IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Estrada Hern ndez, C.G. | |
| Diet, habitat use and activity patterns of Puma (Puma concolor) and Jaguar (Panthera onca) in the Mayan Forest | |
| 2006 Full Book | |
The Mayan Forest extends between Mexico, Guatemala and Belize. The jaguar and puma are largest felids of America. In this zone they live sympatric, and this is the reason why the segregation in some of the components of its ecological niche was estimated. In this study three of the main components of the niche were analyzed and compared: diet, use of habitat and patterns of activity, with the aim of evaluating if segregation between the jaguar and puma exists. Data were collected opportunistically, and with camera traps in four protected areas. I analyzed the study area with GIS to determine the proportion of the different habitat types. I also collected data of prey abundances. The prey preferred by puma was three species of deer and agoutis. For the jaguar they were collared peccary, white-nosed coati and armadillos. Both species presented/displayed a similar pattern of habitat use, where the "high forest" was used proportionally to its abundance, and both preferred the "low forest". As far as the activity pattern, both preferred nocturnal hours to move, although puma displayed more variability. I have observed that both species are not separated , not in space nor temporarily. One concludes that the jaguar and puma do not compete directly in the use of their main prey, and they present/display an opportunistic predation pattern. |
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