To each his own taste: latrines of the giant otter as a food resource for vertebrates in Southern Pantanal, Brazil

Pteronura brasiliensis feeds mainly on fish and uses communal latrines for territorial marking. The aim of this study was to identify the vertebrate species associated with latrines of giant otters and which species use the feces as a food resource. From December 2010 to June 2011, we positioned camera traps in front of 21 latrines of six different giant otter groups in 24 h cycles monthly. We registered 29 vertebrate species at latrines. Latrines seem to be used as a frequent food resource for some species. Studies of giant otter diets should take into account possible changes in relative abundance of prey items due to consumption of feces.