Coexistence of jaguars (Panthera onca) and pumas (Puma concolor) in a tropical forest in south–eastern Mexico

D M Ávila–Nájera,J Palacios–Pérez,C Chávez,B Tigar,S Pérez–Elizalde

doi:10.32800/abc.2020.43.0055

Abstract

The biological ranges of the jaguar (Panthera onca) and puma (Puma concolor) overlap in the Yucatan Peninsula, corresponding to the most important population of jaguars in Mexico. The goal of this study in the El Eden Ecological Reserve (EER) was to investigate the factors that permit these two predators to coexist in the dense vegetation of medium–stature tropical forest and secondary forest in the north–eastern Yucatan Peninsula. We assessed their spatial and temporal overlap using Pianka’s index, and evaluated their habitat use by applying occupancy models. A total sampling effort of 7,159 trap–nights over 4 years produced 142 independent photographic records of jaguars, and 134 of pumas. The felids showed high to very high overlap in their use of different vegetation (0.68–0.99) and trail types (0.63–0.97) and in their activity patterns (0.81–0.90). However, their peak activity patterns showed some temporal separation. Time of day, particularly for peak activity time, was the best predictor to explain the coexistence of the felids in this habitat. While occupancy models showed that the presence of potential prey species and vegetation type could predict the presence of felids in the study area. Natural disturbances during 2010 (hurricane) and 2011 (fire) drastically changed habitat use and activity patterns, resulting in pumas and jaguars adjusting their resource–use and activity pattern through a strategy of mutual evasion.

Highlights

Jaguars (Panthera onca) and pumas (Puma concolor) occur sympatrically in their neotropical ranges, with both species experiencing continued range contractions resulting from habitat loss and fragmentation, and anthropogenic activites including direct persecution (Sanderson et al, 2002; Scognamillo et al, 2003)
The El Eden Ecological Reserve covers an area of 3,077 ha of the northernmost tropical forests of North America, and is congruent with the larger Yum Balam Protected Area (Navarro et al, 2007)
During the study most jaguars were recorded in secondary forest (80 %) as seen in 2008, 2010 and 2012 (95 %, 62 % and 75 % respectively), the majority of sightings in 2011 were from medium stature tropical forest (MSTF) (71 %)

Summary

Introduction

Jaguars (Panthera onca) and pumas (Puma concolor) occur sympatrically in their neotropical ranges, with both species experiencing continued range contractions resulting from habitat loss and fragmentation, and anthropogenic activites including direct persecution (Sanderson et al, 2002; Scognamillo et al, 2003). Complex interactions between coexisting jaguars and pumas are related to their habitat and prey use (Woodroffe, 2001; Scognamillo et al, 2003; Foster et al, 2010a, 2010b; Sollman et al, 2012). Examples of dietary specialization include the dominant species —usually considered to be the jaguar (Sollman et al, 2012)— selecting larger prey, and changes to niche breadth seen from differential prey selection by size, age and taxa (Gittleman, 1985; Aranda, 1994; Karanth and Sunquist, 1995; Aranda and Sánchez–Cordero, 1996; Taber et al, 1997; Karanth and Nichols, 1998; Núñez et al, 2000; Scognamillo et al, 2003; Chávez, 2010; Di Bitetti et al, 2010; Foster et al, 2013)

Methods

Results

Conclusion