Geoffroy's Cat Research Articles

Genetic structure and climate niche differentiation among populations of Leopardus geoffroyi.

Geoffroy's cat (Leopardus geoffroyi) is a small-sized felid native to South America. Given the species' distribution covering a wide variety of habitats, and the presence of high levels of anthropization in part of its range, it is possible that genetically differentiated groups exist and that they occupy different climatic niches. We assessed patterns of contemporary genetic diversity and structure in the species across most of its range, characterizing each inferred genetic group based on ecological niche models. We genotyped 11 microsatellites for 142 samples covering most of Geoffroy's cat distribution, and investigated patterns of genetic structure and diversity, applying spatial and nonspatial Bayesian clustering methods and a spatial principal component analysis. We created ecological niche models for each genetic cluster, evaluating whether these clusters occupy different climatic spaces and display differences in the suitability of different values of the climatic variables analyzed. We identified two genetic clusters, one in the north-northeast and the other in the south-southwest of the species' distribution. These clusters showed moderate FST values between them and differences in dispersal/genetic diversity. We found isolation-by-distance patterns globally and within each cluster. We observed lower expected heterozygosity compared with other studies and a north-south gradient in allelic richness. The southern cluster showed lower genetic variability and a more restricted climatic niche suggesting that this group is more vulnerable to the effects of the current context of climate change. Individuals from the southern genetic cluster are under different pressures, likely a product of the particularly dry habitat they occupy. Climatic variables associated with habitat suitability suggest the southern cluster has affinity for the arid and semiarid conditions present in its distribution. Conservation measures should consider the genetic structure observed and differences in climatic spaces to maintain the evolutionary potential of the species.

Do exotic invasive mammals disturb the native fauna? Spatiotemporal distribution and overlap between species in a national park of Argentina.

Monitoring the invasive exotic species and their effect on native fauna is fundamental for their effective control. The objective of this research is to evaluate the spatiotemporal distribution and overlap of medium-large-sized fauna in El Palmar National Park, Argentina, to consider potential negative interactions between native and exotic species. Camera traps were distributed in 27 sites between 2017 and 2019. Spatial and temporal overlap was estimated for every pair of exotic-native taxa. With 2673 camera days, two exotic and seven native taxa were recorded. All species were distributed along the extension of the National Park but in different numbers of sites. Exotic axis deer (Axis axis) was recorded in all sites but one, and exotic wild boar (Sus scrofa) occurred at only one-third of the sites surveyed. The occurrence of native mammals ranged between 26% (Geoffroy's cat, Leopardus geoffroyi) and 67% (capybara, Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris). Spatial overlap between native and exotic species was high overall and was higher in winter when species moved over larger areas to look for limited resources. Except for greater rhea (Rhea americana), which was diurnal, all species had crepuscular or nocturnal patterns. Both exotic species had an intermediate/high overlap in their activity pattern with almost all native species, including some species with similar diets, but the hours of their maximum activities did not strictly coincide. However, the existence of differences in the exotic species' activity patterns compared to their patterns in other areas where they inhabit could indicate segregation in daily activity to relax competition.

Leptospira borgptersenii and Leptospira interrogans identified in wild mammals in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Leptospira spp. are bacteria responsible for leptospirosis, a zoonotic disease with considerable impacts on the economy, animal health, and public health. This disease has a global distribution and is particularly prevalent in Brazil. Both rural and urban environments are habitats for Leptospira spp., which are primarily transmitted through contact with the urine of infected animals. Consequently, domestic and wild species can harbor these prokaryotes and serve as infection sources for other hosts. In the context of wild animals, there is a dearth of molecular studies elucidating the roles of various animal and bacterial species in the epidemiology of leptospirosis. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the presence of Leptospira spp. DNA in different species of free-living and captive wild animals and to assess the phylogenetic relationships of the identified microorganisms in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The samples were evaluated for the presence of the gene lipL32 by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing of the amplified fragment after which phylogenetic analyzes were carried out. DNA from Leptospira spp. was extracted from kidney tissue from wild animals (Mammalia class). Pathogenic Leptospira spp. DNA was detected in 9.6% (11/114) of the samples, originating from nine species of wild animals, including the white-eared opossum (Didelphis albiventris), skunk (Conepatus chinga), geoffroy's cat (Leopardus geoffroyi), margay (Leopardus wiedii), pampas fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus), capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus), neotropical river otter (Lontra longicaudis), and european hare (Lepus europaeus). Phylogenetic analysis revealed the presence of Leptospira borgpetersenii and Leptospira interrogans in these animals. This research is the first study contributing to the epidemiology of leptospirosis by identifying L. borgpetersenii and L. interrogans in free-living and captive wild animals in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, potentially acting as bacterial reservoirs. Additionally, our findings can inform sanitary measures for controlling and preventing the disease, thereby safeguarding public health.

