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Lopez Gonzalez, C.A.; Lorenzana Pi¤a, G.; Moreno, C.N.; Ortega Urrieta, A.; Jimenez Maldonado, R.E.; Carillo Percastegui, S.E.
Comparative Ecology of Two Jaguar Populations under Different Land Tenure and Human Disturbance Regimes in Mexico
2007  Conference Proceeding

Jaguars (_Panthera onca_) remain one of the least known felid species of the world with a trend to persist in remote pristine places, and increasingly becoming in contact with humans. The objective of this study was to compare the basic ecology of two jaguar populations under contrasting management systems to understand their conservation needs while coexisting with humans. The study sites are located in Sonora and Queretaro, Mexico. On these study areas we utilized a suite of methods (spoor, camera-traps, and prey surveys) to determine distribution, habitat association and abundance. We found significantly different habitat use between populations, where both species are mainly associated to tropical forests; also jaguars in Sonora are using oak-woodlands, and pine-oak in Queretaro, avoiding human created habitats. We found jaguar abundance in Sonora as 1.4 individuals per 100 sq. km in Sonora, and 0.5 individuals per 100 sq. km in Queretaro. Ungulate prey abundance is significantly higher in Sonora than Queretaro. Another difference between areas is the lack of human presence in Sonora. Although both populations are vulnerable to extirpation, the causes are different; Sonora is more exposed to poaching, while Queretaro is affected by human encroachment and habitat fragmentation.

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