Habitat use of jaguar (Panthera onca) in a tropical forest in northern Quintana Roo, Mexico

Avila-Najera, Dulce Maria, Lazcano-Barrero, Marco Antonio, Chavez, Cuauhtemoc, Perez-Elizalde, Sergio, Tigar, Barbara orcid iconORCID: 0000-0001-6037-3544 and Mendoza, German David (2019) Habitat use of jaguar (Panthera onca) in a tropical forest in northern Quintana Roo, Mexico. Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad, 90 . ISSN 2007-8706

[thumbnail of Version of Record]
Preview
PDF (Version of Record) - Published Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives.

807kB

Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.22201/ib.20078706e.2019.90.21...

Abstract

The study was carried out in a median stature tropical forest in the north of Quintana Roo during 2008, 2010-2012, using camera traps to record activity and habitat use by jaguar and other vertebrates. Spatial and temporal variations in habitat use, activity patterns, and species associations were analyzed using a chi-squared test (x2). Generalized
linear models (GLM) were used to determine which variables influenced the presence of jaguars in the study area. Jaguars were most frequently recorded in acahual (80%) and on roads (66.9%). There were significant differences between years, with selection for particular habitat and trail types in 2008 and 2011 (all χ2 p <0.001). Jaguars were mainly crepuscular-nocturnal (68.5% records). They showed spatial associations with Meleagris ocellata, Dasypus novemncinctus, Mazama temama, Nasua narica, Odocoileus virginianus, Leopardus pardalis, Didelphis spp., and
Pecari tajacu. Generalized linear models based on prey, co-predators, and human activity gave the best fit with jaguar occurrence. The felids responded to environmental changes (hurricanes and fires) by modifying their spatial and temporal use of resources.


Repository Staff Only: item control page