Spatial distribution and daily activity patterns of three carnivore species in temperate grasslands of southern Brazil and northern Uruguay

In the temperate grasslands of southern Brazil and northern Uruguay, three species of mesopredators have similar size, are in the same guild, and they seem to tolerate anthropogenic modifications. Sympatric species from the same trophic guild tend to divide resources both spatially and temporally to facilitate coexistence. The aim of this study was to determine the patterns of the periods of daily activity and habitat use through different detection and occupancy models, of Cerdocyon thous (crab-eating fox), Lycalopex gymnocercus (pampas fox) and Leopardus geoffroyi (geoffroy's cat) in the mosaic of landscapes of anthropic domain in the Uruguayan Savanna ecoregion, through camera trap records. A total of 66 cameras were installed, divided into the 3 main environments, with a distance of 2 km between each camera to maintain the independence of the records, achieving a real sampling effort of 4,756 trap nights. The three mesocarnivores considered in this study were predominantly nocturnal. Cerdocyon thous presented a vesperal-nocturnal activity pattern, being sunset the moment of highest activity, in contrast, L. gymnocercus presented highest activity at sunrise, being crepuscular-nocturnal. These opposite daily activity patterns among foxes species have not been recorded in other regions. With respect to L. geoffroyi, these specie presented a mostly nocturnal activity pattern. Regarding the use of habitats by the species after applying different models, the highest probability of detection and occupation of C. thous and L. geoffroyi was in the native forest environment and for L. gymnocercus was the natural grassland. Even the preference of L. geoffroyi for the native forest environment, these species presented a certain degree of adaptability for habitats with alterations produced by agricultural activities. The results obtained represent a very important contribution to the region in which this study was carried out, as well as allowing us to compare the results with other studies with these species in other regions.

Extensive Phylogenomic Discordance and the Complex Evolutionary History of the Neotropical Cat Genus Leopardus.

Even in the genomics era, the phylogeny of Neotropical small felids comprised in the genus Leopardus remains contentious. We used whole-genome resequencing data to construct a time-calibrated consensus phylogeny of this group, quantify phylogenomic discordance, test for interspecies introgression, and assess patterns of genetic diversity and demographic history. We infer that the Leopardus radiation started in the Early Pliocene as an initial speciation burst, followed by another in its subgenus Oncifelis during the Early Pleistocene. Our findings challenge the long-held notion that ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) and margay (L. wiedii) are sister species and instead indicate that margay is most closely related to the enigmatic Andean cat (L. jacobita), whose whole-genome data are reported here for the first time. In addition, we found that the newly sampled Andean tiger cat (L. tigrinus pardinoides) population from Colombia associates closely with Central American tiger cats (L. tigrinus oncilla). Genealogical discordance was largely attributable to incomplete lineage sorting, yet was augmented by strong gene flow between ocelot and the ancestral branch of Oncifelis, as well as between Geoffroy's cat (L. geoffroyi) and southern tiger cat (L. guttulus). Contrasting demographic trajectories have led to disparate levels of current genomic diversity, with a nearly tenfold difference in heterozygosity between Andean cat and ocelot, spanning the entire range of variability found in extant felids. Our analyses improved our understanding of the speciation history and diversity patterns in this felid radiation, and highlight the benefits to phylogenomic inference of embracing the many heterogeneous signals scattered across the genome.

Diverse data sources and new statistical models offer prospects for improving the predictability of anthropogenic hybridization.

