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| Cougar - Puma concolor | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jan 7 2012, 08:46 PM (39,617 Views) | |
| Taipan | Jul 29 2016, 04:42 PM Post #61 |
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Los Angeles mountain lions hunt closer to human settlements than expected While male lions prey on deer in riparian woodlands, females hunt on average less than a mile from human development Date: July 28, 2016 Source: PLOS ![]() A mountain lion at a mule deer kill in the Santa Monica Mountains Credit: National Park Service Mountain lions hunt their mule deer prey closer to human settlements around Los Angeles than locations randomly distributed across their home ranges, according to a study published July 13, 2016 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by John Benson from the University of California, Los Angeles, US, and colleagues. Los Angeles is one of only two megacities inhabited by large predatory cats. Understanding how big cats interact with such human settlements aids development of strategies for their conservation. The authors of the present study used field observations and GPS radio collars to track 26 mountain lions in and around the Santa Monica Mountains near Los Angeles. They identified the lions' prey and assessed how their preferred hunting grounds were situated relative to natural and humanmade landscape features. The researchers found that both sexes tended to hunt closer to human development than expected, though just two of 420 kills were actually made inside developed areas. While males tended to prey on deer in woodlands near creeks and rivers, females hunted closer to human developments, making kills on average less than a mile from settlements. The choice of hunting grounds may reflect areas where prey are abundant. The mountain lions' main prey, mule deer, are attracted to water sources and lush vegetation, including woodlands near natural water sources, as well as swimming pools and cultivated gardens in human settlements. Male mountain lions preyed on deer in areas of riparian woodlands, whereas females avoided these areas. The authors suggested that females may hunt in the more developed areas as part of a strategy to visit areas where prey are abundant while avoiding encounters with aggressive males. While the study was limited to 26 lions in a single geographical area, the study area was unique among mountain lion studies in that the authors were able to track mountain lions along a gradient of human presence that included relatively remote areas of the Santa Monica Mountains and also areas within the second largest metropolitan area of the United States. The authors suggest that the hunting patterns of these mountain lions reflect the trade-off between an aversion to areas of human settlement and an attraction to prey-rich environments. Story Source: PLOS. "Los Angeles mountain lions hunt closer to human settlements than expected: While male lions prey on deer in riparian woodlands, females hunt on average less than a mile from human development." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/07/160728110428.htm (accessed July 29, 2016). Journal Reference: John F. Benson, Jeff A. Sikich, Seth P. D. Riley. Individual and Population Level Resource Selection Patterns of Mountain Lions Preying on Mule Deer along an Urban-Wildland Gradient. PLOS ONE, 2016; 11 (7): e0158006 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0158006 Abstract Understanding population and individual-level behavioral responses of large carnivores to human disturbance is important for conserving top predators in fragmented landscapes. However, previous research has not investigated resource selection at predation sites of mountain lions in highly urbanized areas. We quantified selection of natural and anthropogenic landscape features by mountain lions at sites where they consumed their primary prey, mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), in and adjacent to urban, suburban, and rural areas in greater Los Angeles. We documented intersexual and individual-level variation in the environmental conditions present at mule deer feeding sites relative to their availability across home ranges. Males selected riparian woodlands and areas closer to water more than females, whereas females selected developed areas marginally more than males. Females fed on mule deer closer to developed areas and farther from riparian woodlands than expected based on the availability of these features across their home ranges. We suggest that mortality risk for females and their offspring associated with encounters with males may have influenced the different resource selection patterns between sexes. Males appeared to select mule deer feeding sites mainly in response to natural landscape features, while females may have made kills closer to developed areas in part because these are alternative sites where deer are abundant. Individual mountain lions of both sexes selected developed areas more strongly within home ranges where development occurred less frequently. Thus, areas near development may represent a trade-off for mountain lions such that they may benefit from foraging near development because of abundant prey, but as the landscape becomes highly urbanized these benefits may be outweighed by human disturbance. http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0158006 |
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| Taipan | Aug 1 2016, 05:23 PM Post #62 |
