Scrape-marking behavior of jaguars (Panthera onca) and pumas (Puma concolor)
Scrape-marking behavior of jaguars (Panthera onca) and pumas (Puma concolor)
Marking behaviors of jaguars (Panthera onca) and pumas (Puma concolor) were investigated by linking sign from transect surveys to species, sex, and individual detected by camera traps along trails in the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, Belize. The most commonly encountered big-cat signs were scrape marks. These were produced by cats raking the ground with their feet. Scrapes were associated more strongly with presence of male pumas than with female pumas or jaguars of either sex. Scats found in scrapes were genotyped to species level and indicated that jaguars produced larger scrapes than pumas and that pumas were more likely to scrape with their hind feet than with front feet. Scrapes were spatially clustered along trails, indicating that individuals scrape in response to other scrapes in the same area. High scraping frequencies were not associated with the presence of specific individuals, suggesting that scrape-marking behavior does not signal dominance in this area.
camera trapping, communication, jaguars, marking, pumas, scats, scrapes, sympatric, territoriality
1225-1234
Harmsen, Bart J.
c84e0703-d49d-4b09-980a-423b09fd5536
Foster, Rebecca J.
842ac52b-bc3d-4d9c-bf81-61b2e4b6964e
Gutierrez, Said M.
5c3760e4-f831-4ebc-9f87-cc9ad72e626f
Silverio, Y. Marin
b21248d3-14cc-4c3e-b2e9-daa554f515c3
Doncaster, C. Patrick
0eff2f42-fa0a-4e35-b6ac-475ad3482047
2010
Harmsen, Bart J.
c84e0703-d49d-4b09-980a-423b09fd5536
Foster, Rebecca J.
842ac52b-bc3d-4d9c-bf81-61b2e4b6964e
Gutierrez, Said M.
5c3760e4-f831-4ebc-9f87-cc9ad72e626f
Silverio, Y. Marin
b21248d3-14cc-4c3e-b2e9-daa554f515c3
Doncaster, C. Patrick
0eff2f42-fa0a-4e35-b6ac-475ad3482047
Harmsen, Bart J., Foster, Rebecca J., Gutierrez, Said M., Silverio, Y. Marin and Doncaster, C. Patrick
(2010)
Scrape-marking behavior of jaguars (Panthera onca) and pumas (Puma concolor).
Journal of Mammalogy, 91 (5), .
(doi:10.1644/09-MAMM-A-416.1).
Abstract
Marking behaviors of jaguars (Panthera onca) and pumas (Puma concolor) were investigated by linking sign from transect surveys to species, sex, and individual detected by camera traps along trails in the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, Belize. The most commonly encountered big-cat signs were scrape marks. These were produced by cats raking the ground with their feet. Scrapes were associated more strongly with presence of male pumas than with female pumas or jaguars of either sex. Scats found in scrapes were genotyped to species level and indicated that jaguars produced larger scrapes than pumas and that pumas were more likely to scrape with their hind feet than with front feet. Scrapes were spatially clustered along trails, indicating that individuals scrape in response to other scrapes in the same area. High scraping frequencies were not associated with the presence of specific individuals, suggesting that scrape-marking behavior does not signal dominance in this area.
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More information
Published date: 2010
Keywords:
camera trapping, communication, jaguars, marking, pumas, scats, scrapes, sympatric, territoriality
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 166873
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/166873
ISSN: 0022-2372
PURE UUID: cb38f814-9116-492b-9f83-e1b4b359b1f0
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Date deposited: 10 Nov 2010 10:05
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 02:38
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Contributors
Author:
Bart J. Harmsen
Author:
Rebecca J. Foster
Author:
Said M. Gutierrez
Author:
Y. Marin Silverio
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