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24 results for “Cougar”
Data from: Coyotes display minimal response to Cougar scent at experimental carcass sites
<p>Interactions among predators can have cascading impacts on communities and ecosystems. These interactions often occur around carrion, where the carrion provides a food reward, but also a risk of encountering other, potentially dominant, predators. Understanding how predators balance risk and reward at carrion, and how perceived risk changes in response to carcass origins and conditions, provides valuable insight into intraguild interactions. We investigated Coyote (Canis latrans) behavior at carrion simulated as cache sites treated with Cougar (Puma concolor) scent versus carrion used as control sites to better understand how Coyotes assess risk while feeding on carrion. Coyotes displayed similar behavior between sites treated and untreated with Cougar scent, suggesting that the presence of Cougar scent did not alter perceived risk by coyotes in our study. Instead, coyote behavior responded to carcass age, elevation, and whether avian scavengers had visited the carcass. Coyotes spent more time feeding, more time on camera, and touched carcasses quicker as carcass age increased. Avian scavengers appeared to compete with Coyotes, and while the presence of avian scavengers reduced time to carcass detection by Coyotes, it also decreased time spent feeding. These results suggest that carcass condition is a more important indicator of risk and reward than the presence of dominant predator scent to Coyotes. Predator scent may be an unreliable cue of immediate predator presence. Alternatively, all carcasses may be risky because dominant predators also scavenge carrion, creating similar risk regardless of previous visitation by dominant predators. These results provide insights into predator interactions and can also inform the use of scent cues in wildlife management.</p>
Data from: Coyotes display minimal response to Cougar scent at experimental carcass sites
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Data from: Residential development reduces black bear (Ursus americanus) opportunity to scavenge cougar (Puma concolor) killed prey
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Figure 4. Species accumulation curve for species richness and a in Food habits of the Cougar Puma concolor (Carnivora: Felidae) in the Central Andes of the Colombian Coffee Region
Figure 4. Species accumulation curve for species richness and a non-parametric estimator of species richness Chao 2 at several sectors of the Central Andes of the Coffee Region in Colombia. The species accumulation curve indicates that the sampling shows 100% of the species consumed by the cougar in this area.
Figure 2 in Food habits of the Cougar Puma concolor (Carnivora: Felidae) in the Central Andes of the Colombian Coffee Region
Figure 2. (A) Puma concolor photographed by camera trap in study area. (B) Feces sample. (C) Bones and hair separated from the sample.
Figure 1 in Food habits of the Cougar Puma concolor (Carnivora: Felidae) in the Central Andes of the Colombian Coffee Region
Figure 1. Places of collected puma scats within Central Andes of Colombia. The localities are: (1) Camino de La Fe, (2) El Topacio, (3) Romeral II, (4) Los Alpes, (5) Torre Cuatro, (6) La Enea, and (7) La María.
Figure 3 in Food habits of the Cougar Puma concolor (Carnivora: Felidae) in the Central Andes of the Colombian Coffee Region
Figure 3. Relative biomass of prey orders found in Puma concolor feces at the Central Andes of Colombia.
