talamoni, S. A. (2006). Foraging behaviour of the Brazilian squirrel Sciurus aestuans (Rodentia, Sciuridae). Acta Theriologica 51(1), 69–74.
Boa, E. (2004). Wild edible fungi. A global overview of their use and importance to people. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation, Rome.
Bordignon, M. & Monteiro-Filho, E. L. A. (1999). Seasonal food resources of the squirrel Sciurus ingrami in a secondary Araucaria forest in Southern Brazil. Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment 34, 137–140.
Buller, A. H. R. (1920). The red squirrel of North America as a mycophagist. Transactions of the British Mycological Society 6, 355–362.
Castillo-Guevara, C., Lara, C. & Pérez, G. (2012). Micofagia por roedores en un bosque templado del centro de México. Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad 83, 772–777.
Capelari, M. & Gugliotta, A. M. (2005). Dactylosporina e Oudemansiella (Tricholomataceae, Oudemansiellinae) do Parque Estadual das Fontes do Ipiranga (PEFI), São Paulo, SP. Hoehnea 32, 381–387.
Fogel, R. & Trappe, J. M. (1978). Fungus consumption (mycophagy) by small mammals. Northwest Science 52(1), 1–31.
Franco-Molano, A. E., Vasco-Palacios, A. M., López-Quintero, C. A. & Boekhout, T. (2005). Macrohongos de la region del Medio Caquetá – Colombia. Multimpresos, Medellín.
García-Jiménez. J., Guevara-Guerrero, G., Moreno-Valdez, A., Ortiz-Rodríguez, L. G., Castro-Arellano, I., Coronado-Blanco, J. M. & Cázares-González, E. (2012). Micofagia por pequeños mamíferos en bosques templados de Tamaulipas, México. In: E. Ruíz-Cancino & J. M. Coronado-Blanco (Eds.), Recursos Naturales: 36–52. Departamento de Fomento Editorial de la Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, Ciudad Victoria.
Graipel, M. E., Cherem, J. J., Monteiro-Filho, E. L. A. & Carmignotto, A. P. (2017). Mamíferos da Mata Mendes Atlântica. In: E. L. A. Monteiro-Filho & C. E. Conte (Orgs.), Revisões em Zoologia: Mata Atlântica: 391–482. Ed. UFPR, Curitiba.
Hardy, G. A. (1949). Squirrel cache of fungi. The Canadian Field-Naturalist 63, 86–87.
Heaney, L. R. & Thorington, R. W. (1978). Ecology of neotropical red-tailed squirrels, Sciurus granatensis, in the Panama canal zone. Journal of Mammalogy 59, 846–851.
Hendricks, P. & Hendricks, L. M. (2015). Use of conifers by red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) in Montana for drying and caching mushrooms. Northwerstern Naturalist 96, 240–242.
Johnson, C. N. (1994). Nutritional ecology of a mycophagous marsupial in relation to production of hypogeous fungi. Ecology 75: 2015–2021.
Kües, U., Khonsuntia, W., Subba, S. & Dörnte, B. (2018) Volatiles in Communication of Agaricomycetes. In: T. Anke T & A. Schüffler (Eds.), The Mycota XV. Physiology and Genetics, 2nd: 149–212. Ed. Springer International Publishing, Berlin.
Lurz, P. W. W. & South, A. B. (1998) Cached fungi in non-native conifer forests and their importance for red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris L.). Journal of Zoology London 246, 468–471.
Mazza, L., Rosa, C. A., Souza, A.C., Aximoff, I. & Passamani, M. (2018). Mamíferos de médio e grande porte registrados em florestas dominadas por Araucaria angustifolia na RPPN Alto-Montana, Serra da Mantiqueira. Oecologia Australis 22(1), 74–88.
Magnago, A. C., Oliveira, J. J. S., Furtado, A. N. M., Urrea-Valencia, S. & Neves, M. A. (2006) Basidiomycota: Mushrooms. In: M. A. Neves, I. G. Baseia, E. R. Drechsler-Santos & A. Góes-Neto (Eds.), Guide to the common fungi of the semiarid region of Brazil: 23–49. TECC, Florianópolis.
Mendes, C. P, Koprowski, J. L. & Galetti, M. (2019). NEOSQUIRREL: a data set of ecological knowledge on Neotropical squirrels. Mammal Review 49(3), 210–225.
Patton, J. L., Pardiñas, U. F. J. & D’Elía, G. (Eds.) (2015). Mammals of South America, Vol. 2. Rodents. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London.
Petersen, R. H., Desjardin, D. E. & Krüger, D. (2008). Three type specimens designated in Oudemansiella. Fungal Diversity 32, 81–96.
Petersen, R. H. & Hughes, K. H. (2010). The Xerula/Oudemansiella complex (Agaricales). Beihefte zur Nova Hedwidia 137, 1–625.
Ribeiro, L. F., Conde, L. O. M., Guzzo, L. C. & Papalambropoulos, P. R. (2009). Behavioral patterns of Guerlinguetus ingrami (Thomas, 1901) from three natural populations in Atlantic forest fragments in Espírito Santo state, Southeastern Brazil. Natureza on line 7(2): 92–96.
Ruegger, M. J. S., Tornisielo, S. M. T., Bononi, V. L. R. & Capelari, M. (2001). Cultivation of the edible mushroom Oudemansiella canarii (Jungh.) Höhn. in lignocellulosic substrates. Brazilian Journal of Microbiology 32, 211–214.
Stephens, R. B. & Rowe, R. J. (2020). The underappreciated role of rodent generalists in fungal spore dispersal networks. Ecology 101(4), e02972.
Trierveiler-Pereira, L. 2024. FANCs de Angatuba. Fungos comestíveis não tradicionais de Angatuba e região. Author ed., Angatuba.
Trierveiler-Pereira, L., Silva, H. C. S., Funez, L. A. & Baltazar, J. M. (2016). Mycophagy by small mammals: new and interesting observations from Brazil. Mycosphere 7, 297–304.
Vasco-Palacios, A. M., Suaza, S. C., Castanõ-Betancur, M. & Franco-Molano A. E. (2008). Conocimiento etnoecólogico de los hongos entre los indígenas Uitoto, Muinane y Andoke de la Amazonía Colombiana. Acta Amazonica 38, 17–30.
Vernes, K. & Poirier, N. (2007). Use of a robin’s nest as a cache site for truffle by a red squirrel. Northwerstern Naturalist 14(1), 145–149.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Steviana
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
![](https://revistascientificas.una.py/index.php/stevia/management/settings/<a rel="license" href="http:/creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"><img alt="Licencia de Creative Commons" style="border-width:0" src="https:/i.creativecommons.org/l/by/4.0/88x31.png" /></a><br /><span xmlns:dct="http:/purl.org/dc/terms/" href="http:/purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text" property="dct:title" rel="dct:type">Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales -UNA. Revista Steviana</span> is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http:/creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">Creative Commons Reconocimiento 4.0 Internacional License</a>.)