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Journal Reference: L. Mark Elbroch, Howard Quigley Social interactions in a solitary carnivore DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/cz/zow080 zow080 First published online: 10 July 2016 Abstract In total, 177 of 245 terrestrial carnivores are described as solitary, and much of carnivore ecology is built on the assumptions that interactions between adult solitary carnivores are rare. We employed Global Positioning System (GPS) technology and motion-triggered cameras to test predictions of land-tenure territoriality and the resource dispersion hypothesis in a territorial carnivore, the puma Puma concolor. We documented 89 independent GPS interactions, 60% of which occurred at puma kills (n = 53), 59 camera interactions, 11 (17%) of which captured courtship behaviors, and 5 other interactions (1 F-F, 3 M-F, and 1 M-M). Mean minimum weekly contact rates were 5.5 times higher in winter, the season when elk Cervus elaphus were aggregated at lower elevations and during which puma courtship primarily occurred. In winter, contacts rates were 0.6 ± 0.3 (standard deviation (SD)) interactions/week vs. 0.1 ± 0.1 (SD) interactions/week during summer. The preponderance of interactions at food sources supported the resource dispersion hypothesis, which predicts that resource fluxes can explain temporary social behaviors that do not result in any apparent benefits for the individuals involved. Conspecific tolerance is logical when a prey is so large that the predator that killed it cannot consume it entirely, and thus, the costs of tolerating a conspecific sharing the kill are less than the potential costs associated with defending it and being injured. Puma aggregations at kills numbered as high as 9, emphasizing the need for future research on what explains tolerance among solitary carnivores. Pumas, contact rates, and conspecific tolerance ![]() Figure 1. Characteristic hissing and posturing of adult female pumas Puma concolor meeting at a carcass. The duration of interactions at puma kills was 25.4 ± 27.8 h (SD) (range 2–121 h), whereas interactions unassociated with food sources were 8.7 ± 18.2 h (SD) (range 1–76 h). We were only able to determine 2 cases in which an incoming puma displaced the puma that had made the kill; more typically, the pair alternated feeding at the carcass. Zero M-M interactions resulted in mortality, but 2 M-F interactions resulted in the death of the females. We classified the first event as predation rather than intraspecific strife. M68, a 2-yr old sub-adult male puma that we believe had not eaten for more than 5 weeks because we did not find prey remains at any place where GPS locations were aggregated; his last confirmed prey was a porcupine and he may have suffered injuries that limited his mobility (Elbroch et al. 2016a). M68 encountered F59, an 18-month sub-adult female puma, away from a food resource and killed her. He lay atop her carcass and consumed her over the following 4 days. Visually, we confirmed his starving status—all his ribs, pelvis, and leg bones were showing through his coat. We classified the second M-F interaction resulting in mortality as intraspecific strife. F51, a resident female with 2 7-month old kittens, encountered and attacked M85, a mature male wandering into previously held territory by an adjacent male recently killed by a hunter. Evidence (e.g., tracks in the snow) did not suggest that M85 threatened F51 or her kittens, but we suspect that the defense of her offspring triggered the attack. M85 ultimately killed F51. More on the above:
Video of the above photo: M80 eventually accepts 'Dad's Visit: Rest of article: Solitary Is Not Asocial: Social Interactions Among Mountain Lions Posted by Mark Elbroch of Panthera in Cat Watch on August 1, 2016 ![]() F61 and F96, familial mountain lions followed by Panthera’s Teton Cougar Project, engage in play. Photograph by Jeff Hogan. On May 5, 2012, the way I—and many other scientists—understood mountain lions changed forever. A few days earlier, data collected from F57, an adult female mountain lion we’d captured as part of Panthera’s Teton Cougar Project just the month before, revealed that she’d been in the same place for two full days, behavior typically indicative of having made a kill. When new data conveyed that another adult female mountain lion, F109, had closed to within 500 meters of F57’s position, I rushed out with Jake Kay, a project intern at the time, to set motion-triggered cameras over the massive elk carcass we discovered on location. Some days later, I retrieved the cameras and reviewed the video footage in our office with anticipation—F109’s data indicated that she’d visited the kill and in fact spent some time there. Slowly I clicked on each video in succession, hopeful but aware that capturing an interaction between mountain lions on film would be like catching smoke in my bare hands. But at precisely 11:35 pm on May 5th (the day I set the camera), F57 trotted into frame under cover of darkness. She quickly backtracked and hissed loudly in the direction from which she’d come. F109 emerged on screen, walking stiff-legged and tall; F57 snarled and retreated to the left side of the carcass. F109 followed, closing the distance between them from ten yards to two. F57 instantly rolled onto her back; her four clawed feet aimed at the interloper. F109 hissed quietly, and then turned her head to the side, communicating mild submission. Then the video ended. I sat alone in the quiet that followed, hand still on the mouse, stunned by what I’d just seen. And then I shot my arms above my head, and yelled “YES” at the ceiling, as thrilled and surprised as if I’d just won the World Cup. Because in mountain lion biology, I just