Human disturbance can theoretically influence the rates of hybridization, but few studies have convincingly identified a causal link. Grabenstein et al. (2022) used a genomic and phenotypic study of chickadees to associate hybridization with human disturbance. Additionally, this is consistent with citizen science reports of chickadee hybrids across the range. We highlight the exciting aspects of this work and make suggestions about a role for broad geographic and genomic sampling, and new statistical methods to better connect hybridization outcomes to anthropogenic disturbance in diverse study systems.

Role of light/dark schedules on daily pattern of total locomotor activity in wild and domestic felids

Circadian rhythms of the physiological and behavioral variability are an inherent property of mammals, and closely related to environmental factors. Light is the best-known environmental entrainment of the circadian pacemaker. The aim of the present study was to investigate the light/dark (L/D) cycle role on the entrainment of the total locomotor activity daily rhythm recorded by means of an activity data logger in felids. 5 Geoffroy’s cats, 5 jaguarondi, and 5 domestic cats were subjected to 12/12 light/dark cycle (L/D1), constant light (L/L), and 12/12 light/dark cycle (L/D2). Food and water were available ad libitum. Four rhythmic parameters (mesor, am- plitude, acrophase, and robustness) were assessed and compared among the 3 species, the L/D schedules, and the days of monitoring. Daily rhythmicity of total locomotor activity was observed in all L/D schedules, in the 3 species. An influence of L/D schedules, species, and days of monitoring on the circadian parameters of total locomotor activity daily rhythm was observed. Mesor, amplitude, and robustness of rhythm were statistically different among L/D schedules, species, and day of monitoring. Acrophase was statistically different among L/D schedules and species. Acrophase was observed during the scotophase in Geoffroy’s cats and domestic cats. A significant effect of photoperiod was observed in Geoffroy's cats with a shift in L/L respect to L/D1. Our result showed that locomotor activity in felids is endogenously generated, it is peculiar to each species investigated, and that 9 days were not enough to re-establish the daily rhythmicity due to the L/D cycle.

Interactions Between an Apex Predator and Mesopredators Across a Landscape with Human Interference

Photo 1. In the Caldén forest region of central Argentina, we installed 16 camera traps in each of 45 10 × 10-km grid cells, covering 61,611 km2, to determine interactions between carnivores and explore contributions of habitat, biotic, and anthropic factors on co-occurrence. The carnivore guild was constituted of the puma, Puma concolor (top predator; upper center of photograph), and subordinate predators (under puma, from left to right: pampas fox, Pseudalopex gymnocercus; pampas cat, Leopardus colocolo; Geoffroy's cat, Leopardus geoffroyi; and Molina's hog-nosed skunk, Conepatus chinga). Geoffroy's cats and skunks spatially avoided pumas (negative sign), but pumas did not influence pampas fox or pampas cat space use (equal sign). Photograph credits: José H. Sarasola and Juan I. Zanón Martínez. Photo 2. The study area corresponds to the Espinal phytogeographic province, mainly occupied by the Caldén forest (left), but includes interspersed sand grasslands and salt deposits (right). This forest is a xerophilic forest ecosystem dominated by Caldén trees (Prosopis caldenia), covering from 30% to 50%, and grasslands predominating over bushes. The topography is characterized by plateaus, valleys, hills, and low-altitude plains (<200 m). Photograph credit: José H. Sarasola. These photographs illustrate the article “Assessing carnivore spatial co-occurrence and temporal overlap in the face of human interference in a semiarid forest” by Juan I. Zanón Martínez, Javier Seoane, Marcella J. Kelly, José Hernán Sarasola, and Alejandro Travaini published in Ecological Applications. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2482.

Assessing carnivore spatial co-occurrence and temporal overlap in the face of human interference in a semiarid forest.