Cougars, wolves, and humans drive a dynamic landscape of fear for elk
<p>To manage predation risk, prey navigate a dynamic landscape of fear, or spatiotemporal variation in risk perception, reflecting predator distributions, traits, and activity cycles. Prey may seek to reduce risk across this landscape by using habitat at times and in places when predators are less active. In multi-predator landscapes, avoiding one predator could increase vulnerability to another, making the landscape of fear difficult to predict and navigate. Additionally, humans may shape interactions between predators and prey, and induce new sources of risk. Humans can function as a shield, providing a refuge for prey from human-averse carnivores, and as a predator, causing mortality through hunting and vehicle collisions and eliciting a fear response that can exceed that of carnivores. We used telemetry data collected between 2017 and 2021 from 63 GPS-collared elk (Cervus canadensis), 42 cougars (Puma concolor) and 16 wolves (Canis lupus) to examine how elk habitat selection changed in relation to carnivores and humans in northeastern Washington, USA. Using step-selection functions, we evaluated elk habitat use in relation to cougars, wolves, and humans, diel period (daytime vs. nighttime), season (summer calving season vs. fall hunting season), and habitat structure (open vs. closed habitat). The diel cycle was critical to understanding elk movement, allowing elk to reduce encounters with predators where and when they would be the largest threat. Elk strongly avoided cougars at night but had a near neutral response to cougars in the day, whereas elk avoided wolves at all times of day. Elk generally used more open habitat where cougars and wolves were most active, rather than altering use of habitat structure depending on the predator species. Elk avoided humans during the day and ~ 80% of adult female mortality was human caused, suggesting that humans functioned as a "super predator" in this system. Simultaneously, elk leveraged the human shield against wolves but not cougars at night, and no elk were confirmed to have been killed by wolves. Our results add to the mounting evidence that humans profoundly affect predator-prey interactions, highlighting the importance of studying these dynamics in anthropogenic areas.</p>
A novel trophic cascade between cougars and feral donkeys shapes desert wetlands
<p>Introduced large herbivores have partly filled ecological gaps formed in the late Pleistocene, when many of the Earth's megafauna were driven extinct. However, extant predators are generally considered incapable of exerting top-down influences on introduced megafauna, leading to unusually strong disturbance and herbivory relative to native herbivores.</p> <p>We report on the first documented predation of juvenile feral donkeys (<em>Equus africanus asinus</em>) by cougars (<em>Puma concolor</em>) in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of North America. We then investigated how cougar predation corresponds with differences in feral donkey behavior and associated effects on desert wetlands.</p> <p>Focusing on a feral donkey population in Death Valley National Park, we compared donkey activity patterns and impacts between wetlands with and without cougar predation.</p> <p>Donkeys were primarily diurnal at wetlands with cougar predation, thereby avoiding cougars. However, donkeys were active throughout the day and night at sites without predation. Donkeys were ~87% less active (measured as hours of activity a day) at wetlands with predation (p<0.0001). Sites with predation had reduced donkey disturbance and herbivory, including ~46% fewer access trails, 43% less trampled bare ground, and 192% more canopy cover (PERMANOVA, R<sup>2</sup> = 0.22, p=0.0003).</p> <p>Our study is the first to reveal a trophic cascade involving cougars, feral equids, and vegetation. Cougar predation appears to rewire an ancient food web, with diverse implications for modern ecosystems. Our results suggest that protecting apex predators could have important implications for the ecological effects of introduced megafauna.</p>
Data from: Survival and causes of mortality of introduced wild pigs in the presence of cougars
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A novel trophic cascade between cougars and feral donkeys shapes desert wetlands
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Cougars, wolves, and humans drive a dynamic landscape of fear for elk
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Data from: Human–Cougar interactions in the wildland–urban interface of Colorado's front range
As human populations continue to expand across the world, the need to understand and manage wildlife populations within the wildland–urban interface is becoming commonplace. This is especially true for large carnivores as these species are not always tolerated by the public and can pose a risk to human safety. Unfortunately, information on wildlife species within the wildland–urban interface is sparse, and knowledge from wildland ecosystems does not always translate well to human‐dominated systems. Across western North America, cougars (Puma concolor) are routinely utilizing wildland–urban habitats while human use of these areas for homes and recreation is increasing. From 2007 to 2015, we studied cougar resource selection, human–cougar interaction, and cougar conflict management within the wildland–urban landscape of the northern Front Range in Colorado, USA. Resource selection of cougars within this landscape was typical of cougars in more remote settings but cougar interactions with humans tended to occur in locations cougars typically selected against, especially those in proximity to human structures. Within higher housing density areas, 83% of cougar use occurred at night, suggesting cougars generally avoided human activity by partitioning time. Only 24% of monitored cougars were reported for some type of conflict behavior but 39% of cougars sampled during feeding site investigations of GPS collar data were found to consume domestic prey items. Aversive conditioning was difficult to implement and generally ineffective for altering cougar behaviors but was thought to potentially have long‐term benefits of reinforcing fear of humans in cougars within human‐dominated areas experiencing little cougar hunting pressure. Cougars are able to exploit wildland–urban landscapes effectively, and conflict is relatively uncommon compared with the proportion of cougar use. Individual characteristics and behaviors of cougars within these areas are highly varied; therefore, conflict management is unique to each situation and should target individual behaviors. The ability of individual cougars to learn to exploit these environments with minimal human–cougar interactions suggests that maintaining older age structures, especially females, and providing a matrix of habitats, including large connected open‐space areas, would be beneficial to cougars and effectively reduce the potential for conflict.