had. Mountain lions are solitary carnivores, and in fact every wild cat, big or small, is considered solitary, except two: the African lion that forms great family prides most people are very familiar with, and cheetahs, which sometimes form male coalitions that hunt and work together to court females and defend territory. Ecology has a particular definition for “solitary,” when referring to wildlife; Solitary species do not cooperatively raise young, forage, mates, or defend resources from competitors or predators. Solitary carnivores are expected to interact infrequently, and these rare interactions to be about courtship or territorial disputes. Everything you ever read about mountain lions would suggest that F57 and F109 should have avoided each other. But they didn’t. So perhaps I’d caught something odd, something out of place in mountain lion society? Not the case, as you can read in a new article just published in Current Zoology. Between May 2012 and March 2015, we documented 65 Male-Female, 48 Female-Female, and 5 Male-Male interactions among 12 overlapping mountain lions. We captured an amazing 59 of these interactions on film, 11 (17%) of which included courtship behaviors (see Rare Video Footage Shows the Dynamics of Cougar Courtship). We found that mountain lions interacted 5.5 times as often between December 1st and May 31stas they did between June 1st and November 30th each year, which makes sense, since elk form massive winter herds on feed grounds from December-May and mountain lions court each other during breeding between February and May (see A Fortress For Cougar Kittens). Sixty percent of the mountain lion interactions we documented occurred over food—a kill made by one of the mountain lions. And contrary to everything we read about mountain lions, kittens were present at 60% of Female-Female and Male-Female interactions at kill sites. Courtship interactions were less common. We even documented three adult pumas feeding together on 5 occasions, and as many as 9 pumas at a kill, including youngsters. In 1989, Sandell emphasized that solitary is not the same as non-social, and that all solitary wild cats are social to some degree. Researchers studying primates also offer useful insights applicable to solitary wild cats. They define solitary primates as those that look for food alone, but still maintain social relationships. So while the frequency with which we documented mountain lions interacting with each other is unprecedented and sheds new light on the social behavior of mountain lions, it is not enough to challenge their status as a solitary species; all evidence so far indicates that mountain lions (and most wild cat species) hunt alone. Stay tuned for more on the social behaviors of mountain lions from Panthera’s Teton Cougar Project. This research is the first in a series of papers we are publishing on the subject—the next explores patterns of social interactions and attempts to explain why mountain lions interact with some frequency. For updates, photos, and videos of all the mountain lions followed as part of Panthera’s Teton Cougar Project, join us on Facebook. http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2016/08/01/solitary-is-not-asocial-social-interactions-among-mountain-lions/ Edited by Taipan, Aug 2 2016, 01:49 PM.
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| Taipan | Oct 26 2016, 08:17 PM Post #63 |
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This cat has featured in other posts on this forum several times - killing a wolf, socially interacting with other cougars, but sadly she is no more. Great story on her here: The Passing of a Titan Posted by Mark Elbroch of Panthera in Cat Watch on October 25, 2016 ![]() An intimate portrait of F109, an adult female mountain lion tracked by Panthera’s Teton Cougar Project in northwest Wyoming. Contrary to popular belief, mountain lions are not all the same. They are as distinctive in personality as we are. Some are bold, others stick to the shadows. Some are social, others avoid interactions. Some hunt elk, some prefer smaller fare. Some are productive, successful mothers that rear numerous kittens to young adults, and others never raise a single kitten to independence. It’s productive females like F109 that are so important to the future of mountain lion populations. F109, an adult female mountain lion followed by Panthera’s Teton Cougar Project, was exceptional by every standard. She was near impossible to catch with hounds. She was a master of interwoven fallen trees and would leap to mount them, weaving loops across trunks without ever touching the ground. She would climb trees when dogs were close, and leap from one canopy to another, only to descend some distance away. We reveled in the fact that she was safe from hunters; her intelligent evasive strategies left their hounds (and ours!) in drooling befuddlement. F109 was the cat we’d tell stories about around the fire; we revered her tenacity and her indomitable spirit. Whenever a hike was long and hard, we’d say to ourselves, “at least we’re not on a 109 capture!” F109 raised several litters of bouncing kittens to independence, all the while traversing the highest, most rugged terrain our study area in northwest Wyoming had to offer. She survived encounters with bears and wolves, as well as encounters with humans and bull elk. She endured bitter cold and landslides. She showed us exactly what a fortified den looks like (See A Fortress for Kittens). In 2013, she was the first and only mountain lion among those we’ve followed to successfully kill and consume a wolf (See Hunters or Hunted? Wolves Vs. Mountain Lions). Each