Este estudo foi realizado em duas propriedades particulares, situadas no município de Piraí do Sul, sul do Brasil. Foram realizadas 16 fases de campo mensais, com três dias de duração, no período compreendido entre fevereiro de 2001 e maio de 2002, com o objetivo de obter informações sobre a biologia do veado-campeiro (Ozotoceros bezoarticus Linnaeus, 1758) e identificar os principais fatores de impacto sobre o mesmo. Foram computadas 1.065 observações, estimando-se 71,45 indivíduos na população, sendo o tamanho médio dos grupos de 2,29 (DV ± 0,55), e a razão sexual de 0,83. Indivíduos isolados corresponderam a 40% das observações, sendo o maior grupo composto por 10 indivíduos. Registrou-se um pico de nascimentos entre setembro e novembro, embora esses tenham acontecido ao longo de todo o estudo. Foram registrados 34 óbitos, correspondendo a uma mortalidade de 47,6%, sendo as principais causas a predação por Puma concolor (Linnaeus, 1771), a caça e os atropelamentos. A população estudada encontra-se severamente ameaçada, e não sobreviverá por muito tempo a menos que políticas que garantam a sua conservação sejam adotadas. Estas políticas devem incluir o manejo adequado das áreas e o controle dos vetores de pressão.

This study was conducted in two private properties in the municipality of Piraí do Sul (Paraná state, southern Brazil). Sixteen monthly visits were made each one lasting three days between February 2001 and May 2002. The study aimed at the observation of pampas deer biology (Ozotoceros bezoarticus Linnaeus, 1758), and the evaluation of main impacts to this population. We computed 1,065 observations of estimated 71.45 individuals. The average size of the groups was 2.29 (SD ± 0.55) animals, and the sexual ratio was 0.83. Isolated deer accounted for 40% of the observations, whereas the largest group comprised 10 individuals. It was recorded a peack period of births between September and November, although births were observed along all the studied period. Thirty-four deaths were recorded corresponding to a 47.6% death rate. The main causes of death were predatory actions by cougar Puma concolor (Linnaeus, 1771), hunting and individuals being run over by motor vehicles. The studied population is seriously endangered and it will not escape extinction unless certain policies to guarantee its conservation are adopted. These policies should include correct management of the areas and control of pressure vectors.

This research presents novel data on tree marking by the giant anteater, a large Neotropical mammal threatened in the state of Paraná and other areas of Brazil, and nearly threatened worldwide. Field work was carried out in the municipality of Jaguariaíva, Paraná (Southern Brazil) with the goal of evaluating the pine marking behavior of the giant anteater and ascertaining whether wildfires interfere with it. Anteater marks were searched for on the trunks of pine trees in stands as well as pine trees dispersed throughout the landscape. For each pine tree, the following features were recorded: height, diameter breast height (DBH), height of first branch, presence/absence of scratch marks, geographical location, substrate, and matrix. The total number of scratches, scratch directions, scratch length, and height of top mark were also recorded. The scratches were defined as horizontal or vertical. Tree scratching was directly observed in three instances. Ninety-one trees were measured in the study area. The differences between marked and non-marked pines were significant for DBH and height of first branch. All scratches were found on pines dispersed throughout the landscape. Trees with horizontal and vertical marks were significantly different in terms of DBH, first branch height, and top mark height. After a wildfire that affected part of the study area, 54% of the previously marked trees were marked anew. We suggest that the marking behavior is used for communication between conspecifics with overlapping home ranges, possibly during the mating season. Additionally, we advance the hypothesis that pine marking behavior becomes more frequent with increased population stress due to anthropic interference.

O presente trabalho investigou as atividades antimicrobiana e leishmanicida das sementes de Pterodon emarginatus Vogel. O potencial antimicrobiano do óleo essencial (OE) obtido das sementes foi avaliado através dos testes de difusão em ágar (10, 25 e 50 mg) e determinação da concentração inibitória mínima e utilizou os microorganismos-padrão: Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Streptococcus mutans ATCC 25175, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 90271, Escherichia coli ATCC 10530 e Candida albicans ATCC 10231. A atividade leishmanicida do OE e frações (6,25 - 100 µg/mL) obtidas das sementes de P. emarginatus foram testadas, in vitro, sobre formas promastigotas de L. amazonensis e L. chagasi. O OE das sementes de P. emarginatus inibiu o crescimento somente de S. aureus (CIM = 2,5 mg/mL). As frações hexânica (IC50 = 50,06 µg/mL) e butanólica (IC50 = 46,65 µg/mL) apresentaram atividade frente às formas promastigotas de L. amazonensis, porém não apresentaram atividade frente a L. chagasi. Os resultados indicam que as moléculas bioativas presentes nas sementes de P. emarginatus podem ser utilizadas como protótipos para o desenvolvimento de fármacos e/ou como fonte de matérias-primas farmacêuticas.

The present work investigated the antimicrobial and leishmanicidal activities of seeds of Pterodon emarginatus. The tests of diffusion in agar (10, 25 and 50 mg) and determination of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) were performed using essential oil (EO) obtained from seeds using the standard microorganisms: Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Streptococcus mutans ATCC 25175, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 90271, Escherichia coli ATCC 10530 and Candida albicans ATCC 10231. Leishmanicidal activity of the EO and fractions (6.25 - 100 µg/ml) obtained of seeds of P. emarginatus was evaluated in vitro using L. amazonensis and L. chagasi promastigote forms. The EO inhibited the growth of S. aureus (MIC = 2.5 mg/ml). The hexane (IC50 = 50.06 µg/ ml) and butanol (IC50 = 46.65 µg/ml) fractions showed activity against L. amazonensis promastigote forms, but did not against L. chagasi promastigote forms. The results indicate that the bioactive molecules present in the seeds of P. emarginatus can be used as prototype for the development of drug and/or as source pharmaceutical material.