Time partitioning between jaguar Panthera onca, puma Puma concolor and ocelot Leopardus pardalis (Carnivora: Felidae) in Costa Rica’s dry and rainforests

Hansel Herrera,Luis Diego Alfaro,Eduardo Carrillo,Flávio Rodrigues,Victor Montalvo,Todd Fuller,Elpis Joan Chávez

doi:10.15517/rbt.v66i4.32895

Abstract

Segregation of the daily activity patterns is considered and important mechanism facilitating the coexistance of competing species. Here, we evaluated if temporal separation existed among jaguar (Panthera onca), puma (Puma concolor) and ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) and if their activity patterns were related to that of a particular prey. We used camera trap records to estimate the activity schedules of these predators and their prey. We used the coefficient of overlapping (Δ; ranging from 0 to 1) to quantify the temporal interactions between predators and prey, and calculated confidence intervals from bootstrap samples. Strong temporal overlap occurred among the three felids (Δ = 0.63 - 0.82) in both dry and rainforests. However, a greater temporal separation was observed between the closest competitors (jaguar and puma, puma and ocelot). Jaguar and puma had a strong temporal overlap with medium and large-sized prey, while ocelots’ activity matched that of small-sized prey. High overlapping coefficients among the felids suggest that temporal segregation is not the main mechanism facilitating their coexistence in these areas. However, fine-scale or spatiotemporal differences in their activity patterns might contribute to their coexistence in tropical environments.

Highlights

Niche segregation is frequently proposed as a mechanism by which multiple species may coexist (MacArthur & Levins, 1967; Schoener, 1974; Karanth & Sunquist, 2000; Davies, Meiri, Barraclough, & Gittleman, 2007)
Given the high dietary overlap observed between jaguars and pumas (Emmons, 1987; Taber et al, 1997; Nuñez et al, 2000; Crawshaw & Quigley, 2002; Leite & Galvaõ, 2002; Scognamillo, Maxit, Sunquist, & Polisar, 2003; Novack, Main, Sunquist, & Labisky, 2005) and between pumas and ocelots (Emmons, 1987; Rabinowitz & Nottingham, 1986; Sunquist & Sunquist, 2002), coexistence among these felids suggests they have evolved behavioral traits that ecologically separate them or that resources are abundant enough that sharing does not negatively affect either species (Emmons, 1987; Nuñez et al, 2000)
We evaluated if temporal separation existed among three species of neotropical felids and if their activity patterns were related to that of a particular prey

Summary

Introduction

Niche segregation is frequently proposed as a mechanism by which multiple species may coexist (MacArthur & Levins, 1967; Schoener, 1974; Karanth & Sunquist, 2000; Davies, Meiri, Barraclough, & Gittleman, 2007). Felid activity was slightly higher in the rainforests of CNP, where jaguars, pumas and ocelots were active 64 % (CI: 0.36-0.69), 71 % (CI: 0.510.82) and 52 % (CI: 0.37-0.56) of the time, respectively; compared to % (CI: 0.47-0.65), % (CI: 0.41-0.72) and 40 % (CI: 0.32-0.50) of the time at SRNP.

Results

Conclusion