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 collared peccary. In the second group, species reproduced during discrete periods. For all mammals 

 combined, the highest frequency of gravid females occurred during January-April 1990, during the dry 

 season (see Figure 2-4). 



For birds, the most obvious seasonality of take was for the great curassow and the ocellated 

 turkey. These two species primarily were taken during the early dry season. According to hunters, 

 great curassows and ocellated turkeys seemed to be more active at this time as it was their mating 

 period. 



Due to small sample sizes and the limited period over which bird data were recorded, it was 

 difficult to assess monthly differences in the reproductive condition of birds. Eggs were reported only 

 for the thicket tinamou (May 1990) and the plain chachalaca (January, April, and May 1990; Figure 3- 

 6). This period corresponded with the dry season. 



Seasonal differences in the composition of harvested game harvest have been reported for 

 several long-term studies. For Bari Indians in Colombia, for example, Beckerman (1980) noted 

 differences between months in the composition of mammalian prey taken. Each of the nine families of 

 mammals taken during that study dominated hunter inventories for 1-3 months. During some months, 

 no mammalian prey were taken, while in others, prey from two or three families were taken. Smith 

 (1976) and Yost and Kelley (1983) noted a similar seasonal variation in number of animals killed for 

 Brazil and Ecuador, respectively. These differences were attributed to several factors, including fruit 

 availability to game animals and the need by hunters to plant or harvest a garden. These were some of 

 the same factors mentioned by Maya hunters at X-Hazil Sur to explain monthly differences in the 

 composition of the game harvest. 



Distribution of take bv time of day . Behavioral studies suggest that species are primarily 

 either diurnal, nocturnal, or crepuscular. This pattern of discrete activity periods for game was not 

 observed in Ejido X-Hazil y Anexos as indicated by the broad range of time over which individuals of 

 each species were taken. Eleven of the 12 game species were taken during the day as well as during 



