Do tigers displace leopards? If so, why?

Odden, Morten; Wegge, Per; Fredriksen, Trude

doi:10.1007/s11284-010-0723-1

Cited by 108 publications

(103 citation statements)

References 29 publications

(40 reference statements)

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“…If pumas and jaguars are partitioning the space throughout the day, encounter probabilities decrease and may allow coexistence (Ruth & Murphy, 2010). Large prey species abundance is also an important habitat component that favors the coexistence of large carnivores (Odden, Wegge & Fredriksen, 2010; Mitchell & Hebblewhite, 2012; Carter et al, 2015), and may have supported coexistence in our study area.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 62%

Jaguar interactions with pumas and prey at the northern edge of jaguars’ range

Gutiérrez-González

López‐González

2017

PeerJ

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We present the first study that evaluates jaguar-puma interactions in the arid lands of northern Mexico, where jaguars have their northernmost breeding population and both predators are persecuted for livestock depredation. We tested whether jaguars are the dominant species in this unique ecosystem, where: (1) pumas outnumber jaguars, (2) pumas are better adapted to arid environments, and (3) jaguars and pumas are of similar size. We analyzed four years of data with two approaches; a two species conditional occupancy model and an activity patterns analysis. We used camera location and prey presence as covariates for jaguar and puma detection and presence probabilities. We also explored overlap in activities of predators and prey. Where both species were detected, peccary presence was positively correlated with both jaguar and puma presence, whereas in areas where jaguars were detected but pumas were not, deer presence explained the probability of jaguar presence. We found that both predators were more likely to co-occur together than to be found independently, and so we rejected the hypothesis that jaguars were the dominant species in our study area. Predators were mainly nocturnal and their activity patterns overlapped by 60%. Jaguar, as compared with puma, overlapped more with deer and calves; puma overlapped with calves more than with other prey, suggesting a preference. We believe exploring predator relationships at different scales may help elucidate mechanisms that regulate their coexistence.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 62%

Jaguar interactions with pumas and prey at the northern edge of jaguars’ range

Gutiérrez-González

López‐González

2017

PeerJ

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“…However, large wild herbivores were not important food items for the common leopard, which concentrated on small‐to‐medium prey; accordingly, this cat preyed on sheep and goats approximately four times more than the tiger did (Table ; cf. Odden et al ., ; Harihar et al ., ) and these species fit within its preferred prey weight range (Hayward et al ., ; Lovari et al ., 2013 b ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Spatial partitioning has been reported (McDougal, ; Odden et al ., ) and, most likely, tigers can displace common leopards (Odden et al ., ; Harihar et al ., ) up to local extinction, in the long term (Barlow, ). Areas underutilized by tigers may work as refuges for common leopards (Odden et al ., ; cf. European genets Genetta genetta and Egyptian mongooses Herpestes ichneumon vs. Spanish lynxes Lynx pardinus , Palomares et al ., ; African wild dogs Lycaon pictus vs. lions Panthera leo , Mills & Gorman, ; cheetah Acinonyx jubatus vs. lions, Durant, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coexistence of the tiger and the common leopard in a prey‐rich area: the role of prey partitioning

et al. 2014

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Ecological theory predicts that sympatric species should avoid competition through diet, spatial and/or temporal partitioning. In carnivores, interference is widespread between species with similar diets. Smaller species are expected to differentiate their diet from that of larger, dominant ones, to reduce the risk of potentially lethal encounters. Interference has been reported between tigers and common leopards, with the former dominant over the latter. In 2009–2011, in an area of Terai, South‐West Nepal, we assessed food habits and prey selection of tigers and common leopards, to evaluate whether prey partitioning occurred between these large cats. Prey availability was high, both in terms of number of species (at least seven wild ungulates beside livestock, two primates and an array of smaller prey) and density (large ungulates, livestock and primates: 130.8–174.8 individuals per km2). Wild vertebrates were the staple of both cats (tigers: 82.7%; common leopards: 66.6%), but common leopards used livestock significantly more than tigers did. Diet breadth of leopards was c. 20% larger than that of tigers, indicating a broader trophic niche. Significant differences in prey use and selection occurred between tigers and leopards, with the former using large (i.e. >100 kg) prey more often and small (i.e. 5–25 kg) prey less often than the latter did. Medium‐sized prey were taken in comparable proportions by the two cats, with a great overlap of diet (Pianka index: 0.85). In conclusion, in our study area, apparently tigers and leopards did not base their coexistence on diet partitioning, suggesting a major role for spatial and/or temporal partitioning.

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“…In preyrich areas predators may coexist by exploiting different prey species (Karanth & Sunquist, 2000;Odden et al, 2010), whereas in areas of limited prey predators may compete with each other (Koshkarev, 1989;Harihar et al, 2011). In the mountains of Central Asia the diversity and abundance of wild ungulates are generally low.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Large carnivores and low diversity of optimal prey: a comparison of the diets of snow leopards Panthera uncia and wolves Canis lupus in Sarychat-Ertash Reserve in Kyrgyzstan

Jumabay-Uulu¹,

Wegge

Mishra

et al. 2013

Oryx

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In the cold and arid mountains of Central Asia, where the diversity and abundance of wild ungulates are generally low, resource partitioning among coexisting carnivores is probably less distinct than in prey-rich areas. Thus, similar-sized carnivores are likely to compete for food. We compared the summer diets of snow leopards Panthera uncia and wolves Canis lupus in Sarychat-Ertash Reserve in the Tien-Shan mountains of Kyrgyzstan, based on analysis of genetically confirmed scats. Abundances of the principal prey species, argali Ovis ammon and Siberian ibex Capra sibirica, were estimated from field surveys. The diets consisted of few species, with high interspecific overlap (Pianka's index 5 0.91). Argali was the predominant prey, with . 50% frequency of occurrence in both snow leopard and wolf scats. This was followed by Siberian ibex and marmots Marmota baibacina. Being largely unavailable, remains of livestock were not detected in any of the scats. In the snow leopard diet, proportions of argali and ibex were in line with the relative availabilities of these animals in the Reserve. This was in contrast to the diet of wolf, where argali occurred according to availability and ibex was significantly underrepresented. The high diet overlap indicates that the two predators might compete for food when the diversity of profitable, large prey is low. Competition may be more intense in winter, when marmots are not available. Hunting of argali and ibex outside the Reserve may be unsustainable and therefore reduce their abundances over time. This will affect both predators negatively and intensify competition for food. Reduction in ibex populations will directly affect the snow leopard, and the wolf is likely to be indirectly affected as a result of increased snow leopard predation of argali.

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Do tigers displace leopards? If so, why?

Cited by 108 publications

References 29 publications

Jaguar interactions with pumas and prey at the northern edge of jaguars’ range

Jaguar interactions with pumas and prey at the northern edge of jaguars’ range

Coexistence of the tiger and the common leopard in a prey‐rich area: the role of prey partitioning

Large carnivores and low diversity of optimal prey: a comparison of the diets of snow leopards Panthera uncia and wolves Canis lupus in Sarychat-Ertash Reserve in Kyrgyzstan

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