Apex predators drive top-down effects in ecosystems and the loss of such species can trigger mesopredator release. This ecological process has been well documented in human-modified small areas, but for management and conservation of ecological communities, it is important to know which human factors affect apex predator occurrence and which mediate mesopredators release at large scales. We hypothesized that mesopredators would avoid spatial and temporal overlap with the apex predator, the puma; but that human perturbations (i.e., cattle raising and trophy hunting) would dampen top-down effects and mediate habitat use. We installed 16 camera traps in each of 45, 10 × 10 km grid cells in the Caldén forest region of central Argentina resulting in 706 total stations covering 61,611 km2 . We used single-season occupancy and two-species co-occurrence models and calculated the species interaction factor (SIF) to explore the contributions of habitat, biotic, and anthropic variables in explaining co-occurrence between carnivore pairs. We also used kernel density estimation techniques to analyze temporal overlap in activity patterns of the carnivore guild. We found that puma habitat use increased with abundance of large prey and with proximity to protected areas. Geoffroy's cats and skunks spatially avoided pumas and this effect was strong and mediated by distance to protected areas and game reserves, but pumas did not influence pampas fox and pampas cat space use. At medium and low levels of puma occupancy, we found evidence of spatial avoidance between three pairs of mesocarnivores. All predators were mostly nocturnal and crepuscular across seasons and mesopredators showed little consistent evidence of changing activity patterns with varying levels of puma occupancy or human interference. We found potential for mesopredator release at large scale, especially on the spatial niche axis. Our results suggest that a combination of interacting factors, in conjunction with habitat features and intervening human activities, may make mesopredator release unlikely or difficult to discern at broad scales. Overall, we believe that promoting the creation of new protected areas linked by small forest patches would likely lead to increased predator and prey abundances, as well as the interactions among carnivores inside and outside of protected areas.

Prevalence and type of ocular disease in a population of aged captive nondomestic felids.

Report of prevalence and type of ocular disease in a captive population of nondomestic felids. Medical records of 202 cats from 1993 to 2018 were reviewed. Species, age at diagnosis, sex, ocular examination abnormalities, systemic/physical examination abnormalities, type of examination (visual, sedated, or anesthetized), ocular structures affected, other diagnostics, therapy, and resolution of ocular disease were recorded. A total of 202 nondomestic felids including 18 different species (bobcat, caracal, cougar, Fishing cat, Geoffroy's cat, jaguar, jungle cat, leopard, leopard cat, liger, lion, lynx, ocelot, Sand cat, Savannah cat, serval, snow leopard, and tiger) from a rescue facility were evaluated. Forty-six ocular lesions were diagnosed in 33 (16.3%) cats from 8 different species (bobcat, caracal, cougar, leopard, lion, ocelot, serval, and tiger) with a mean age of 16±5.9years at time of diagnosis. Ocular lesions included corneal disease (37%) (ulcerations, perforations, keratitis, corneal scars), cataracts (23.9%), hyphema (8.7%), lens luxation (6.5%), retinal detachment (6.5%), uveitis (4.3%), conjunctival disease (4.3%), retinal degeneration (2.1%), glaucoma (2.1%), and optic neuritis (2.1%). Therapies included medical (topical antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, serum, etc.) and/or surgical management (enucleation, intracapsular lens extraction, corneoconjunctival transposition, and corneal burr debridement). To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of the prevalence of ocular disease in a population of captive nondomestic felids. It is difficult to diagnose and treat ocular disease in nondomestic cats due to challenges related to handling, diagnostics, and therapeutics in nondomestic species. Ocular disease seen in this population is similar to that found in domestic cat populations.

Ticks, mites, fleas, and vector-borne pathogens in free-ranging neotropical wild felids from southern Brazil

The study of vectors and vector-borne diseases associated with ectoparasites from free-living Neotropical small wild felids is scarce, and the few existing studies on this theme focused on the genus Panthera, Paleartic species or in captive animals. For this reason, the aim of this study was to identify the diversity of ectoparasites and potentially associated Rickettsia and Bartonella species in free-ranging neotropical wild cats collected in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. A total of 82 ticks, 10 fleas and 22 mites were collected from 18 Geoffroy's cats (Leopardus geoffroyi), 11 margays (Leopardus wiedii), two southern tiger cats (Leopardus guttulus), two jaguarundis (Herpailurus yagouaroundi), three ocelots (Leopardus pardalis) and two pumas (Puma concolor). We identified four tick species: Rhipicephalus microplus and three species from genus Amblyomma, the most frequent being Amblyomma aureolatum; three flea species corresponding to Ctenocephalides felis, Xenopsylla cheopis, and Pulex irritans; and one mite of genus Eutrombicula. In ectoparasites we found DNA of Rickettsia parkeri and Rickettsia asembonensis in ticks and DNA of Bartonella clarridgeiae, Bartonella sp. and R. asembonensis in fleas. Our results highlight the evidences of vectors and vector-borne agents in wild animals, and their potential wide distribution in the Pampa biome and the southernmost portion of the Atlantic Rainforest in Brazil.

