LA SELVA-BRAULIO CARRILLO MAMMALS 



147 



is likely they were from collared peccaries. Our group sighted collared peccaries 

 at 200 m and again at 300 m. 



At La Selva in August 1988, we observed damage to stems of the large 

 terrestrial aroid, Dieffenbachia sp. (Araceae), caused by peccaries feeding on it. 

 As the sap of diffenbachias, and especially this species, contains large amounts 

 of raphides of water-insoluble calcium oxalate crystals and cyanogenic glycosides, 

 this observation is of interest. Because of the high concentrations of these extremely 

 noxious chemicals found in the sap, few insects or vertebrates are able to feed on 

 Dieffenbachia. The peccaries seemed to have fed only on the older diffenbachias 

 in which the main stem trailed along the ground. Damage caused by peccaries was 

 noted only on the lowest, horizontal sections of the stem; there was no evidence 

 of feeding on vertical stems. In the northern, arid parts of their range, T. tajacu 

 is known to feed on several species of prickly -pear cactus (genus Opuntia), which 

 also contain oxalic acid, a substance that is toxic to most mammals (Sowls 1983). 

 Thus, peccaries seem to be one of the few animals that are capable of utilizing 

 plants with high oxalate concentrations. 



Family Cervidae 



Mamma americana 

 Red Brocket, Cabro de Monte 



Red brocket deer are found from eastern Mexico through Central and tropical 

 South America to Bolivia and Paraguay. In Costa Rica, the subspecies Mazama 

 americana cerasina is found throughout the country, although there are few actual 

 records. It frequents forested areas from sea level to near timber line. 



We saw tracks of brocket deer at 2,100 m and skulls of this species were seen 

 at a cabin at 2,000 m; presumably these individuals were shot nearby. Brocket 

 deer have been recorded at La Selva on 12 occasions. Tracks of brocket deer in 

 the Zona Protectora were reported by Pringle et al. (1984). 



Odocoileus virginianus 

 White-tailed Deer, Venado Cola Blanca 



Two subspecies of white-tailed deer are found in Costa Rica: Odocoileus virgi- 

 nianus chiriquensis in the southwest and O. v. truei throughout the rest of the country 

 (Fig. 115). White-tailed deer are found from sea level to at least 1,300 m. 



There are 21 observations of white-tailed deer at La Selva where they have 

 been recorded from nearly every month of the year. A female with a fawn was 

 observed in January 1984 and a female and two half-grown young were sighted 

 in September 1985. Janzen (1983e) reviewed natural history information for Costa 

 Rica. 



