IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Calleia, F.d.O.; Rohe, F.; Gordo, M. | |
| Hunting strategy of the Margay (_Leopardus wiedii_) to attract the Wild Pied Tamarin (_Saguinus bicolor_) | |
| 2009 Neotropical Primates (16): 32-34 | |
Wild primate predation has been widely reported for various Neotropical cat species. Apparently, prey body size and predator body size are related, with large cats preying mainly on large primates. Remains from different species of primates have been observed in scats of different Neotropical cat species (Table 1). According to Cabrera and Yeppes (1940), primates are the favorite prey of _Puma yaguaroundi_ in some regions of Central America. More recently, Miranda et al. (2005), found fingers and nails from _Alouatta guariba clamitans_ in two fecal samples from_ Leopardus pardalis_ and suggests that the ocelot may be a potential predator of all Neotropical primates. In this study, we focus on a hunting technique by the margay, _Leopardus weidii_. Morphologically, margays have arboreal adaptations, but there are no published reports of the predation strategy of wild margays. The few studies on the margay suggest that its diet is mainly composed of arboreal mammals. Mondolfi (1986) analyzed the stomach contents of margay from Venezuela and found remains of squirrel (_Sciurus granatensis_) and the wedge-capped capuchin monkey (_Cebus olivaceus_ - cited as _nigrivittatus_, a junior synonym). Margay prey species in Guyana were also arboreal mammals (Beebe 1925). In captivity, margays were observed preying on _Saguinus niger_ (Oliveira, 1998). |
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