winter, she also killed several bull elk, which can weigh greater than 700 lbs— more than 8 times her size. She was the first mountain lion we caught on video interacting socially with another mountain lion (See Solitary is not Asocial: Social Interactions Among Mountain Lions), and in recent years she interacted with other mountain lions some 28 times. Over the 6 years we studied her, we gathered data on 195 prey she killed and consumed. Twenty of those kills provided us the opportunity to film and study vertebrate scavengers and document more mountain lion social interactions. F109 taught us what it means to be a successful mountain lion, and as we continue to analyze data and reflect upon our time in northwest Wyoming, she will continue to teach us more. F109 died this month of natural causes, old age and disease, at an incredible 12 years of age. In a hunted population such as this one, her long life is worthy of recognition. Her collar betrayed her final resting place, and we ascended 2,500 feet to find her high on Sheep Mountain, in the center of her territory. On high, we crossed a final snow-covered meadow to enter the copse of trees she’d chosen. The mountain was quiet when we arrived, the air crisp and cool. There were nearby signs of a red squirrel, but it did not chatter at our approach or as we lingered over F109’s frozen body. F109’s death will go unnoticed by most, but her absence leaves a hole in the Jackson ecosystem. The local mountain lion community is more diminished for her passing. Our lives, I’m convinced, are more impoverished as well. Thank you, F109. http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2016/10/25/the-passing-of-a-titan/ On a positive note, the best thing about her death, was that it was due to natural cause. |
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| DinosaurMichael | Mar 28 2017, 07:10 AM Post #64 |
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Apex Predator
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Cougar carcass found frozen in snow northwest of Thunder Bay may answer mountain lion mystery A startling discovery made this weekend north west of Thunder Bay may have answered a decades-old question about whether cougars prowl northwestern Ontario. On Saturday Mandi Weist, her boyfriend, and some buddies were exploring a sand pit area near the Boreal Road when they came upon a van that was pulled over. They asked the people in the van if they were OK, and they answered, "yes, but we are just looking at the mountain lion." Weist said the group then parked their jeep to have a look. They could see it was indeed a cougar, partially frozen into a snowbank, she said. Weist said they were shocked to see the huge cat. "Honestly, we had driven by this spot before and had seen something laying there. We just figured it was a deer, based on the colour," she said. Knowing it was an extremely rare find, the group loaded the dead cougar onto the vehicle and brought it into Thunder Bay. Weist said they knew they had to contact the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (OMNRF) about their find. She said they also talked to taxidermist Dan Cavicchiolo and decided to bring the cat to Boreal Tales Taxidermy on Hwy 61, south west of Thunder Bay. Edited by DinosaurMichael, Mar 28 2017, 07:10 AM.
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| Taipan | Sep 27 2017, 10:41 PM Post #65 |
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A great video explaining how Cougars eat! |
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| Taipan | Oct 13 2017, 02:19 PM Post #66 |
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Pumas found to exhibit behaviors like social animals Findings could raise questions about all solitary carnivores Date: October 12, 2017 Source: Panthera ![]() Pumas are not the loners they were once thought to be. Credit: © outdoorsman / Fotolia Pumas, long known as solitary carnivores, are more social than previously thought, according to a new Panthera study published in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances. The findings provide the first evidence of complex social strategies in any solitary carnivore -- and may have implications for multiple species, including other wild cats around the world. "It's the complete opposite of what we've been saying about pumas and solitary species for over 60 years," said lead author and Panthera Puma Program Lead Scientist Mark Elbroch, Ph.D. "We were shocked -- this research allows us to break down mythologies and question what we thought we knew." Usually termed "solitary carnivores," pumas have been assumed to avoid each other, except during mating, territorial encounters, or when raising young. The population studied interacted every 11-12 days during winter -- very infrequently compared to more gregarious species like meerkats, African lions, or wolves, which interact as often as every few minutes. So to document social behavior, Dr. Elbroch and his field research team had to follow pumas over longer time spans. Using GPS technology and motion-triggered cameras in northwest Wyoming, the team collected thousands of locations from GPS-equipped collars and documented the social interactions of pumas over 1,000 prey carcasses (242 with motion-triggered cameras that filmed interactions). Then, they used cutting-edge analyses of puma networks to reveal that the species exhibits social strategies like more social animals, just over longer timescales. The research is the first to quantify complex, enduring, and "friendly" interactions of these secretive animals, revealing a rich puma society far more tolerant and social than previously thought. "Our research shows that food sharing among this group of pumas is a social activity, which cannot be explained by ecological and biological factors alone," said study co-author Mark Lubell, director of the UC Davis Center for Environmental Policy and Behavior. Here's a breakdown of the most surprising findings:
