Discussion
This is the first unequivocal confirmation of the use of a cacao
agroforest by maned sloths based on field observation of wild individuals.
Both kernel and residual analyses suggested that cabruca
was actively selected by maned sloth, providing both feeding and
resting trees. Indeed, the range of the adult female (BT464) was
relatively small, andwascomprised almost entirely of cabruca. Nevertheless
she was actively reproducing, indicating the availability
of both sufficient food resources and sexually mature males in her
home range. Our limited sample of 199 observations in a single
cabruca limits our ability to conclude that maned sloths area able
to exploit cabruca throughout their range. However, we observed
no evidence that using cabruca was detrimental to the sloths, and
we believe that these areas potentially represent high-quality sloth
habitat. Sloths have been reported in cabruca region of Uruc¸ uca,
Santa Maria Eterna (Oliver and Santos 1991) and Una municipalities
(C.R. Cassano, personal observation) suggesting that cabrucas
in a wider area of southern Bahia might similarly represent usable
habitat for maned sloths.
Because the plant species consumed by maned sloths are found
in a wider sample of cabrucas in the region (Sambuichi 2002, 2006;
Sambuichi and Haridasan 2007) sloths should be able to forage in
many of southern Bahia’s cabrucas. Although they feed from many
abundant trees (Inga edulis, Tapirira guianensis and Senna multijuga)
the kernel analysis demonstrates that the availability of many
relatively rare species (Ficus clusiaefolia, Cecropia hololeuca, Ocotea
pretiosa) may be the key to the survival of maned sloths in these
habitats. That single trees have significant influences on patterns of