Landscapes attributes and their consequences on jaguar Panthera onca and cattle depredation occurrence

Over 80% of Atlantic Forest remnants are <50 ha and protected areas are embedded in a matrix dominated by human activities, undermining the long-term persistence of carnivores. The ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) is an opportunistic species, but little is known about its tolerance to habitat alterations and the influence of other species on its occupancy in Atlantic Forest remnants. We used camera traps to assess ocelot occupancy in protected areas of Atlantic Forest in southeastern Brazil. We found a positive correlation between the occupancy of ocelots and top predators (jaguars, Panthera onca, and pumas, Puma concolor), and a weaker negative effect between the number of domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) detected and ocelot occupancy. Ocelot detection was higher at sites with more eucalyptus, suggesting that ocelots frequently use these areas. Better-protected areas surrounded by permeable matrices may be critical to the persistence of ocelots in the fragmented Atlantic Forest.Abstract in Portuguese is available with online material.

show abstract

“…, Zanin et al . ), future sampling designs should collect information on prey density and investigate its influence on ocelot occupancy.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors influencing ocelot occupancy in Brazilian Atlantic Forest reserves

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…, Zanin et al. ). As stealth predators, jaguars must evaluate and determine which habitats provide sufficient cover to remain hidden but are not so dense that prey cannot conduct effective surveillance.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Jaguars (Panthera onca) are the apex predator throughout Central and South America, are the largest felid in the Americas, and once existed from the southwestern border of the United States to the Rio Negro in Argentina (Macdonald and Loveridge 2010). The "near threatened" status of jaguars (Quigley et al 2017) in conjunction with their tendency to depredate cattle results in conflicts between conservationists and cattle ranchers and poses a challenge for effective management (Quigley and Crawshaw 1992, Zanin et al 2015. As stealth predators, jaguars must evaluate and determine which habitats provide sufficient cover to remain hidden but are not so dense that prey cannot conduct effective surveillance.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of behavioral state, sex, and season on resource selection by jaguars (Panthera onca): Always on the prowl?

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

How a predator uses its landscape to move through its territory and acquire prey is a fundamental question for scientific research. The influence of abiotic and biotic factors on space use of large carnivores has profound implications for their future management and conservation. In the Pantanal, Brazil, jaguars (Panthera onca) are the apex predator, but conflicts with cattle depredations pose a risk to their future conservation. We examined whether behavioral state, sex, and season influenced how jaguars used the landscape in the Pantanal. To accomplish this, we radio‐collared four females and six males; radio‐collared jaguars were monitored for 76 radio‐months with 11,787 GPS locations acquired. We developed resource selection functions (RSFs) examining how female and male jaguars used their landscape during three behavioral states (moving, killing native prey, killing cattle) during two seasons (dry, wet). From the RSF models, we found similar variables and relationships of landscape characteristics that jaguars selected for when moving and when depredating native prey and cattle. While moving, jaguars selected for locations that were either in dense cover or very near dense cover, with higher plant diversity and closer to water than available across the landscape. While null models suggested jaguars opportunistically depredated native prey in the dry season and cattle in the wet season, there was some indication they selected for specific landscape characteristics, mainly dense cover when killing cattle in the dry season and native prey in the wet season. Both sexes killed native prey and cattle within dense cover or close to dense cover as expected of an ambush predator. Particular habitat types were not important as long as there was dense cover for concealment. Additionally, jaguars killed prey closer to water than was available on the landscape. The similar variables across the models showed the importance of dense cover and distance to dense cover during all three behavioral states indicating jaguars in the Pantanal were “always on the prowl.” Understanding the spatial requirements for jaguars during the acquisition of native prey and cattle may lead to improved management strategies to allow for continued coexistence of jaguars in an area of traditional cattle production.

show abstract

“…Predators should use space in such a way as to maximize their foraging success and they would be expected to prefer habitats in which their prey are more common or vulnerable (Luttbeg & Sih, 2004;Gorini et al, 2012). In fact, a number of studies have shown that the presence of predators tends to be correlated positively with prey density (Milakovic et al, 2011;Zanin et al, 2015). Even so, predator-prey interactions are complex and include a series of behavioral mediators, such as social organization, diet, ranging and temporal segregation (Berger, 2010;Dias, Campos & Rodrigues, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feline predator–prey relationships in a semi‐arid biome in Brazil

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The spatiotemporal distribution of a predator within an environment tends to be synchronized with that of its prey, to maximize the efficiency of its hunting behavior. However, small predators may also be obliged to avoid potentially agonistic encounters with larger predators due to interspecific competition and intraguild predation. We used occupancy models and indices of temporal overlap to evaluate whether the occurrence of prey species, ocelots (Leopardus pardalis) and top predators (puma Puma concolor and jaguar Panthera onca) influenced the habitat use and activity patterns of the northern tiger cat (Leopardus tigrinus) and jaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi) in a region of the semi‐arid Caatinga biome in Bahia, northeastern Brazil. The occurrence of prey had a positive influence on the use of habitat by the small felids. The northern tiger cat was nocturnal‐crepuscular and presented a high degree of temporal overlap with Spix's cavy (Galea spixii) and the rock cavy (Kerodon rupestris). The jaguarundi was diurnal, by contrast and overlapped temporally with the agouti (Dasyprocta nigriclunis). The occurrence of the ocelot did not influence the habitat or daily activity pattern of the jaguarundi, but presented a high degree of temporal overlap with the northern tiger cat, which adopted a strategy of spatial segregation to avoid direct contact with this dominant competitor. The top predators did not influence the spatiotemporal distribution of the small felids, indicating that their niches are segregated by dietary parameters related to differences in body size. Our results indicate that the availability of prey has a more profound influence on the spatiotemporal ecology of the small felids than the occurrence of the top predators, although the presence of the northern tiger cat appeared to be correlated negatively with that of the ocelot. We believe that environmental factors, such as the conservation status, size and isolation of native habitats, may have a fundamental influence on the strategies adopted by the northern tiger cat to mediate its coexistence with the ocelot.

show abstract

Landscapes attributes and their consequences on jaguar Panthera onca and cattle depredation occurrence

Cited by 11 publications

References 56 publications

Factors influencing ocelot occupancy in Brazilian Atlantic Forest reserves

Factors influencing ocelot occupancy in Brazilian Atlantic Forest reserves

Influence of behavioral state, sex, and season on resource selection by jaguars (Panthera onca): Always on the prowl?

Feline predator–prey relationships in a semi‐arid biome in Brazil

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About