Survey of sex proportion in Ara chloropterus Gray, 1859 in CETAS in Bahia, Brazil
Abstract
The present work objectify to determine the proportion between males and females in the population of A. chloropterus allocated in CETAS (Wild Animal Screening Center) in Bahia, Brazil. Twelve individuals allocated to CETAS in Porto Seguro were studied; these comprised all the green-winged macaws allocated to CETAS in Bahia in the study period. Molecular sexing took place, using blood from a cut nail as biological material. The processing of the samples occurred through DNA extraction, PCR using the primers 2550F/2718R and electrophoresis in 2% agarose gel. Females were identified by two bands of approximately 650 and 450 bp and males by a single band close to 650 bp. In addition, during sample collection, direct behavioral observation of specific events was carried out, in order to identify the formation of pairs among the studied animals. Of the 12 individuals analyzed, 11 (91.6%) had conclusive sexing. Of the sexed, 6 (54.5%) were females and 5 (45.5%) males. This resulted in a sexual ratio close to 1:1; similar to that expected in populations of free-living parrots. From the behavioral assessment, it was possible to infer the formation of at least 2 social pairs: a heterosexual and a homosexual pair. This is the first work to report the sex ratio in a population of A. chloropterus.