The role of the environment in the spatial dynamics of an extensive hybrid zone between two neotropical cats.

Identifying factors that create and maintain a hybrid zone is of great interest to ecology, evolution and, more recently, conservation biology. Here, we investigated the role of environmental features in shaping the spatial dynamics of a hybrid zone between the southern tigrina, Leopardus guttulus, and Geoffroy's cat, L.geoffroyi, testing for exogenous selection as the main force acting on its maintenance. These Neotropical felid species are mainly allopatric, with a restricted area of sympatry in the ecotone between the Atlantic Forest and Pampa biomes. As both biomes have experienced high rates of anthropogenic habitat alteration, we also analysed the influence of habitat conversion on the hybrid zone structure. To do this, we used 13 microsatellite loci to identify potential hybrids and generated ecological niche models for them and their parental species. We compared the influence of variables on parental species and hybrid occurrence and calculated the amount of niche overlap among them. Parental species showed different habitat requirements and predicted co-occurrence was restricted to the forest-grassland mosaic of the ecotone. However, hybrids were found beyond this area, mainly in the range of L.geoffroyi. Hybrids demonstrated higher tolerance to habitat alteration than parental types, with a probability of occurrence that was positively related with mosaics of cropland areas and remnants of natural vegetation. These results indicate that exogenous selection alone does not drive the dynamics of the hybrid zone, and that habitat conversion influences its structure, potentially favouring hybrids over parental species.

Multidrug Resistance in Enterococci Isolated From Wild Pampas Foxes (Lycalopex gymnocercus) and Geoffroy's Cats (Leopardus geoffroyi) in the Brazilian Pampa Biome.

Enterococci are ubiquitous microorganisms present in various environments and within the gastrointestinal tracts of humans and other animals. Notably, fecal enterococci are suitable indicators for monitoring antimicrobial resistance dissemination. Resistant bacterial strains recovered from the fecal samples of wild animals can highlight important aspects of environmental disturbances. In this report, we investigated antimicrobial susceptibility as well as resistance and virulence genes in fecal enterococci isolated from wild Pampas foxes (Lycalopex gymnocercus) (n = 5) and Geoffroy's cats (Leopardus geoffroyi) (n = 4) in the Brazilian Pampa biome. Enterococci were isolated from eight out of nine fecal samples and Enterococcus faecalis was identified in both animals. However, E. faecium and E. durans were only detected in Pampas foxes, while E. hirae was only detected in Geoffroy's cats. Antimicrobial susceptibility analysis showed resistance to rifampicin (94%), erythromycin (72.6%), ciprofloxacin/norfloxacin (40%), streptomycin (38%), and tetracycline (26%). The high frequency of multidrug-resistant enterococci (66%) isolated in this study is a matter of concern since these are wild animals with no history of therapeutic antibiotic exposure. The tetM/tetL and msrC/ermB genes were detected in most tetracycline- and erythromycin-resistant enterococci, respectively. The gelE, ace, agg, esp, and clyA virulence genes were also detected in enterococci. In conclusion, our data suggest that habitat fragmentation and anthropogenic activities in the Pampa biome may contribute to high frequencies of multidrug-resistant enterococci in the gut communities of wild Pampas foxes and Geoffroy's cats. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of antimicrobial-resistant enterococci in the Pampa biome.

