Interactions between predators and prey affect their distributions and abundances, and these effects are of central importance in ecology. However, these interactions are difficult to observe in some free‐ranging species due to their elusive behaviour. We describe the video‐recorded observation of predation of a grey brocket deer (Mazama gouazoubira) by a tayra (Eira barbara), which is the largest prey reported for this mustelid. Additionally, we report three other wild species (Dasypus sp., Sylvilagus brasiliensis and Leontopithecus chrysopygus) predated by tayra and we present a review of tayra attacks on, and predation of, small primates and other medium and large‐sized mammal prey. Surprisingly, this mustelid is capable of predating a high diversity of species, both arboreal and terrestrial. At least 20 species were seen to be predated or attacked by tayras, which are capable of predating species with up to twice its own body weight, information which may be unknown due to its elusive behaviour. Additionally, we discuss the role of tayra in a community structure and raised the question of its potential key role as a predator species. This makes this mustelid a predator with greater prey diversity than previously thought and elucidate aspects of the natural history of trophic ecology of tayra, grey brocket deer and others elusive forest species.

中文翻译：

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泰拉（Eira barbara）作为中大型哺乳动物的捕食者的作用

捕食者与猎物之间的相互作用影响其分布和数量，这些影响在生态学中至关重要。但是，由于它们难以捉摸的行为，在某些自由放养的物种中很难观察到这些相互作用。我们描述了泰勒（Eira barbara）对灰gray鹿（Mazama gouazoubira）捕食的视频记录观察，这是该类鼬类报道的最大猎物。此外，我们报告了其他三种野生物种（Dasypus sp。，Sylvilagus brasiliensis和Leontopithecus chrysopygus）由tayra捕食，我们将对小灵长类动物和其他中型和大型哺乳动物猎物的tayra袭击和捕食作一综述。出人意料的是，该类胡须能够捕食树栖和陆生物种的高度多样性。至少有20个物种被泰勒斯捕食或攻击，它们能够捕食自身重量两倍的物种，由于其难以捉摸的行为，这一信息可能是未知的。此外，我们讨论了tayra在社区结构中的作用，并提出了其作为捕食物种的潜在关键作用的问题。这使这种鼬类动物成为比以前认为的更大的猎物多样性的捕食者，并阐明了泰拉，灰gray鹿和其他难以捉摸的森林物种的营养生态学自然史的各个方面。