Food Habits of Jaguar and Puma in a Protected Area and Adjacent Fragmented Landscape of Northeastern Mexico
2015; Volume: 35; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês
10.3375/043.035.0213
ISSN2162-4399
AutoresAnuar D. Hernández-SaintMartín, Octavio C. Rosas-Rosas, Jorge Palacio-Núñez, Luis A. Tarango-Arámbula, Fernando Clemente-Sánchez, Almira L. Hoogesteijn,
Tópico(s)Human-Animal Interaction Studies
ResumoWe analyzed the food habits of the jaguar (Panthera onca) and puma (Puma concolor) in a protected area surrounded by a fragmented landscape in northeastern Mexico. We estimated relative biomass of each prey species consumed; by analysis of 43 and 22 scat samples of jaguar and puma collected during 2010–2012. The diet of both felids was comprised mainly of wild artiodactyls; the collared peccary contributed 35.2% to the biomass of jaguar diets and white-tailed deer contributed 51.9% to puma diets. Diet composition of both felids showed moderate overlap (Pianka index = 0.57; Morisita index = 0.58), but use of the primary prey differed between species (P < 0.001). The diet of both felids included almost exclusively wild species, suggesting the presence of a good prey base that allows the coexistence of jaguars and pumas. Despite its small size and surrounding fragmentation, the Biosphere Reserve Sierra del Abra-Tanchipa is still an important refuge for large felids and their prey in northeastern Mexico.
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