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Temporal separation between jaguar and puma in the dry forests of southern Bolivia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 March 2010

Alfredo Romero-Muñoz*
Affiliation:
Wildlife Conservation Society-Bolivia, Casilla 6272, Santa Cruz, Bolivia Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanti–Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Abingdon Road, Tubney, Abingdon OX13 5QL, UK
Leonardo Maffei
Affiliation:
Wildlife Conservation Society-Bolivia, Casilla 6272, Santa Cruz, Bolivia Jaguar Conservation Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, Lima, Perú
Erika Cuéllar
Affiliation:
Wildlife Conservation Society-Bolivia, Casilla 6272, Santa Cruz, Bolivia Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanti–Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Abingdon Road, Tubney, Abingdon OX13 5QL, UK
Andrew J. Noss
Affiliation:
Wildlife Conservation Society-Bolivia, Casilla 6272, Santa Cruz, Bolivia Wildlife Conservation Society-Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
*
1Corresponding author. Current address: Calama 143, Sucre, Bolivia. Email: [email protected]

Abstract:

Despite the potential importance of temporal separation for the coexistence of competing species, no study has found significant segregation at the circadian level between jaguar (Panthera onca) and puma (Puma concolor) in sympatry. Using data from camera trap surveys (wet and dry seasons), we have evaluated the activity patterns of both species and their potential prey at four areas in the dry forest of the Bolivian Chaco. We tested if temporal separation existed between these two species, and if their activity was related to that of a particular prey. At most sites, activity patterns of jaguar and puma did not vary significantly between seasons, except for puma at one site. There were no differences between sexes for any cat species at any site. At three sites we found statistically significant differences in the activity patterns of jaguar and puma, as they showed a clear temporal segregation. None of them followed the activity patterns of any particular prey species across sites. The latter suggests that segregation is influenced by avoidance behaviour between the two felid species. Therefore, temporal separation may be an important behavioural factor promoting the coexistence of jaguar and puma in some areas of this dry forest.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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