Home range size and habitat selection of Geoffroy’s cat (Leopardus geoffroyi, Felidae, Carnivora) in the pampas grassland

Abstract

This study examined the spatial ecology of Geoffroy ' s cats, Leopardus geoffroyi, living in a protected area surrounded by croplands in the Argentine grasslands. A total of six different adults were marked with 14 radio-collars from 2001 to 2005 but only three (one female and two males) produced a meaningful amount of data (54-135 positions). Total home range size was 8.83 ± 1.58 km 2 (100 % Minimum Convex Polygon) and 7.27 ± 2.23 km 2 (90 % Fixed Kernel). Core areas averaged 1.46 ± 0.84 km 2. Geoffroy ' s cats most frequently used Exotic Woodland areas followed by Rocky and Agricultural areas. All cats clearly avoided natural habitats and selected Exotic Woodland at the two levels of selection examined: within the study area and within home ranges. In our study area, Geoffroy ' s cats ' home ranges were larger than all those previously recorded in natural areas. The Geoffroy ' s cat preference for Exotic Wood patches and avoidance of natural grasslands was likely due to the degradation of natural habitats caused by a dense population of feral horses. We also argue that woodlands can play an important role in the ecology of this species, either as refuge, hunting area or for territorial marking, regardless of their origin.

Land use change and ecosystem service provision in Pampas and Campos grasslands of southern South America

“…The native grasslands of Río de la Plata grasslands region support several mammal species, such as the Molina's hog-nosed skunk (Conepatus chinga) (Castillo et al 2011, 2012), the Coypu (Myocastor coypus) (Guichon and Cassini 1999), Geoffroy's cats (Oncifelis geoffroyi) (Manfredi et al 2006(Manfredi et al , 2012) and short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis dimidiata) (Baladrón et al 2012). Landscape perturbation and land use change had different effects on the diversity, abundance, and distribution of rodent species depending on the initial fragmentation status of the landscape.…”

Species-Specific Responses of Carnivores to Human-Induced Landscape Changes in Central Argentina

“…4) Because the Pampas fox is the most ecologically adaptable species of the carnivore guild of the Espinal, we expected that it would show a less marked response to landscape composition than more selective species, such as Geoffroy’s cat. 5) Based on what is known by their respective habitat preferences, we expected that skunks would make intensive use of croplands located in proximity of comparatively more densely vegetated patches [ 36 , 37 ], whereas Geoffroy’s cat would show an association with the habitat with the densest cover of natural vegetation, namely the shrubland [ 38 ].…”

Density and spatio-temporal behaviour of Geoffroy's cats in a human-dominated landscape of southern Brazil

“…However, there seems to be a limit to this adaptability (Castillo et al, 2008), since totally open areas such as dry grasslands appear to be unsuitable (Caruso et al, 2016;Manfredi et al, 2012). In this study, we observed that this Geoffroy"s cat population did not use environmental resources uniformly, selecting areas that were more distant from roads and closer to water and native forest.…”