Recolonizing carnivores: Is cougar predation behaviorally mediated by bears? Cougar Killsite Data
<p>Conservation and management efforts have resulted in population increases and range expansions for some apex predators, potentially changing trophic cascades and predatory behavior. Changes in sympatric carnivore and dominant scavenger populations provide opportunities to assess how carnivores affect one another. Cougars (<i>Puma concolor</i>) were the apex predator in the Great Basin of Nevada, USA, for over 80 years. Black bears (<i>Ursus americanus</i>) have recently recolonized the Great Basin and are known to heavily scavenge on cougar kills; however, competitive interactions between the two species in the Great Basin have yet to be examined. We investigated kill sites of 31 cougars between 2009 and 2017 across a range of bear densities to evaluate the impacts of sympatric, recolonizing bears on cougar foraging behavior. We modeled the variation in feeding bout duration (number of nights spent feeding on a prey item) and the proportion of primary prey, mule deer (<i>Odocoileus hemionus</i>), in cougar diets using mixed-effects models. We found that feeding bout duration was driven primarily by the size of the prey item being consumed, local bear density, and the presence of dependent kittens. The proportion of mule deer in cougar diet across all study areas declined over time, was lower for male cougars, increased with the presence of dependent kittens, and increased with higher bear densities. In sites with feral horses (<i>Equus ferus)</i>, a novel large prey, cougar consumption of feral horses increased over time. Our results suggest that higher bear densities over time may reduce cougar feeding bout durations and may influence the prey selection trade-off for cougars when alternative, but more dangerous, large prey are available. Shifts in foraging behavior in multi-carnivore systems can have cascading effects on prey items. This study highlights the importance of measuring the impacts of sympatric apex predators and dominant scavengers on a shared resource base and, thus, provides a foundation for monitoring dynamic multi-predator/scavenger systems.</p>
Subspecies and Distribution. P. c. concolor Linnaeus, 1771 — E Venezuela through the Guianas to lower Amazonian Brazil. P. c. acrocodia Goldman, 1943 — C Brazil (Matto Grosso), SE Bolivia, and the Chaco of Paraguay and Argentina. P. c. anthony: Nelson & Goldman, 1931 — S Venezuela and adjacent N Brazil. P. c. araucanus Osgood, 1943 — S Chile and S Argentina. P.c. azteca Merriam, 1901 — SW USA (Arizona and New Mexico); NW Mexico. P. c. bangsi Merriam, 1901 — Andean Colombia. P. c. borbensis Nelson & Goldman, 1933 — Amazonian Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. P. c. browni Merriam, 1903 — NW Mexico (N Baja California). P. c. cabrerae Pocock, 1940 — NW Argentina. P. c. californica May, 1896 — SW USA (California). P. c. capricornensis Goldman, 1946 — SE Brazil and NE Argentina. P. c. cory: Bangs, 1899 — SE USA (Florida). P. c. costaricensis Merriam, 1901 — Nicaragua through Panama. P. c. cougar Kerr, 1792 — NE USA. P. c. greeni Nelson & Goldman, 1931 — E Brazil. P. c. hippolestes Merriam, 1897 — C USA. P. c. improcera Phillips, 1912 — NW Mexico (S Baja California). P. c. incarum Nelson & Goldman, 1929 — Andean Peru. P.c. kaibabensis Nelson & Goldman, 1931 — W USA (Nevada & Utah). P. c. mayensis Nelson & Goldman, 1929 — S Mexico through El Salvador. P. c. missoulensis Goldman, 1943 — NW Canada through NW USA (Idaho & Montana). P. c. oregonensis Rafinesque, 1832 — NW USA (Oregon and Washington). P. c. osgoodi Nelson & Goldman, 1929 — C Bolivia. P. c. patagonica Merriam, 1901 — S Argentina (E side of Lago Pueyrredon). P. c. pearsoni Thomas, 1901 — Patagonian Argentina and Chile. P. c. puma Molina, 1782 — C Chile and adjacent Argentina. P. c. schorgeri Jackson, 1955 — Midwestern USA P. c. soderstromi Lonnberg, 1913 — Andean Ecuador. P. c. stanleyana Goldman, 1936 — S USA (Texas) and adjacent Mexico. P. c. vancouverensis Nelson & Goldman, 1932 — SW Canada (Vancouver I). in Felidae
