Atividades educativas na rede pública de ensino: efeitos sobre a higiene oral e o nível de informação em Saúde Bucal

The contents introduction concerning the individual health cares reveals important since the school education. In this direction, the present study objectified to know an effect of Oral Health education intervention in the oral hygiene and in the schools children information level, of 4º e 5º basic education years. The study was composed by two groups, chosen of random form: control group (n = 115) and experimental group (n = 132), with 247 public net school children in total sample. The experimental group participated of some educative activities in Oral Health, with biweekly frequency, during the 4 months period, given for a surgeon-dentistry. Both the groups were submitted to a clinical examination for a previous verification of the Plaque Index (PI) and of Loe Silness Gingival Index (GI). A questionnaire with closed questions on Oral Health was applied before and after to verify the school children rightness index. After the intervention, the final data, represented for the PI, GI and Rightness Index verification, has been collected for statistical analyses through the chi-square test to a 95 % of reliable level, using the SPSS 10,0 software. The PI and GI were categorized in high and low on the initials index basis medium; already the Rightness Index was categorized in inadequate (< 50%) and adequate (≥ 50%). It was verified that the PI (p = 0,014; IC 0.24-0.86) and the GI (p = 0,013; IC 0,28-0,84) presented differences statistically significant, after the education activities, when compared to with the control, favoring the experimental group. It was verified too the experimental group got greater rightness index, presenting difference highly significant (p<0,0001; IC 3,73-26,81). It was still observed that there was no association between the oral hygiene indicators and the school children information level. Ahead the results, it can been concluded that education activities related in the school routine were capable to give positives effects in the oral hygiene control and in the information level about Oral Health, however, not necessarily, the individual with bigger information is that one who has practiced an oral hygiene more adjusted. One become necessary, however, that the education in Oral Health occurs of permanent and integrated form with others school actors, for the positive effect does not lose the student s life longterm

Edentulismo funcional e seus fatores de risco em adultos

The purpose of this study was to investigate the risk factors to the functional edentulism in adults aged 35 a 44 years old of Natal-RN, 278 adults took part in the study. They were all selected from a previous dental loss prevalence study thus being complemented by an active research. The study was a case-control based and data collection was made though a survey as well as with a clinical examination. The cases were identified through individuals with 20 or more teeth. Age and gender were used as variables of pairing off. The data was analyzed through chi-square, significant level of 95% to the checking of its force associations. The independent variables were grouped in three levels. The first one, more macro, is related to the region where the individual lives, which was also related to the second level, the family-based one, linked with a third level, at this low socio-economical level, where the domiciliary density was favorable, living in capital cities, regions with prime sanitary condicitions, with predominant possibility of accessing the public dental service, but in despite of this, only looking for this service when tooth ache is felt, where preferentially an aid dressing treatment is executed in detriment of preventive procedures. From all the samples, less than 25% of the individuals make use of tobacco and alcoholic beverages for quite a number of years. There was an association of functional edentulism with all the studied variables in a regional method. In the family-based with Critério Brasil (OR=4,45) and monthly wages (OR=9,62) and to an to an individual level, the associations took place with the current use of kind of attendance (OR=1,78), looks for dressing treatment (OR=2,51), does not look for preventive treatment (OR=3,31), pain as the main cause of demand (OR=1,92), previous treatment as the demanding reason for dental service (OR+0,28), interval of the last visit to the dental service (OR=1,35) and when advise was received (OR=1,66). It was noticed from the results that the functional edentulism is much more expressive in those families which live in environments with precarious social economical sanitary conditions. Such conditions seem to have a direct influence upon the family social economical conditions which are also shown in detriment to functional edentulism. In the same way, the collection of variants influence the social economical conditions of the individual, as well as the kind of dental service searched by them, the reason of the search and the interval of the last visit to the dental service were strong determiners to the functional edentulism. Beyond that, individual habits like the use of tobacco and its frequency on its previous use influenced in a significant way the existence of functional edentulism in the studied population

