Ecology of Puma concolor (Carnivora: Felidae) in a mexican tropical forest: adaptation to environmental disturbances

• DOI: 10.15517/rbt.v66i1.27862
• Publication Date: 2018-03-13T12:20:41Z
• Authors: Dulce María Ávila...; Cuauhtémoc Chávez; Sergio Pérez-Eliz...; Remigio Anastacio...; Germán David Mendoza; Marco Antonio Laz...
• Keywords: Dasypus novemcinctus; Jaguar; Leopardus

Worldwide big cats are at risk of extinction, and anthropogenic factors natural habitat disturbances represent the biggest threats for their survival. It is essential to know resources use by these predators way felids adapt changes. unknown how puma (Puma concolor) selects uses resources, what environmental determine its presence this species affected in Mexican tropical forests. This study was performed El Eden ecological reserve surroundings, North Quintana Roo, Mexico, an area dominated semideciduous (medium forest) secondary forest (acahual). Camera samplings were carried out during 2008, from 2010 2012. Habitat variables, activity patterns associations also spatially temporally analyzed using a chi-squared test overlapping coefficients. General Linear Models (GLM) used order which variables influence cougars area. Cougars vegetation paths different proportions as availability resources. The years with more changes (P < 0.05) 2008 2011. predator active throughout day, but changed over years. cougar spatio-temporally associated six mammals two terrestrial birds: Pecari tajacu (∆ = 0.52), Meleagris ocellata 0.55), Crax rubra 0.58), Didelphis sp. 0.64), Mazama temama 0.66), Leopardus pardalis 0.68), Dasypus novemcinctus 0.73) Panthera onca 0.87). After testing 90 GLM models, model lower AIC value described prey co-predators. water important cougar. However that determined modified co-predators potential preys. negatively fire, human presence, displacement less favorable habitats avoid jaguar.