Subspecies and Distribution. P. c. concolor Linnaeus, 1771 — E Venezuela through the Guianas to lower Amazonian Brazil. P. c. acrocodia Goldman, 1943 — C Brazil (Matto Grosso), SE Bolivia, and the Chaco of Paraguay and Argentina. P. c. anthony: Nelson & Goldman, 1931 — S Venezuela and adjacent N Brazil. P. c. araucanus Osgood, 1943 — S Chile and S Argentina. P.c. azteca Merriam, 1901 — SW USA (Arizona and New Mexico); NW Mexico. P. c. bangsi Merriam, 1901 — Andean Colombia. P. c. borbensis Nelson & Goldman, 1933 — Amazonian Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. P. c. browni Merriam, 1903 — NW Mexico (N Baja California). P. c. cabrerae Pocock, 1940 — NW Argentina. P. c. californica May, 1896 — SW USA (California). P. c. capricornensis Goldman, 1946 — SE Brazil and NE Argentina. P. c. cory: Bangs, 1899 — SE USA (Florida). P. c. costaricensis Merriam, 1901 — Nicaragua through Panama. P. c. cougar Kerr, 1792 — NE USA. P. c. greeni Nelson & Goldman, 1931 — E Brazil. P. c. hippolestes Merriam, 1897 — C USA. P. c. improcera Phillips, 1912 — NW Mexico (S Baja California). P. c. incarum Nelson & Goldman, 1929 — Andean Peru. P.c. kaibabensis Nelson & Goldman, 1931 — W USA (Nevada & Utah). P. c. mayensis Nelson & Goldman, 1929 — S Mexico through El Salvador. P. c. missoulensis Goldman, 1943 — NW Canada through NW USA (Idaho & Montana). P. c. oregonensis Rafinesque, 1832 — NW USA (Oregon and Washington). P. c. osgoodi Nelson & Goldman, 1929 — C Bolivia. P. c. patagonica Merriam, 1901 — S Argentina (E side of Lago Pueyrredon). P. c. pearsoni Thomas, 1901 — Patagonian Argentina and Chile. P. c. puma Molina, 1782 — C Chile and adjacent Argentina. P. c. schorgeri Jackson, 1955 — Midwestern USA P. c. soderstromi Lonnberg, 1913 — Andean Ecuador. P. c. stanleyana Goldman, 1936 — S USA (Texas) and adjacent Mexico. P. c. vancouverensis Nelson & Goldman, 1932 — SW Canada (Vancouver I).
Data from: Direct and indirect effects of cougar predation on bighorn sheep fitness
<div> <p>We sought to evaluate the direct and indirect fitness effects of intense cougar (<em>Puma concolor</em>) predation using 48 years of data on marked bighorn sheep (<em>Ovis canadensis</em>) in Ram Mountain, Alberta, Canada. We compared years of intense cougar predation with years with no or occasional cougar predation. We first quantified the effects of predation on neonatal, weaning, and overwinter lamb survival, three metrics potentially affected by direct and indirect effects. We then investigated the possible indirect effects of intense cougar predation on lamb production, female summer mass gain, and lamb mass at weaning. Indirect effects included a 14.2% decline in lamb production. Female summer mass gain decreased by 15.6 % and lamb mass at weaning declined by 8.0% in years of intense cougar predation. Here are the six datasets, joined with a README.md file for the data description, in addition to the six corresponding R scripts for replicating the results.</p> </div>
Data from: Forest cover mediates genetic connectivity of northwestern cougars
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Dynamic riskscapes for prey: Disentangling the impact of human and cougar presence on deer behavior using GPS smartphone locations
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Data from: Direct and indirect effects of cougar predation on bighorn sheep fitness
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Recolonizing carnivores: Is cougar predation behaviorally mediated by bears? Cougar Killsite Data
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