Surplus killing of olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivace) by jaguar (Panthera onca) in Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica

Abstract

Surplus killing is a rare behavior in large predators and its documentation has been scarce. This phenomenon has been observed mostly in carnivores and comprises on the predation of several prey in a short period that eventually would not be consumed, this behavior presents a challenge to ecological theory because it appears to be a waste of energy. Although there are several records of surplus killing behavior for the Panthera genus, this behavior has not been reported on free roaming jaguar ( Panthera onca ) populations. Hence, this report describes in-situ evidence of surplus killing by jaguars during the arribada massive nesting on olive ridleys ( Lepidochelys olivacea ) in Nancite beach, Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica. This new report has interesting implications for food web theory, as it shows that under certain circumstances some predators are capable of killing more prey than they can consume, showing how strong the hunting instinct can be for certain species.