Data from: Queen palm fruit selection and foraging techniques by squirrels in the Atlantic Forest

Palm fruits are a significant resource for fauna worldwide, particularly
in tropical regions. Such is the case for queen palm seeds (Syagrus
romanzoffiana), which is a vital source of nutrients for the squirrel
Guerlinguetus ingrami. This squirrel acts as seed predator, as well as
seed disperser of this important palm for the frugivore community, but we
don´t know how this squirrel select and manipulate the queen palm seeds.
The objective of this study was to address three key topics: (1)
investigate the squirrel’s capacity to discern which of the fruit’s three
pores is the germinal orifice, which permits a more efficient opening of
the fruit; (2) assess whether the thickness and size of the fruit endocarp
influence the squirrel’s selection during foraging; and (3) evaluate the
intentionality of the rodents to prey on the invertebrates within the
fruit. For this, we used behavioral experimentation techniques,
controlling the predictor variables and observing the changes in the
squirrel’s behavior. We found that (1) the squirrel identified the
germinal pore by its greater depth relative to the other pores; (2) the
size and thickness of the fruit not influences the squirrel’s choice; and
(3) the squirrel prefers to consume fruits infested by invertebrates. The
development of strategies to more efficiently open the queen palm fruit
indicates the importance of this resource to the squirrels. In addition,
due to the preference for invertebrates, the squirrel controls the
population of these fruit parasites, providing a service to the population
of palm trees.