Caracterização do processo de trabalho do cirurgiãodentista na estratégia de saúde da família do município de Parnamirim-RN

Family Health Strategy (FHS), founded in 1994 has appeared to play a strategic role in the SUS construction and consolidation. It has reaffirmed its Principles and Guidelines and has elected family as core of attention. The principle that has guided the work concerns the quality of the relationship between professional and family. Thus, the FHS has the family as a subject of health-disease process, and relations with its own characteristics and can be partners in building their health and improvement of quality of life of its members and the entire community. This study aims to characterize the surgeon-dentist (SD) working process in the family health strategy, from the knowledge of the SD integration with other team members; organization of services; development of shares, changes perceived by SDs, as well as knowing the surgeon-dentist profile who is part of this strategy. The collecting tool used was a semi-structured questionnaire, in which participated 30 professionals. As for profile, most professionals were women, completed the graduation in public university and did not have any training to work by joining the FHS. Almost all have other public or private working ties. They often carry out activities with students, and occasionally do home visits. In relation to team work, in activities such as home visits, school health, community activities, among others, they sometimes seek the cooperation of other members. The way of accessing for users in the most part has occurred through the schedule. The most frequently activities made to the Centro Especialidades Odontológicas (CEO), are in Endodontics and Prosthesis. The majority of them participate in team meetings, but they do not have frequency set to happen. As for the planning and programming of activities to be conducted, most said that individually develops them. Concerning the performance of their duties, most reported being satisfied, but that improvements could happen. Besides, they reported improvements in dental care following the inclusion of SD in the FHS in various aspects, such as access, organization, humanization, care and oral disease prevention. The professionals had poor integration with other team members, in addition to have a profile to more individualistic work, a fact seized by way of development and planning of actions. They work the actions in individual and curative way, in detriment promotion and collective ones. They work humanization, definition of territory and adscript population. Thus, it is concluded that the working process developed by SDs, includes the part which is advocated by FHS. This points out to a greater undertaking of this process aiming to detect the weakness met in order to reach the potential that the FHS represents in organization of basic attention

Prevalência e fatores de risco à persistência de hábitos bucais de sucção não nutritiva em crianças de 3 a 5 anos de idade

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior

Dinâmica populacional e alimentar de Stegastes fuscus, (Osteichthyes:pomacentridae) em arrecifes da praia de Búzius, no Rio Grande do Norte

The damselfish, Stegastes fuscus Cuvier, 1830 (Osteichthyes: Perciformes: Pomacentridae), is abundant in the coastal reefs of Búzios Beach, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil and they play an important role in the reef community ecology. The present study investigated the feeding strategy of this species considering the food habits and morfo-histology of the digestive tract. Influence of the environmental correlates such as temperature, rainfall and luminosity in the tidal rock pools were studied. The fish were captured on a monthly basis from September 2004 to August 2005, during which period 842 individuals of S. fuscus were captured, 125 males, 437 females and 280 individuals without sex identification. The sex ratio observed was 1 M : 3,5 F. The total body length of males varied from 3.6 to 11.3 cm, with a mean of 7.77 cm; that of females varied from 2.9 to 11.4 cm, with a mean of 7.85 cm, and that of sex grouped individuals varied from 2.9 to 11.4 cm, with a mean of 7.83. However, there was no difference between males and females in total body length. This species presented a positive alometric growth and the equations obtained for the relation between body mass and total body length were: Wt =0,0174Lt 3,1123 for males; Wt =0,0137Lt 3,2294 for females and Wt = 0,0148Lt 3.1928 for sex grouped individuals. The relation between total body length and standard length was L t = 1 ,3223Ls + 0,1527 for sex grouped individual s. February to August was associated to a long period of gonadal resting. The fish spawned during January and in September -October. The frequency of fish with empty stomachs occurred during August to December, whereas frequency of fish with food contents i n stomachs occurred during January to July. This species is considered as a preferential herbivore based on the volume of macroalgae in its diet composition. The morfo -histological aspects of S. fuscus confirm herbivory. Among the environmental factors con sidered only rainfall showed a correlation with the feeding habits of this species