Spatio-temporal interactions of carnivore species in a coastal ecosystem in Argentina

Land-sea interface is an ecotone where the intersection of marine and terrestrial ecosystems create unique ecological conditions for terrestrial mobile species and freshwater-adapted organisms to exploit marine-derived food resources. Mammalian carnivores play an important role in almost any ecosystem where they live due to their top-down (or trophic cascade) effects on prey species and primary producers, thus structuring ecosystems along varied food-web pathways. We use camera trapping to study the patterns of coexistence, habitat use and activity pattern of carnivores species in a coastal area in southern Buenos Aires province, Argentina. We were able to detect five of the seven species of Mammalian carnivores being the Pampas fox Lycalopex gymnocercus and Geoffroy's cat Leopardus geoffroyi the two most common. Geoffroy's cat seems to use more intensively those areas close to the shoreline, while we found little support of it for Pampas fox; which seems to use more inland areas. Congruently, we found evidence of a lack of spatial and, to a lower extent, temporal avoidance between the two most common carnivore species of our study area. Our findings support those previous studies indicating that the coastal dunes have an important role in the conservation of the biodiversity of Buenos Aires province. Wildlife conservation is compatible with carefully-designed ecotourism and limited infrastructure development and this may be a unique chance for the areas of Buenos Aires coast that have not been affected yet by poorly planned, conservation-unfriendly urbanization.

Density and spatio-temporal behaviour of Geoffroy's cats in a human-dominated landscape of southern Brazil

Geoffroy’s cat is a small Neotropical felid, seemingly abundant throughout most of its range and exhibiting considerable ecological plasticity. In Brazil, the species is restricted to the Pampas, one of the most threatened biomes in the country, where information on its ecology is scarce. Here we report the first assessments of its density, habitat selection, and activity patterns in Brazil. The study was conducted in human-dominated landscape at the extreme south of the country. Using Spatially Explicit Capture-Recapture (SECR) analyses, the estimated population density ranged from 34.54 (±13.51 SE), based on camera trap and radio-telemetry data, to 41.78 (±16.12 SE) individuals/100 km², based only on camera trap data. A Resource Selection Function (RSF) analysis showed that our study population selected sites with native forest and rivers, and avoided areas close to roads, which probably implies avoidance of human contact. Although we observed a slight increase in its nocturnal activity during spring-summer with respect to fall-winter, this population was predominantly nocturnal throughout the year. The use of grasslands and croplands (non-protected areas) was non-uniformly distributed through the hours of the day, whereas native forest was used more uniformly.

Spatial organization and social dynamics of Geoffroy’s cat in the Brazilian pampas

Geoffroy's cat (Leopardus geoffroyi) is a small Neotropical felid whose social behavior remains poorly understood. We used simultaneous radiotelemetry (4 males and 3 females) and camera trapping to examine the spatial structure and dynamics of a population of this species in the Brazilian pampas (part of the Uruguayan Savannah ecoregion), including assessment of interindividual genetic relatedness. Home ranges (HRs) and core areas of males were larger than those of females. Males were significantly heavier than females, and linear regression analyses indicated that body mass of males significantly influenced HR size, whereas the relationship was not significant for females. When we performed a joint analysis comparing our data to those reported previously for other study sites, we observed the same patterns. We detected extensive HR and core area overlap among most of our monitored individuals, with no clear sex-based pattern. Moreover, our molecular data indicated that most of the sampled individuals were unrelated, and that the levels of HR and core area overlap were not significantly influenced by genetic relatedness. These results suggest that some interindividual tolerance and relaxation in territoriality may occur in Geoffroy's cat. We detected only minor changes in HR and core area size and overlap between seasons, indicating that the spatial structure we observed was temporally stable. On a broader perspective, our cross-site comparisons illustrate the usefulness of performing multiple ecological studies employing comparable methods at different locations to better understand the ecology of wild felid populations.

Carnivore occurrence: do interview-based surveys produce unreliable results?

AbstractInterviews with local people have been widely used by biologists as a cost-effective approach to studying certain topics in wildlife ecology and conservation. However, doubts still exist about the validity and quality of the information gathered, especially in studies targeting cryptic or elusive species, such as carnivores. We assessed the reliability of interviews (n = 155) in detecting the presence of three species of carnivores with different characteristics, by comparing interview results with data obtained through camera trapping surveys at 52 sites in central Argentina. The degree of concordance between methods was low for Geoffroy's cat Leopardus geoffroyi and especially for the puma Puma concolor. However, Geoffroy's cats were detected more frequently by camera traps than interviews, whereas the opposite was true for pumas. For the pampas fox Pseudalopex gymnocercus, a less elusive species, we observed a high degree of concordance and a similar probability of occurrence between methods. Our results indicate that data obtained by interviewing local inhabitants should be used with caution because the information about species presence provided by local people may be inaccurate and biased.

