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Wildlife Research in Belize |
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Conservation research on Belizean mammals |
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Welcome |
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Research |
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About |
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Publications |
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Field updates |
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Opportunities |
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Sponsors |
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Useful links |
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To contact us: |
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Dr Rebecca Foster & Dr Bart Harmsen Phone: (00501) 663-1505 or 665-7318 E-mail: R.Foster@soton.ac.uk | rfoster@panthera.org bartjh@soton.ac.uk | bharmsen@panthera.org |
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Coexistence of jaguars & pumas |
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Two jaguars and a puma at the same location within two days of each other |
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How do two big cat species coexist in a homogenous forest?... … spatial, temporal and trophic partitioning of jaguars and pumas |
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Pumas live throughout the neotropics across the jaguars entire geographic range. How do these similar-sized cats co-exist? … Are they active at different times of the day and night? … Do they hunt in different habitats? … Or catch different prey species? Understanding patterns of coexistence is important as it will allow us to predict how human pressures such as habitat loss and wild prey depletion will influence the competitive balance between jaguars and pumas. We have been investigating the possible mechanisms of jaguar and puma coexistence in and around the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary (CBWS). |
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Victoria Peak |
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Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary |
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The Cockscomb basin Wildlife Sanctuary, Belize Map layers courtesy of Jan Meerman (2004) |
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Although jaguars and pumas are a similar size they have quite different morphology. This may allow them to use different hunting strategies. |
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Jaguars |
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Pumas |
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Research We have been using camera traps to study the ecology of jaguars and pumas in and around the CBWS for six years (2003 to 2008). For more information on how we set up camera traps in the field please see our Counting Cats page. This non-invasive technique allows us to collect data on many more individuals than would be possible by the conventional method of live capture and tracking by telemetry. The cameras function continuously and every photo is stamped with the time and date, therefore we can use the data to assess activity patterns and habitat use of the target species. Our data have shown that within the CBWS jaguars and pumas have similar activity patterns, both being most active at night. We also found that both cat species were active at the same locations but not on the same nights. The pumas avoided jaguars, and/or the jaguars avoided pumas, more than either avoided other members of their own species. It seems that although jaguars and pumas are both active throughout the night and use similar habitat they are able to avoid one another. How? Both species make scrapings on the forest floor with their hind or front feet. These so-called scrape marks may carry olfactory information in the form of scent from glands in the feet, or urine or faeces (scats) deposited in the scrape. |
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Big cat scrape containing a scat |
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We conducted long-term surveys to monitor scrape production along trails within the CBWS to investigate whether scrapes play a role in jaguar and puma communication. We used camera trap data from the same trails, and genetic analysis of the scats, to determine which scrapes were made by which species. We combined this information with data on how often scrapes were made, and how many cats were present in the area to better understand the role of scrape marking in jaguar and puma communication. |
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Jaguars have a stocky body with short legs and large feet. This probably aids movement through dense forest. They have a large head, powerful jaw and robust canines giving the strongest bite of all the cats. They usually kill by a bite to the back of the neck, snapping the vertebrae, or either side of the head, puncturing or crushing the skull. In contrast pumas have a smaller head, slender body, long legs and a long tail. Their long legs may make them better equipped than jaguars to catch agile fast-moving prey . Pumas usually kill by asphyxiation with a bite to the throat. We investigated the food habits of both cats to discover whether they specialise on different prey species and whether this may facilitate their co-existence in the CBWS. For details on how we study jaguar and puma food habits please see Diets of elusive cats.
For information about the findings of any of the research described here please see our Publications list.
In the future we hope to continue the ecological study of jaguars and pumas in and around the CBWS. Basic natural history data are important but sometimes undervalued in conservation programs. The natural histories of other endangered big cats such as lions and tigers are well understood, but we are only just beginning to accumulate relevant data on jaguars and neotropical pumas. These data are essential for valid assessments of population viability. In particular we need to investigate dispersal characteristics of jaguars, virtually unknown from any part of its geographical range. To do this we hope to combine density estimates from camera-trap studies with movement data obtained from radio-collared members of the population.
Please contact us if you are interested in participating in, or funding, such research. |
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1.1 to 1.9 m |
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0.4 to 0.6 m |
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30 to 158 kg |
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0.9 to 1.5 m |
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0.6 to 1.0 m |
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24 to 120 kg |
