24Decisions regarding landscape management, restoration, and land acquisition typically 25 depend on land managers' interpretation of how wildlife selects habitat. Such 26 assessments are particularly important for umbrella species like the endangered Florida 27 panther (Puma concolor coryi), whose survival requires vast wildlands. Some 28 interpretations of habitat selection by panthers have been criticized for using only 29 morning locations in defining habitat use. We assessed habitat selection using a 30Euclidean distance analysis (EDA) and location data collected throughout the diel period 31 from GPS collars deployed on 20 independent Florida panthers. We corroborated aspects 32 of earlier analyses by demonstrating selection of forested habitats by panthers. We also 33confirmed selection of open habitats (i.e., marsh-shrub-swamps, prairie-grasslands), a 34 novel result. Habitat selection did not vary by sex or season but varied by time of day. 35Panthers were located closer to wetland forests in the daytime and used prairie-36 2 grasslands more at night. Our assessment of the effect of patch size on selection of forest 1 habitat revealed that panthers were not solely reliant on large patches (> 500 ha) but 2 utilized patches of all sizes (≤ 1 ha, > 5-10 ha, > 1000 ha, etc.). Our results emphasize the 3 importance of collecting panther location data throughout the diel period when assessing 4 habitat selection. Conservation strategies for panthers should consider a mosaic of 5 habitats, a methodology that will protect other sensitive flora and fauna in South Florida. 6 7
Summary1. Animals must move to find food and mates, and to avoid predators; movement thus influences survival and reproduction, and ultimately determines fitness. Precise description of movement and understanding of spatial and temporal patterns as well as relationships with intrinsic and extrinsic factors is important both for theoretical and applied reasons. 2. We applied hidden semi-Markov models (HSMM) to hourly geographic positioning system (GPS) location data to understand movement patterns of the endangered Florida panther (Puma concolor coryi) and to discern factors influencing these patterns. 4. Males and females, and females with and without kittens, exhibited distinctly different movement patterns. Using the Viterbi algorithm, we show that differences in movement patterns of male and female Florida panthers were a consequence of sex-specific differences in diurnal patterns of state occupancy and sex-specific differences in state-specific movement parameters, whereas the differences between females with and without dependent kittens were caused solely by variation in state occupancy. 5. Our study demonstrates the use of HSMM methodology to precisely describe movement and to dissect differences in movement patterns according to sex, and reproductive status.
BackgroundParasites of the genus Trichinella are zoonotic nematodes common in carnivores throughout the world. We determined the prevalence and species of Trichinella infections in Florida panthers (Puma concolor coryi).MethodsTongues from Florida panthers were collected at necropsy and examined by pepsin-HCl artificial digestion for infection with Trichinella spp. DNA was extracted from larvae and multiplex PCR using Trichinella species-specific primers was used to genotype the worms.ResultsTrichinella spp. larvae were detected in 24 of 112 (21.4%; 14.6%–30.3%) panthers. Sixteen of the panthers (14.3%) were infected with T. pseudospiralis, 1 (0.9%) was infected with T. spiralis, and 2 (1.8%) had mixed infections of T. pseudospiralis and T. spiralis. Trichinella spp. larvae from 5 panthers were not identified at the species level due to degraded DNA.ConclusionsThis is the highest prevalence of T. pseudospiralis detected in North America up to now and suggests the Florida panther is a key mammalian reservoir of this parasite in southern Florida. Trichinella pseudospiralis can infect both mammals and birds indicating the source of infection for Florida panthers could be broader than believed; however, birds represent a small percentage (0.01%) of the cat’s diet. Since wild pigs (Sus scrofa) can be parasitized by both T. pseudospiralis and T. spiralis and these swine can comprise a large portion (~40%) of a panther’s diet in Florida, we believe that Florida panthers acquired these zoonotic parasites from feeding on wild pigs.
Trichinella species are zoonotic nematodes that infect wild carnivores and omnivores throughout the world. We examined the prevalence and species of Trichinella infections in cougars (Puma concolor couguar) from Colorado, United States. Tongues from cougars were examined by pepsin-HCl artificial digestion to detect Trichinella spp. larvae. The species or genotype of individual worms was identified by multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Trichinella spp. larvae were detected in 17 of 39 cougars (43.6% (28.7-59.5%)). Five of the cougars (12.8%) were infected with T. murrelli, 3 (7.7%) were infected with T. pseudospiralis, and 1 (2.6%) had Trichinella genotype T6. Trichinella spp. larvae from eight cougars were not identified at the species level, due to degraded DNA. The high prevalence of Trichinella spp. in cougars from Colorado and reports of the parasite in other populations of Puma spp. suggest that this large predator is a key mammalian reservoir.
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