Hábitos alimentarios del gato montés (Leopardus geoffroyi) en agroecosistemas de Buenos Aires, Argentina

Geoffroy's cat ( Leopardus geoffroyi ), a small wild cat of South America, showed in the last years a decline in population abundance mainly related to both habitat destruction and hunting. The increasing human population densities and the consequent demand for food and natural resources will rapidly erode and fragment its remaining habitats. In Argentina most studies about Geoffroy's cat diet have been conducted in protected areas or in their surroundings, while there are no studies conducted in purely agricultural systems. We described the diet composition of Leopardus geoffroyi and its seasonal variations in an agricultural ecosystem to contribute knowledge of its ecology and natural history. The study was carried out from spring 2008 to spring 2011. A total of 494 scats were analyzed and at least 695 prey-items were identified. The diet included 81.58% of mammal prey, representing 93.32% of the potential biomass ingested. Within mammals, the principal prey were rodents, representing 79.57% of the total prey items and 59.39% of the total potential biomass consumed. Small rodents account for a great proportion of prey items, while larger species, as the caviid Cavia aperea , contributed more biomass. The diet plasticity may enhance the persistence of Geoffroy's cat populations in variable and anthropized ecosystems.

Refined assessment of the geographic distribution of Geoffroy's cat (Leopardus geoffroyi) (Mammalia: Felidae) in the Neotropics

AbstractUnderstanding the fine‐scale geographic distribution of a species has applications in biogeography, ecology, evolution and conservation. Species distribution models (SDM) have been widely used to predict geographic and climatic ranges of species. Geoffroy's cat Leopardus geoffroyi is a small felid of least concern that occupies a wide variety of habitat types in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. We evaluated the fine‐scale distribution of Geoffroy's cat at the sub‐continental level, estimated its current extent and area of occurrence and discussed the current and potential ranges developed with SDM. On the basis of species occurrences (n = 1502) and large‐scale environmental data, two model types (‘environmental’ and ‘land cover’) were developed using MaxEnt. The estimated extent of occurrence of Geoffroy's cat was 3 180 664 km2, but the potential area of occurrence predicted by our environmental model was 70% larger due to areas with high suitability (i.e. &gt;0.5) compared to the species’ current range. The most important bioclimatic factors affecting Geoffroy's cat presence were temperature seasonality, mean temperature of the coldest quarter and annual precipitation. Two recent records obtained outside the known distribution of the species fell within the high‐suitability area (i.e. &gt;0.5) predicted by our model. Our SDM suggest that this habitat‐generalist felid is probably expanding its distribution range by taking advantage of changes in human land use.

Patterns of coexistence between two mesocarnivores in northern Patagonia in the presence of invasive hares and anthropogenic disturbance

AbstractWe analysed coexistence patterns between two mesocarnivores, Geoffroy's cat (Leopardus geoffroyi: Felidae) and culpeo fox (Pseudalopex culpaeus: Canidae), in northern Patagonia, Argentina. We examined spatial distribution influenced by land cover, anthropogenic disturbance and invasive hare presence, and analysed temporal activity patterns and dietary composition. If competitive exclusion accounts for carnivore coexistence in this system, we predicted segregation would occur in one or more of these aspects as a mechanism for coexistence. We performed camera trapping in Nahuel Huapi National Park, from February to May 2012 and January to April 2013. Using camera detections, we analysed spatial patterns with co‐occupancy modelling and temporal patterns by fitting kernel density estimates and measuring overlap. We performed a dietary meta‐analysis using available literature and performed a discriminant function analysis of diet categories between species. We observed high spatial and temporal overlap between Geoffroy's cats and culpeo foxes. We found no evidence of segregation in relation to land cover occupancy, anthropogenic disturbance, invasive hare occurrence or activity patterns. Though both species consumed predominantly small and medium mammals, Geoffroy's cats consumed more birds, reptiles and amphibians, and culpeo foxes consumed more large mammals, carrion and plant material; coexistence between these two carnivores in this Patagonian protected area appears to be facilitated by diet segregation.