The study emphasizes that puma populations are actually composed of numerous smaller communities ruled by territorial males. The loss of males, whether by natural or human causes, potentially disrupts the entire social network. Videos and images captured during the study served as "irrefutable" evidence of social behavior, Dr. Elbroch said. "Suddenly, I was able to see what was happening when these animals were coming together. By stepping back, we captured the patterns of behavior that have no doubt been occurring among pumas all along." Except for lions and cheetahs (whose males form long-term social groups), all wild cats are typically described as solitary -- a strategy characteristic of species living in complex habitats where predators compete for dispersed prey. This study should encourage researchers to study the social behavior of other solitary carnivores. "This work goes against convention for solitary carnivores, but our evidence is supported by both behavior and genetics," said co-author Anthony Caragiulo, Assistant Director of Genomic Operations at the Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics at the American Museum of Natural History. Dr. Elbroch stated, "This opens the door to enormous possibilities. Are pumas everywhere behaving the same, or only in areas with large prey? Are other species like leopards and wolverines and so many others acting the same way? There is so much more to discover about the rich, secret social lives of wild creatures." Story Source: Panthera. "Pumas found to exhibit behaviors like social animals: Findings could raise questions about all solitary carnivores." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/10/171012103639.htm (accessed October 12, 2017). Journal Reference: L. Mark Elbroch, Michael Levy, Mark Lubell, Howard Quigley, Anthony Caragiulo. Adaptive social strategies in a solitary carnivore. Science Advances, 2017; 3 (10): e1701218 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1701218 Abstract Cost-benefit trade-offs for individuals participating in social behaviors are the basis for current theories on the evolution of social behaviors and societies. However, research on social strategies has largely ignored solitary animals, in which we assume that rare interactions are explained by courtship or territoriality or, in special circumstances, resource distributions or kinship. We used directed network analysis of conspecific tolerance at food sources to provide evidence that a solitary carnivore, the puma (Puma concolor), exhibited adaptive social strategies similar to more social animals. Every puma in our analysis participated in the network, which featured densely connected communities delineated by territorial males. Territorial males also structured social interactions among pumas. Contrary to expectations, conspecific tolerance was best characterized by direct reciprocity, establishing a fitness benefit to individuals that participated in social behaviors. However, reciprocity operated on a longer time scale than in gregarious species. Tolerance was also explained by hierarchical reciprocity, which we defined as network triangles in which one puma (generally male) received tolerance from two others (generally females) that also tolerated each other. Hierarchical reciprocity suggested that males might be cheating females; nevertheless, we suspect that males and females used different fitness currencies. For example, females may have benefited from tolerating males through the maintenance of social niches that support breeding opportunities. Our work contributes evidence of adaptive social strategies in a solitary carnivore and support for the applicability of theories of social behavior across taxa, including solitary species in which they are rarely tested. ![]() Fig. 1 Puma network. Graphical representation of the network overlaid the territories of resident and subadult male pumas. M29 and M85, territorial males represented with puma icons, delineate the spatial extent of the two communities identified through our analysis. Inset: An interaction between two adult females (UncF2 and F51) over the prey killed by F51. |
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| Taipan | Oct 20 2017, 04:29 PM Post #67 |
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Some video footage of Cougar interactions: Adaptive social strategies in a solitary carnivore. L. Mark Elbroch et al (2017), Science Advances https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1701218 |
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| Grazier | Oct 23 2017, 11:01 AM Post #68 |
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Omnivore
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I was surprised to learn cougars don't live in Alaska. Why might that be? Apparently there is the odd sighting and so perhaps a debate could be had as to whether they are there or not, but I'm more interested in understanding why they generally haven't thrived there. If they are there they've recently arrived, naturally they weren't there. I just honestly can't imagine why not. Surely not the cold? Coastal Alaska isn't even that cold, and its raw wilderness with lots of food. |
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| Cape Leopard | Oct 24 2017, 05:38 AM Post #69 |