Atividades comportamentais e comportamento alimentar de rã touro, Lithobates catesbeianus (Shaw, 1802), de pigmentação normal e albina em cativeiro

The behavior of bullfrogs reared in captivity must be well understood to support management practices that use efficient feeding regimes. In general, bullfrogs reared in captivity have normal pigmentation, but to develop an enhanced product, some studies have investigated the introduction of albino individuals in frog farms. The present study characterized the behavior of both pigmented and albino bullfrogs reared in captivity. In an initial experiment, 48 bullfrogs (70.5 ± 25.6 g) housed in small stalls were fed once a day at random times. Frogs were filmed and the images showed that both the pigmented and albino varieties behaved similarly: food intake was more frequent at dawn followed by light periods; moving and resting in dry areas may be associated to feeding events; frogs appeared to anticipate feeding time and to rest in the water more frequently in periods other than feeding time; daylight is the recommended period for feeding both pigmented and albino frogs. In a second experiment, 72 albino bullfrogs were fed at fixed times (10 a.m. or 4 p.m.) in small stalls. An initial weight of 23.8 ± 7.6 g was considered to evaluate frog performance, and after the animals reached 60.0 ± 20.0 g, they were filmed for behavior analyses. Food intake varied as a function of feeding time, and frogs were more likely to eat during the early hours of the day and immediately after receiving fresh food. Frogs fed only in the afternoon changed their behavior. Food supplied twice a day stimulated the albino frogs to eat at different times, but did not increase growth. Although fresh food stimulated feeding behavior, food intake was more frequent at dawn. Food supplied at this time of day should therefore be further investigated. The results did not indicate a more suitable feeding time (10 a.m. or 4 p.m.) for albino bullfrogs, or any advantage in using two feedings per day. The results provide xvi important information about bullfrogs in terms of food supply regime and activity preferences throughout the day. This novel information will contribute to future studies in this area

Relação entre padrão comportamental, estágios do ciclo de muda e atividade de enzimas digestivas proteolíticas em juvenis do camarão marinho Litopenaeus vannamei (Crustacea: Penaeidae)

Shrimp farming in Brazil is a consolidated activity, having brought economical and social gains to several states with the largest production concentrated in the northeast. This fact is also reflected in higher feed intake, necessitating a more efficient feed management. Currently, management techniques already foresee food loss due to molting. In this sense, studies relating shrimp s digestive physiology, molting physiology and behavioral response of shrimp feed can optimize the feed management. Thus, our study aimed to evaluate the behavioral response of the marine shrimp L. vannamei (Crustacea: Penaeidae) in accordance with the stages of moulting cycle and feeding schedules based on higher or lower activity of proteolytic digestive enzymes; also, to investigate the influence of feeding schedule on hepatosomatic index and non-specific and specific protease activity (trypsin). Experiments were carried out at the Laboratory of Shrimp Behavioral Studies at UFRN in partnership with the Laboratory of Enzimology UFPE. Juveniles of L. vannamei weighting 5.25 g (+ 0.25 g) were kept in aquaria at a density of 33 shrimp m -2. In the first experiment, shrimp were fed in the light phase or in the dark phase for 8 days; in the ninth day, the animals were observed for 15 minutes every hour during the 12 hours of each phase of the photoperiod. We recorded the frequency of inactivity, exploration, food intake, burrowing, swimming and crawling behavior. At the end of the 12th observation session, the shrimp were sacrified and classified by the method of setogenesis in the molt cycle stages A, B, C, D0, D1, D2 or D3. We found that the shrimp in A stage show high levels of inactivity. Moreover, the frequency of food intake was very low. The shrimp in D3 stage also had low food intake and high inactivity associated with elevated frequencies of burrowing. In the second experiment, shrimp were kept in physiological acclimation to experimental conditions for 28 days, distributed in 12 treatments in the light phase and 12 treatments in the dark phase. In the end, the animals were sacrified and dissected to assess non-specific and specific protease activity (trypsin) activity. In general, these parameters did not vary among animals fed in the light phase and those fed in the dark phase. However, significant differences were found in the activity of specific and nonspecific proteases in relation to food treatment. In the light phase, the major proteolytic activities converged to 10 hours after the start of the light phase, while the lowest activities converged to 6 hours after the beginning of this phase. In the dark phase, the highest enzyme activity converged to 12 hours after the onset of phase, while the lowest activities converged to 3 hours after the onset of phase. In the third experiment, we sought to evaluate the behavioral responses of shrimp in relation to dietary treatments based on higher or lower activity of proteolytic enzymes, considering the results of the second experiment. The behavioral categories observed were the same as the ones in the first experiment, with observations of 30 minutes (15min before and 15min after food supply). We found variation in behavioral responses as a function of the treatments, with greater intake of food in shrimp fed during the period of greatest activity of proteolytic enzymes, in the light phase. Thus we see that periodic events associated with the shrimp s physiology interfere in their behavioral responses, revealing situations that are more adjustable to the provision of food, and consequently optimizing feeding management

