151 

 snails) were categorized as "trace" and considered to have a volume of 0.0001 ml for analytical 

 purposes. Trace items were reported in the tables and appendices as " < 0.0%." 



The scientific name of each food item was determined from a reference collection of local 

 plants and animals. Most of these specimens were initially identified by hunters with the local common 

 name in Maya. About 265 specimens of animals and plants (most with flowers or fruits) were 

 collected and identified. Reference plant specimens were identified by J. Chavelas Polito, Director, 

 Centro Experimental Forestal "San Felipe Bacalar," and E. Cabrera Cano, Botanist, Centre de 

 Investigaciones de Quintana Roo (CIQRO). Reference animal specimens were identified by various 

 specialists from CIQRO and Universidad Nacional Aut6noma de Mexico (see Acknowledgments). 

 Plants usually were identified to the species level. Insects were identified to the level of order, while 

 other animals usually were identified only to the level of class due to the damage they had incurred 

 while being eaten. The reference collection and the stomach contents, including additional specimens 

 not identified during this study due to time constraints, were deposited in the scientific collections at 

 CIQRO, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico. 



The data are presented by food item as percent occurrence and percent volume of the material 

 that was analyzed (entire stomachs or subsamples). Empty stomachs (volume = 0.0 ml) were excluded 

 from these analyses. Percent occurrence was defined as the number of stomachs in which that food 

 item occurred. Percent volume was defined as the ratio between the total volume of a separate food 

 taxon and the total volume of all food taxa combined. All of the volumes were based on preserved 

 stomach contents. 



Game and Crop Species 



A total of 12 game species and 13 main crop species were considered in this study (Table 5-1). 

 Game species were the taxa taken locally for subsistence purposes (see Chapter 3). The main crop 

 species (11 species and 2 combined categories [i.e.. Other and Fruits]) were the taxa grown locally for 