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Heterotrophic Organism
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I suppose at first cougars were kept out via competitive exclusion (dire wolves, American lions, etc). I don't know about the cougar's genetic history, but (this is wild speculation) cougars perhaps adapted to cold regions only recently, much later in North America than South America. It could also be that cougars just haven't reached Alaska quite yet after the last Ice Age, like how many European species simply never made it to Ireland despite reaching the British mainland after the end of the Ice Age and before sea levels rose. |
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| Grazier | Oct 24 2017, 07:24 AM Post #70 |
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Omnivore
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Actually Dire wolves never even got as far north as cougars, and no where near as far south in south america. In fact they seem to be a decidedly warm weather species. Now that you mention it I'm wondering if its possible canis dirus and Canis lupus didn't even coexist, if c.lupus stayed up in Canada and Alaska (and obviously Eurasia) until after dirus was extinct, at which point it expanded south. Just throwing it out there, I can't seem to find any fossil info on grey wolves. I do know there are far far fewer lupus fossils in the tar pits than dirus, could this purely be due to lupus only being in the area for the short period since dirus was extinct? I guess the cougar might be a warm weather animal as well, just weird since I immediately picture snow when I think of them. |
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| Taipan | Nov 15 2017, 04:17 PM Post #71 |
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Great Video on the Cougars of Texas: |
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| Taipan | Jan 2 2018, 01:58 PM Post #72 |
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Like your pet cat, pumas are peculiar about where they sleep January 1, 2018 RUSSELL MCLENDON ![]() Photo: Kari K/Shutterstock It's well-known that house cats sleep wherever they want, however they want — and often. They have a penchant for pouring themselves into cozy alcoves, perching atop important papers or disappearing into wormholes under furniture. Pet cats share many of these idiosyncrasies with their wild relatives, which also tend to be catnap connoisseurs. And beyond the amusement of watching domestic cats snooze around the house, understanding the various criteria of a good catnap may also help researchers protect vulnerable felines that are rapidly losing habitat in the wild. ![]() A precarious napping spot can protect pumas from less nimble enemies, like bears or wolves. (Photo: wplynn/Flickr) That's the idea behind a recent study, published in the journal PeerJ, that examined the bed-site preferences of wild mountain lions, also known as pumas or cougars. The study was part of Panthera's Teton Cougar Project (TCP), which has already shed valuable light on other puma puzzles, from their ecological effects to their secret social lives. "Despite the fact that scientists know a lot about the relationships between predators and their prey, we know surprisingly little about the sleeping habits of large predators, especially cryptic carnivores like pumas," writes TCP member Anna Kusler, a graduate researcher at Pace University, in a blog post about the findings. Pumas gravitate to hidden bed sites where it would be hard for a competitor to see them, Kusler says, noting that pumas face more danger in their natural habitats than many people realize. ![]() Warmth, secrecy and escape routes are key factors when a puma needs some rest. (Photo: Tony Campbell/Shutterstock) "Even though most of us probably think of pumas as top predators with little to fear, that's not always the case," Kusler adds. "In North America, much larger grizzly and black bears steal their hard-earned kills. Wolves, as pack animals, steal their kills AND kill them and their kittens." Pumas need to find safe sleeping spots, she explains, where it's unlikely other predators can harm them. From 2012 to 2016, TCP researchers used GPS collars to identify about 600 puma bed sites, then carefully studied each one. Pumas may not have many opportunities to curl up inside a mixing bowl or behind a sofa, but they do have comparable quirks about where they sleep. "We often found puma beds tucked underneath the low-lying boughs of a tree, or against the rugged face of an inaccessible cliff," Kusler writes. "They seem to prefer steep, rugged terrain, like cliff bands and boulder fields." Puma feet have a unique bone structure that helps them grip rocks and logs more easily than bears or wolves can, Kusler explains, so a precarious bed site can offer an escape advantage if a competitor tries to sneak up mid-nap. You'll probably never see a puma sleep in an open field, she adds, as they typically bed down where trees or other landscape features provide a quick escape. Warmth is also an important factor in bed-site selection, especially during winter. "So, like your housecat loves to sleep in the sunny warmth of a windowsill, pumas like to maximize their exposure to the sun's rays," Kusler writes. "That meant many bed sites were on south-facing slopes, where the warmth from the sun is strongest." ![]() A wild puma naps in a bathroom at Chatsworth Nature Preserve in California. (Photo: U.S. National Park Service/Flickr) This research highlights some nuances of habitat loss that can be easy to overlook. When trying to protect large predators like pumas, many people — including researchers — focus on the availability of prey. That is certainly important, Kusler acknowledges, but it's only part of the picture. "Because the best hunting habitats are not necessarily the safest places to sleep," she explains, "a puma must find a home range that can provide both types of environment." https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/blogs/mountain-lions-sleeping-sites Journal Reference: Kusler A, Elbroch LM, Quigley H, Grigione M. (2017) Bed site selection by a subordinate predator: an example with the cougar (Puma concolor) in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. PeerJ 5:e4010 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.4010 Abstract As technology has improved, our ability to study cryptic animal behavior has increased. Bed site selection is one such example. Among prey species, bed site selection provides thermoregulatory benefits and mitigates predation risk, and may directly influence survival. We conducted research to test whether a subordinate carnivore also selected beds with similar characteristics in an ecosystem supporting a multi-species guild of competing predators. We employed a model comparison approach in which we tested whether cougar (Puma concolor) bed site attributes supported the thermoregulatory versus the predator avoidance hypotheses, or exhibited characteristics supporting both hypotheses. Between 2012–2016, we investigated 599 cougar bed sites in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and examined attributes at two scales: the landscape (second-order, n = 599) and the microsite (fourth order, n = 140). At the landscape scale, cougars selected bed sites in winter that supported both the thermoregulatory and predator avoidance hypotheses: bed sites were on steeper slopes but at lower elevations, closer to the forest edge, away from sagebrush and meadow habitat types, and on southern, eastern, and western-facing slopes. In the summer, bed attributes supported the predator avoidance hypothesis over the thermoregulation hypothesis: beds were closer to forest edges, away from sagebrush and meadow habitat classes, and on steeper slopes. At the microsite scale, cougar bed attributes in both the winter and summer supported both the predator avoidance and thermoregulatory hypotheses: they selected bed sites with high canopy cover, high vegetative concealment, and in a rugged habitat class characterized by cliff bands and talus fields. We found that just like prey species, a subordinate predator selected bed sites that facilitated both thermoregulatory and anti-predator functions. In conclusion, we believe that measuring bed site attributes may provide a novel means of measuring the use of refugia by subordinate predators, and ultimately provide new insights into the habitat requirements and energetics of subordinate carnivores. https://peerj.com/articles/4010/ |
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| Taipan | Feb 8 2018, 07:52 PM Post #73 |
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How does a panther catch its prey? Bob McCoy Bob McCoy, Board Member, Mountain Lion Foundation By ‘panther’, I’m assuming Puma concolor, also known as puma, cougar, mountain lion, American lion, painter, catamount, ghost cat, deer lion, klandagi (lord of the forest), night screamer, and at least 100 other names. The panther is never all black, its scientific name means “cat of one color.” Jaguars and leopards can be all black (melanistic) in which case, they are called “black panthers.” Now to the question, since we know which cat I’m writing about. Pumas are stalk and pounce predators. Short-distance sprint speed is estimated at about 50 MPH, second only to its closest cousin, the cheetah. In addition to the incredible strength and speed given panthers, the cougar’s canines (fangs) have nerves that run all the way to the tip of the tooth. Evolution has also spaced the canines to span a deer’s neck vertebrate. So, when a cougar starts a back-of-the neck bite on its prey, the teeth help it find the gaps in the spine, and the bite force wedges the vertebrae apart, breaking the prey’s neck, killing it almost instantly. Sometimes, either due to the prey size, or just the attack parameters, the cat’s attack is to the underside of the prey’s neck. In these attacks, the catamount uses its canines to locate and crush its dinner’s carotid arteries. Of course, crushing the carotids starves the prey’s brain of oxygen. Another attack style, especially perfected by cats in the southwest that specialize on wild horses, is to attack, and then crush the rostrum, suffocating the prey by keeping it from breathing. This seems to me to be the style that takes the most energy and time to get dinner, but certainly better than going hungry. Predominantly, cougars attack the fore-quarters of large prey. The cats’ massive forearms and paws with five extensible claws (four claws per rear paw) give them the ability to grasp and hang onto their prey, while they dispatch the prey as noted. Maurice Hornocker, the grandfather of mountain lion research using radio collars, found that 82% of attacks by cougars on mule deer and elk were successful (Hornocker, 1970). Wolves, “killing machines,” if you believe their detractors, have attack success less than 10% of the time. Hornocker notes that we cannot know how many pre-attack approaches lead to a successful attack, however. Regardless of prey taken, I believe that most research biologists would agree that cougar attacks are generally surgically clean in execution. The predation sites are generally clean, the prey’s coat is clipped in a small area—tufts of hair are around the site— and the cat has made an opening in the carcass just behind the ribs, giving immediate access to the organs that provide required amino acids for the obligate carnivore; arginine and taurine are only available from meat, and cats cannot synthesize those amino acids. North American panthers, while preferring deer and elk for dinner, also predate a wide variety of smaller animals. One Washington State researchers was known to say that cougars in his studies ate beavers as if they were “Milk Duds.” Justin Dellinger, a research graduate from the University of Washington, now working for California, captured a video of a cougar attack from a deer’s point of view. Justin had deer with video cameras attached to their necks. One camera caught a cougar attack. You can see the video here:
