Home range and density of three sympatric felids in the Southern Atlantic Forest, Brazil/Area de vida e densidade de tres felideos simpatricos na Mata Atlantica do Brasil

• Published in: Brazilian journal of biology Vol. 76; no. 1; p. 228
• Main Authors: Kasper, C.B, Schneider, A, Oliveira, T.G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: São Carlos Association of the Brazilian Journal of Biology 01-02-2016; Instituto Internacional de Ecologia
• Subjects: Ecology; Estimates; Leopardus pardalis; Population density; Software; Studies; Telemetry; Brasil; South America; Atlantic Forest
• ISSN: 1519-6984; 1678-4375
• DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.19414

Home range and minimal population densities of Southern tiger cat (Leopardus guttulus), margay (Lepardus wiedii) and jaguarundi (Puma yagouaroundi) were estimated between 2005 and 2006 in Taquari Valley, near the southern edge of the Atlantic Rainforest in Brazil. Home range data were collected by conventional radio telemetry (VHF) locations in a highly fragmented landscape. The average home range size, calculated using 95% kernel density estimates, was 16.01 [km.sup.2] for Southern tiger cat, 21.85 [km.sup.2] for margay and 51.45 [km.sup.2] for jaguarundi. Telemetry data were used to obtain minimal density estimates of 0.08 Southern tiger cats / [km.sup.2], and 0.04 jaguarundi / [km.sup.2]. The density estimates arise from areas where ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) and other larger-bodied carnivores were locally extinct, and they suggest a specific type of mesopredator release known as the ocelot effect, which is likely enabling the increase in smaller felid populations in this area.