Jaguarundi (Puma yagouaroundi) (Geoffroy, 1803) (Carnivora, Felidae) food habits in a mosaic of Atlantic Rainforest and eucalypt plantations of southeastern Brazil

Cf Tófoli,Ezf Setz,F Rohe

doi:10.1590/s1519-69842009000400015

Abstract

Food habits of jaguarundi (Puma yagouaroundi) (Geoffroy, 1803) (Carnivora, Felidae) were studied between November 2000 and November 2001, in a 24.9 km(2) area of secondary Atlantic Rainforest and eucalypt plantation, in the Serra de Paranapiacaba, São Paulo State, Brazil. Analyses of 26 fecal and regurgitate samples, obtained over a stretch of 570.1 km, showed the consumption of 19 prey items and 74 prey occurrences. Small mammals were the most frequent food item (42.5%), followed by birds (21%), reptiles (14%) and medium-sized mammals (3%). The percent occurrence (PO) suggests that the diet consisted mainly of small rodents (30%) and birds (21%). We recorded for the first time the predation of Viperidae snakes by P. yagouaroundi. Although having a large list of items and range of dietary niche breadths (Bsta = 0.76), our data show that jaguarundi prey mainly on small vertebrates (mammals, birds or reptiles), and even in tall tropical forests or eucalypt plantations, it preys mostly on animals that come to, or live on, the ground.

Highlights

The mesopredator release hypothesis predicted that the decline of large predators would result in the ecological release of mesopredators, and that increased predation would result in higher mortality and local extinction rates of some prey species (Fonseca and Robinson, 1990; Crooks and Soulé, 1999)
All jaguarundi samples were found on dirt roads, none on trails
In Pilar do Sul, jaguarundi had the more diverse prey list (19 items), and at least three items recorded for the first time

Summary

Introduction

The mesopredator release hypothesis predicted that the decline of large predators would result in the ecological release of mesopredators (small to medium-sized carnivores and omnivores), and that increased predation would result in higher mortality and local extinction rates of some prey species (Fonseca and Robinson, 1990; Crooks and Soulé, 1999). Mesopredators can act as a substitute of top predators and produce ripple effects on plant and animal communities (Terborgh et al, 1999), decreasing population densities of small vertebrate prey (Crooks and Soulé, 1999) or indirectly causing important top-down changes in vegetation structure and species diversity (Dirzo and Miranda, 1990). 1803) (Carnivora, Felidae) food habits it is possible to detect the presence of mesocarnivores, herbivores and/or seed predators (Bisbal, 1986; Mondolfi, 1986; Konecny, 1989; Olmos, 1993; Facure and Giaretta, 1996; Wang, 1999; Guerrero et al, 2002)

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Conclusion