Puma abundance on the Colima Volcanic Complex (original) (raw)
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Bobcat ranging behavior in relation to small mammal abundance on Colima Volcano, Mexico
2003
One adult male bobcat and one adult female bobcat (Lynx rufus) were captured near the summit of Colima Volcano, western Mexico. The overall home range of the adult male was 560.5 ha, which encompassed the range of the adult female at 98.9 ha. Determination of core areas from cluster analysis helped elucidate habitat preferences. The adult male centered activity on a large rocky lava flow field produced during the 1869 flank eruption of the parasitic vent, El Volcancito. A second core area was identified as the 1880 lava flow on the northern flank of the volcano, which was favored by the adult female. The female bobcat also centered activity in grassland on the western slopes of the volcano between 3100 and 3200 m. Bobcat preference for the lava flows and grassland was related to their preferred mode of hunting, involving stalking prey and lying in wait, requiring cover and vantage points, and the distribution of small mammals on the volcano. Small mammals were sampled within tree and grassland habitats on the volcano using a replicated trapping design. Abundance of small mammals was greater in grassland as opposed to wooded habitats. Seed production can be expected to be greater in grassland habitats favoring high densities of small mammals. The high abundance of the bunchgrass Calamagrostis tolucensis, along with herbs, in grassland habitats on the volcano should provide sufficient vegetative material for species such as Microtus mexicanus.
Journal of Mammalogy, 2008
Estimates of abundance are extremely valuable for species conservation, yet determining abundance for elusive, wide-ranging, carnivores is difficult. We estimated density of pumas using remote cameras across study sites in Bolivia, Argentina, and Belize. We used obvious and subtle markings to identify individual pumas in photographs and conducted double-blind identifications to examine the degree of agreement among investigators. Average agreement on identification between pairs of investigators was nearly 80.0% and 3-way agreement was 72.9%. Identification of pumas as different individuals was uncommon (7.8% pairwise, 0.69% 3-way disagreement) with the remainder described as unidentifiable. Densities of pumas varied consistently from site to site regardless of investigator. Bolivian pumas moved the shortest distances between camera stations and Argentinean pumas the longest, but distances among cameras and area covered by surveys varied among sites. We applied a correction factor to the Bolivian data to account for the small area surveyed and found that, averaged across investigator, Bolivia had significantly more pumas per 100 km 2 (mean 6 SD; 6.80 6 1.5) than Belize (3.42 6 1.3) or Argentina (0.67 6 0.2). Numbers of pumas in Argentina match those of low-density North American sites, and those for Belize are consistent with the Pantanal and high-density North American sites. Densities of pumas can be reliably estimated with remote cameras for these sites, and our work presents the 1st density estimates for Central America and for forested environments in South America.
Revista de Biología Tropical
Worldwide big cats are at risk of extinction, and anthropogenic factors and natural habitat disturbances represent the biggest threats for their survival. It is essential to know the natural resources use by these predators and the way these big felids adapt to changes. It is unknown how the puma (Puma concolor) selects and uses resources, and what environmental factors determine its presence and how this species is affected by natural disturbances in Mexican tropical forests. This study was performed in the El Eden ecological reserve and surroundings, in the North of Quintana Roo, Mexico, an area dominated by tropical semideciduous (medium forest) and secondary forest (acahual). Camera samplings were carried out during 2008, and from 2010 to 2012. Habitat variables, activity patterns and species associations were also spatially and temporally analyzed using a chi-squared test and overlapping coefficients. General Linear Models (GLM) were used in order to determine which variables i...
Noteworthy records of puma (Puma concolor) in Morelos, México
Therya notes
Presentamos registros notables de puma (Puma concolor) en la Reserva de la Biósfera Sierra de Huautla (REBIOSH), Morelos, México obtenidos en fototrampeos hechos en 2019 en ejidos, dentro de esta reserva. Estas fotografías de puma se obtienen pocos años después del primer registro de jaguar (Panthera onca) para esta área natural protegida y para Morelos. Identificamos potencialmente a dos individuos adultos de puma. Estos registros son la primera evidencia fotográfica de puma para la REBIOSH y para Morelos. Existe poca evidencia confirmada de la presencia de la especie, considerada rara o ausente en diferentes sitios del estado. En el caso de la REBIOSH, a pesar de escasos informes anecdóticos por parte de habitantes locales de avistamientos o registros de huellas, su presencia nunca había sido confirmada fotográficamente. Consideramos que estos registros están relacionados con evidencia de estudios recientes que sugieren que la integridad ecológica es, en promedio, moderadame...
Journal of Mammalogy, 2019
Habitat loss, poaching, and legal hunting are the main causes of decline in populations of pumas (Puma concolor) globally. We used camera trapping to assess the habitat use and daily activity patterns of pumas, and we identified the major factors affecting this species, in a human-dominated landscape in central Argentina. The intensity of habitat use by pumas was related positively to the presence of woodland, habitat complexity, and richness of wild prey. Pumas also avoided areas with a high concentration of ranches, indicators of more-intense human activity. Although some seasonal variation was detected in the activity patterns, pumas clearly preferred nighttime hours. We conclude that human-related factors strongly affect habitat use and activity of pumas in central Argentina's rangelands. La pérdida de hábitat y la caza ilegal y legal son las principales causas de la disminución de las poblaciones de puma a lo largo de su distribución. Aún cuando este felino se caracteriza por una gran plasticidad ecológica, los factores que afectan su supervivencia en áreas altamente modificadas por el hombre son poco conocidos. En este trabajo, se utilizó el trampeo fotográfico para determinar el uso de hábitat, el patrón de actividad del puma y los factores que pueden afectar a esta especie en un paisaje dominado por las actividades antrópicas en el centro de Argentina. La intensidad del uso del hábitat de los pumas fue favorecida por la presencia de bosque semi-cerrado, la complejidad de hábitat y la riqueza de presas silvestres. Además, los pumas evitaron las áreas con una elevada densidad de propiedades, la cual fue considerada como un indicador de una mayor actividad humana. Si bien se identificaron variaciones estacionales en el patrón de actividad, los pumas prefirieron claramente las horas nocturnas. Concluimos que los factores antrópicos parecen afectar fuertemente el uso del hábitat y los patrones de actividad del puma en un área ganadera del centro de Argentina.
DISTRIBUCIÓN, USO DE HABITAT Y PATRON DE ACTIVIDAD DE PUMA Y JAGUAR EN EL ESTADO DE MÉXICO
In this study the habitat use and activity patterns of the two of the largest cats of the Americas in central Mexico were studied. Th ree ways to detect felid presence were employed from August 2002 to May 2006: interviews, signs, and camera-traps. 478 records were obtained, from which 441 were from cougar and 37 from jaguar. Th ese records included positive response in 118 of 140 interviews and 236 records of signs (mainly tracks and scats), and 124 photographs. Both felids preferred pine-oak forest habitats, with altitudes higher than 1800 m, distances between 3509 and 4377 m from roads, between 2329 and 4650 m from settlements, and distances to very steep slopes between 1048 and 2059 m, for jaguar, and for cougar lower than 1047 m. Jaguar activity was recorded mainly during nighttimes,