Comportamento social e territorialidade alimentar na garça-azul, Egretta caerulea (L) = Feeding territoriality in the little blue heron, Egretta caerulea (L)

The use of habitat is an important part of a species biology. One resource of great importance for the survivor and reproduction of an individual is the food resource. Thus, the social interactions an animal has during the feeding activities are of extremely importance within its behavioral aspects, which represents the part of an organism trough which it interacts with the environment, adapting to changes and variations. Herons are known to form feeding aggregations of even more than thousands of individuals, in which social components of foraging have been identified and studied for several species. More profound studies of these aspects are yet to poor for the Little Blue Heron, Egretta caerulea. Therefore, the aim of this study was to describe the social behavior (display postures, vocalizations and co-specific interactions) and the territoriality of the specie during the feeding period in an area of mud bank in the estuarine system of Cananéia, south coast of São Paulo state, Brazil. The defense of a fixed and exclusive area, closest to the mangrove, trough expulsion was observed; some thing that have not yet been registered with concrete data for the specie. Higher capture and success rates, and lower investment rates (steps/min and stabs/min) were registered for individuals foraging in areas corresponding to the defended territory. This could be one of possible reasons for the establishment of territories in the area. Four display postures were registered for the specie, two of then new in the literature, which are used in the interactions between individuals; one vocalization, that apparently is important in the social context of foraging for the specie and, possibly, has a function of advertising and proclaiming the dominance position of the territorial individual within the group. A territorial individual uses three behaviors, of the ones described: expulsion, vocalization and encounter (agonistic encounter between individuals, without physical aggression). Of these, the expulsion is apparently used in the actual defense, actively; while the other two behaviors are used in a more passive way, in the maintenance of the dominance position of the individual, helping it in the defense of its territory in a less direct manner. Therefore, with the results presented in here, new components of the social utilization of the feeding resource for the Little Blue Heron were identified, incorporating aspects of the territorial behavior for a future understanding of its possible adaptive significance. And it also reinforces the importance of the social interactions of herons foraging in great aggregations, in areas ecologically important

Hierarquia social e sucesso alimentar em callithrix jacchus (Primates, Callithrichidae), sob condições naturais

