Animal-fungal interactions 3: first report of mycophagy by the African Brush-tailed Porcupine Atherurus africanus Gray, 1842 (Mammalia: Rodentia: Hystricidae)

Authors

  • Todd F. Elliott  Ecosystem Management, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9304-7040
  • Camille Truong Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Tercer Circuito s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Delegación Coyoacán, C.P. 04510, Mexico City, Mexico. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8510-1761
  • Olivier Séné USDA, US Forest Service International Program, Cameroon Program, S/C UICN-CP, BP 5506 Yaoundé, Cameroon. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7628-7413
  • Terry W. Henkel Department of Biological Sciences, Humboldt State University, 95521, Arcata, California, USA. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9760-8837

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.4584.11.3.13415-13418

Keywords:

Elaphomyces, fungivory, truffles, Ascomycota, Hystricidae

Abstract

Fungi are an important food source for a diversity of animals throughout the world, but these associations have been poorly studied in Africa. In this short note based on an observation from the Congo Basin of Cameroon, we provide the first report of mycophagy by the African brush-tailed porcupine and the first account of the hypogeous fungal genus Elaphomyces being eaten by an animal in Africa.

 

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Published

26-02-2019

Issue

Vol. 11 No. 3 (2019)

Section

Notes

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