IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Bolze, G.J. | |
| Ecology and behaviour of ocelots, _Leopardus pardalis_, in the southern limit of the Atlantic Forest | |
| 2019 Full Book | |
The ocelot _Leopardus pardalis _(Felidae, Carnivora) is the third largest Neotropical cat. Although it occurs in different environments, its presence is related to high forest cover. The state of io Grande do Sul (RS), in Brazil, represents the Southern limit of the species' world distribution. In this region, the species occursin association with the Atlantic Forest biome, concentrated in its Northern part, and is listed as "Vulnerable" in the States' threatened species list. To preserve the species it is essential to know its habitat preferences, as well as demographic aspects of its populations. For example, the identification of a trend towards population rise or decline allows for an evaluation of population balance, subsidizing efforts to determine the species conservation status. Additionally, it will allow for the formulation of hypothesis regarding factors supporting or impairing the species permanence in certain environments and locations. Therefore, the purpose of this work was to study ecological aspects of _L. pardalis_, searching for factors related to species occupancy and density to determine suitable conservation areas for the species in the southern limit of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Sampling took place in three conservation units in RS, where we used the method of camera trapping for data collection. Species occupancy increases in large areas of continuous preserved forest, as well as in areas where the two largest Neotropical cats, the jaguar _Panthera onca _and the puma _Puma concolor _show more records, which possibly also show a positive response to those areas of favourable habitat. Furthermore, we found one of the higher estimates of population density for _L. pardalis _in the Atlantic Forest (15.5 individuals/100km2). _Leopardus pardalis _usually shows high nocturnal activity, a pattern already reported by several authors. The species may show diurnal activity; however, this only occurs in sites distant from intense human activity. Apparently the species tries to avoid all contact with humans and with species - exotic or domesticated - that may reflect human presence, both in space and in time. We also recorded an antagonistic interaction resulting from possible intraguild predation or competitor elimination, where an individual of _L. pardalis _carried a supposedly predated individual of the crab-eating fox _Cerdocyon thous_. This is an unprecedented record that may open the way to new perspectives regarding the width of _L. pardalis _ecological interactions. _L. pardalis _conservation in the southern limit of its distribution is dependent on the preservation of the remaining Atlantic Forest, on the sustainable management of land use and on the removal or reduction of the density of exotic and domesticated species in conservation units and their surroundings. The connectivity between the remaining sites of Atlantic Forest with similar areas in Argentina seems to be crucial for the long-term conservation of stable populations of the species. |
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