The competition for resources is one of the costs of group living. The scramble competition is considered an indirect type of competition, mainly associated with factors like group size and distribution of resources. Contest competition occurs when individuals compete directly for resources. In species that exibit this type of competition the establishment of dominance hierarchy can occur, resulting in differences on feeding and reproductive benefits for each member of the group. In these cases, aggressive and submissive behaviors are expected as a way to signal social status. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of social hierarchy over food ingestion in Callithrix jacchus. Data recording was from September/2006 to March/2007, eight days by month, at Floresta Nacional de Açu do Instituto Chico Mendes de Biodiversidade. The observation time started at 05:00 AM and finished after the last animal was on the sleeptree. Analyses of aggressive interactions, behavioral profile and diet, reveals a lot of advantages for dominat animals in the study group. Dominant individuals had higher intake of animal matter that subordinates. The last ones, consumed fruits, exsudate and, eventually, explored itens that were not common to the diet. We suggest that dominance hiearchy enable the reproductive female to assure priority on access to food resources, a important caracteristc to supply tha costs to maintain tha high reproductive taxa of the specie. We also suggest that reproductive male, due to the participation on food transfer, had the forage efficience reduced

Comportamento alimentar do camarão marinho farfantenaeus subtilis em condições laboratoriais

Shrimp culture represents an important activity to brazilian economy. The northeastern region has presented high levels of production because of its climatic conditions. An important factor for the activity´s major development is related to the introduction of the species Litopenaeus vannamei. The use of an exotic species can disturb the ecosystem. In the last decades, L. vannamei has been the only species cultivated in Brazilian farms, there not being an alternative species for shrimp culture. So, there is an urgent need to developing new studies with the native species, which might represent an alternative concerning shrimp production, with emphasis on Farfantepenaeus subtilis. Another important aspect related to the activity is feeding management, once it is quite usual that feed offer on the pond does not take into account either the species´ physiology and behavior or the influence of environmental variables, such as light cycle and substrate. That knowledge may optimize management and so reduce the impact of effluents in the environment. This study´s objective was characterizing feeding behavior of F. subtilis in laboratory. For that, an ethogram was developed, using 20 wild animals which were observed through ad libitum and all occurrences methods. Two experiments were developed in order to register feeding behavior on different substrates, along 15 days, each. In the first experiment, 40 animals were distributed in eight aquaria, half being observed during the light phase of the 24 hour cycle and the other half in the dark phase, both in halimeda substrate. In the second experiment, 20 animals were distributed in four aquaria, under similar conditions as the previous ones, but in sand substrate. In both experiments, animals were observed respectively one, four, seven and ten hours after the beginning of the phase, for light phase, for the dark phase, in ten minute observation windows, before and immediately after feed offer. The following behaviors were registered: feed ingestion, ingestion of other items, inactivity, exploration, vertical exploration, swimming, crawling, digging, burrowing, and moving by the animals. Observation windows after feed offer also included latency to reach the tray and to ingest feed. Nineteen behaviors were described for the species. F. subtilis presented more behavioral activities in halimeda substrate even in the light phase, while burrowing was predominant in sand substrate. In both substrates, moving, crawling and exploration were more frequent after feed offer, but inactivity and burrowing were more frequent before that. Feed ingestion was more frequent in halimeda, both in light and dark phases. Weight gain was also more prominent in that substrate. In sand substrtate, ingestion was more frequent in the dark phase, which suggests that higher granulometry facilitates feed ingestion in F. subtilis juveniles. Our results demonstrate the importance of studies for the better knowledge of the species, specially its response to environmental stimuli, in order to improve animal management

Transferência de alimento aos infantes de Callithrix jacchus em uma situação de escassez de recurso alimentar

The genus Callithrix, like other marmosets, presents a cooperative breeding system, characterized by the contribution of parents and non-breeding individuals of the social group in the care of infants. This care is provided through lactation, transport, supervision of infants and food transfers. In this study, we investigated the care of offspring in Callithrix jacchus through the food transfers in family groups under conditions of abundance and scarcity of food resources. We also attempted to verify the relationship between the participation of individuals in the transport of infants and in the food sharing. We observed four families at the Núcleo de Primatologia of the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, in a total of seven infants, six twins and a single infant. Each infant was observed twice a week, from 1st to 20th week of life using the methods focal continuous and focal instantaneous sampling with one minute intervals. The observations were carried by 10 minutes and beginning with the supply of food for each family. Two families were tested under conditions of scarcity of food resources (experimental condition) and two others were subjected to conditions of abundant food, both conditions with restricted access to food supply. The condition of food scarcity did not influence the rate of food sharing with the infants that, in general, was considered low. All shares observed were passive sharings. Only one family showed higher levels of food begging, probably due to the loss of the mother during the period of lactation of her offspring. In this family, the dominant and subadult males were primarily responsible for the food sharing. The experimental condition influenced the distance of infants in relation to food source, so the infants in families that received abundant food remained closer to the source. However, it is believed that the place of food consumption was not influenced by experimental condition. There was no relationship between the participation of individuals in the transport and food sharing with their young. Therefore, it is suggested that, in general, the transfer of food in C. jacchus is characterized by tolerance to the demands of caregivers, represented by the passive sharing. Rates of sharing with infants were low, probably due to intra-group competition for food generated by the experiment.

