IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| de Oliveira, T.G.; Mazim, F.D.; Kasper, C.B.; Tortato, M.A.; Marques, R.V.; Garcia Soares, J.B. | |
| The "Ocelot Effect:" Small Felids Demography and Community Composition in Brazil | |
| 2007 Conference Proceeding | |
Neotropical felids are among the least known of all Felidae. This applies to their demographic parameters, which, in turn, are very important for management. The use of camera-trapping associated with mark-recapture statistics made possible the assessment of demographic parameters of species of solitary habits/cryptic behaviour. Here we present the results on density, abundance ranking, and the community composition of small felids in Brazil. Camera-trapping and the use of the software CAPTURE provided density estimates for ocelot, margay, little spotted cat, Geoffroy's cat, pampas cat, and jaguarundi, as well as abundance ranking and species community composition in several areas of Brazil. Densities varied between 0.04 and 0.38 animals/km2. The ocelot was the most abundant felid, and there was a strong negative correlation between its abundance and that of the little spotted cat. Evidences were strongly suggestive to consolidate the hypotheses that, in fact, the ocelot affects several aspects of the demography of the smaller sympatric species. Where the ocelot is the most abundant felid, the smaller species tend to be rare, thus causing "the ocelot effect," a.k.a. "the pardalis effect." This presents a series of implications for the smaller species' management and conservation. |
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