Winter Territoriality in Mountain Lions

Abstract

This paper, covering the first 4 years of a continuing study, reports on preliminary findings concerning territoriality and its function in a mountain lion (Felis concolor) population. The research was carried out in the Idaho Primitive Area in central Idaho. Forty-three different lions were captured and marked during four winter and early spring seasons. Thirty-one individuals were recaptured 89 times, making a total of 132 captures during the study. Nine resident adults, captured a total of 59 times, provided the bulk of the data on home range and territoriality. Minimum size of the males' win- ter home range was constant from year to year, but it varied for females, depending upon their repro- ductive status. The smallest winter home range for a female, during a single season, was approximately 5 square miles, the largest approximately 20 square miles. Males utilized larger areas. Resident male lions occupied distinct winter territories without overlap, but resident females shared some common areas. Male territories overlapped those of females. Lions exhibited a high degree of tolerant but unso- cial behavior. No evidence of territorial defense was noted. Transient lions of both sexes moved freely through occupied territories. A mutual avoidance behavioral mechanism acted to distribute lions in both time and space. Visual and olfactory marks serve to facilitate avoidance between lions.