Fatores que influenciam a neofobia alimentar em fêmeas e filhotes de sagüis (Callithrix jacchus)

Considering the constant environmental changes, the ability to introduce new food items in the diet is crucial to omnivore animal survival. For optimal nourishment and lessening of intoxication risks, the animals must detect signs that indicate which items are adequate for their intake. We investigate some factors that interfere in the responses to non familiar food, modulating their neophobic behavior, of marmosets Callithrix jacchus, an omnivore and generalist primate, native to Northeast Brazil, known for being cautious in ingesting not known food. We analyzed the influence of food taste (sweet or salty), pregnancy and sex in feeding behavior and neophobic responses in these animals. 10 captive females were first selected, 5 of them being then pregnant. The females, pregnant or not, ate more when presented to the sweet items than to the salty ones. Pregnant females, however, themselves were less neophobic to both tastes, being also strongly neophilic to the sweets. We verified then the influence of nourishment during pregnancy on young males and females post natal feeding behavior. We observed 10 young divided in two groups, one whose mother ate that food item during pregnancy and one whose mother had no contact to it. In the first group that food was more easily accepted by the young, suggesting that neofobia and feeding behavior had a pre natal influence. Female young also ingested more food and were less neophobic than males, a difference already observed in behavior of adults of these specie. These results suggest that the low neophobic behavior to sweet food showed by females can be adaptive, and might have bestowed more fitness to those who presented it

Ecologia alimentar e comportamento de forrageamento de Ameivula aff. ocellifera (Squamata: Teiidae) em área de caatinga do nordeste do Brasil

This study investigated the influence of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on the feeding ecology and foraging behavior of the whiptail lizard Ameivula aff. ocellifera, a new species widely distributed in the Brazilian Caatinga, and that is in process of description. In attendance to the objectives, the Dissertation was structured in two chapters, which correspond to scientific articles, one already published and the other to be submitted for publication. In Chapter 1 were analyzed the general diet composition, the relationship between lizard size and prey size, and the occurrence of sexual and ontogenetic differences in the diet. Chapter 2 contemplates a seasonal analysis of diet composition during two rainy seasons interspersed with a dry season, and the quantitative analysis of foraging behavior during two distinct periods. The diet composition was determined through stomach analysis of lizards (N = 111) collected monthly by active search, between September 2008 and August 2010, in the Estação Ecológica do Seridó (ESEC Seridó), state of Rio Grande do Norte. Foraging behavior was investigated during a rainy and a dry month of 2012 also in ESEC Seridó, by determining percent of time moving (PTM), number of movements per minute (MPM) and prey capture rate by the lizards (N = 28) during foraging. The main prey category in the diet of Ameivula aff. ocellifera was Insect larvae, followed by Orthoptera, Coleoptera and Araneae. Termites (Isoptera) were important only in numeric terms, having negligible volumetric contribution (<2%) and low frequency of occurrence, an uncommon feature among whiptail lizards. Males and females did not differ neither in diet composition nor in foraging behavior. Adults and juveniles ingested similar prey types, but differed in prey size. Maximum and minimum prey sizes were positively correlated with lizard body size, suggesting that in this population individuals experience an ontogenetic change in diet, eating larger prey items while growing, and at the same time excluding smaller ones. The diet showed significant seasonal differences; during the two rainy seasons (2009 and 2010), the predominant prey in diet were Insect larvae, Coleoptera and Orthoptera, while in the dry season the predominant prey were Insect larvae, Hemiptera, Araneae and Orthoptera. The degree of mobility of consumed prey during the rainy seasons was lower, mainly due to a greater consumption of larvae (highly sedentary prey) during these periods. Population niche breadth was higher in the dry season, confirming the theoretical prediction that when food is scarce, the diets tend to be more generalized. Considering the entire sample, Ameivula aff. ocellifera showed 61,0 ± 15,0% PTM, 2,03 ± 0,30 MPM, and captured 0,13 ± 0,14 per minute. Foraging mode was similar to that found for other whiptail lizards regarding PTM, but MPM was relatively superior. Seasonal differences were verified for PTM, which was significantly higher in the rainy season (66,4 ± 12,1) than in the dry season (51,5 ± 15,6). It is possible that this difference represents a behavioral adjustment in response to seasonal variation in the abundance and types of prey available in the environment in each season

Estudo sobre orçamento de atividade do Boto Cinza (Sotalia guianensis) no litoral sul do Rio Grande do Norte

A fundamental analysis on Behavioral Ecology is the construction of Activities Budget, which can be defined as the quantification of the time that each animal uses in activities that are important for its survival and reproduction. Initially developed for theoretical studies about Optimal Foraging, the construction of Activities Budgets has recently being used for analyses in Conservation Biology. However, the measurement of behavior through an adequate methodology that allows the comparison between different samples is a challenge for researchers in the area of Ethology. This problem is even bigger for the students of cetaceans behavior due to the difficulty of visualization of these animals. The present work deals with two aspects of the specialized literature on cetaceans: i) it explores possible variations of results in quantification of behavioral states decurrent of the application of different methods of data collection, and ii) it describes the activity budget of a population of Sotalia guianensis that inhabits coastal waters, south Rio Grande do Norte. The results showed that the use different methods of data collection result in significant differences, but of small scale, in the quantification of the behavioral frequency. The activity budget of Sotalia in the area here analyzed was similar to that described for other populations of this species inhabiting typically estuarine habitats. Tide and day-hour did not influence the dolphin s behavior, however, significant differences were found related to the position of the animals within the area. These results are discussed considering the dietary and behavioral flexibility of the species, contributing to the scientific knowledge and offering information that will be useful in comparative studies and for analyses on the determination of areas for species conservation

Variação diária e anual de freqüência e atividade do Boto Cinza Sotalia guianensis em Pipa, Nordeste do Brasil

The aim of this study was to investigate the daily and annual variation in frequency and in activity of an estuarine dolphin population, Sotalia guianensis, in Brazilian northeastern. Thus we estimated the daily variation and seasonality in frequency of adult and immature and in behavior of socialization, aerial activity, foraging of a boto equatorial population in the Curral inlet (6º13 00 S; 35º3 36 W). We detect some variation. Thus we associate the daily variation with daily period, tide fluctuation and annual season. And the seasonality variation we associate with the fotoperíodo and precipitation variation. From October 1999 to September 2003, through collect four times at month, we made instantaneous record at each five minute in six hours of survey. The surveys hours were ranged into light time of 24 hours, that is, between 06:00 and 17:00 o clock. These observations were developed simultaneous for two observers in a land-based survey at coastline cliff top of which observer have a fully visualization of whole inlet. We found that animals were more active and frequent during the morning. They were more active during low tide than high tide. However they did not show association with tide. We found yet that in a period from June to November (winter-spring) there was the highest socialization, aerial activity and foraging frequency. However adult and immature individual number did not have significance variation along the year. The larger concentration of this behaviors were not associate with photoperiod neither precipitation in the region. These results showed the existence of behavioral daily variation and seasonality in a species that live in equatorial region