https://www.quora.com/How-does-a-panther-catch-its-prey/answer/Bob-McCoy-1?share=20ee9c2d&srid=QYCa |
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| Vita | Mar 10 2018, 12:52 PM Post #74 |
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Cave Canem
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Monster" 197-pound cougar captured by Washington state biologists
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/massive-cougar-captured-by-washington-state-biologists/ |
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| Taipan | Mar 14 2018, 03:40 PM Post #75 |
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Hunger guides mountain lions' actions to enter residential areas Date: March 13, 2018 Source: Colorado State University ![]() Researchers found that while predators like mountain lions are generally fearful of and avoid humans, hunger can dampen that fear. Credit: Colorado Parks and Wildlife In late February, CBS News Denver reported that mountain lion sightings were on the rise in Colorado's high country. Lion attacks on people in the state and around the world are rare, but the story referenced an attack on a 5-year-old boy in 2016 by a mountain lion near Aspen. Wildlife biologists around the world studying these big cats have had difficulty explaining why these attacks occur, even after tracking the predators with GPS collars. A study from Colorado State University and Colorado Parks and Wildlife provides new insight. Researchers found that while the animals are generally fearful of and avoid humans, hunger can dampen that fear. The study, "Hunger mediates apex predator's risk avoidance response in wildland-urban interface," was recently published online in the Journal of Animal Ecology. "These predators, including mountain lions, aren't 'hangry' and seeking out back yards to find food, but there comes a point when a mountain lion is hungry enough that it may use back yards to hunt for food, similar to what takes place in the wild ," said Kevin Blecha, who worked on the research in conjunction with Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologists, while pursuing a graduate degree in ecology from CSU. Previous studies have shown that big cat predators intentionally avoid people, due to fear. Other research has found that predators prefer to spend their time in prey-rich areas. "Unfortunately, these two explanations were not lining up in explaining large predator movements in back yards, and even contradicted each other, especially when there could actually be more prey, like deer, available near people's homes," said Blecha. GPS tracked predator movements In this study, researchers analyzed hunting behaviors of mountain lions on the fringes of Denver and Boulder, Colorado, through the sprawling exurbia, and into the jagged wilderness areas along the Continental Divide. The team used bio-monitoring collars with GPS location and acceleration recorders, strapped to the lions, allowing the researchers to document the predators' hunting behaviors. Data from the GPS collar locations revealed whether the mountain lions were avoiding, attracted to, or ambivalent to houses. GPS tracked the dates and times since the mountain lion last fed on a prey animal, allowing researchers to measure the hunger level that the lions were experiencing while moving about its home range. Animals that had not eaten in more than four to seven days showed little to no avoidance of the higher housing densities. Hunger, time of year matter in animals' actions Blecha and the team found that predators' behavior was connected with having an emptier stomach. While a mountain lion can become hungry at any time of the year, the animals would go longer and longer periods of time between making kills as the winter progressed through late spring, a time of the year when wild prey numbers are lowest. Late spring is also when conflicts between mountain lions and humans may be the highest. Researchers concluded, too, that female mountain lions avoided houses less than male counterparts, which is likely due to females expending more energy during times when they are rearing kittens. In addition, camera traps recorded whether the animals' prey sources were more likely encountered in the higher housing densities or in more wild, public land areas like national forestlands. These camera traps revealed that deer, raccoons and pets were less likely to be encountered in the wildland areas. Complementing this finding, the collars showed that mountain lions were more successful at finding and killing prey near houses than they were away from these structures. Blecha said it is likely that prey such as mule deer are safer in sprawling subdivisions and exurbias, given that mountain lions, coyotes, and human hunters usually avoid these urban fringes. "This study contributes to a growing body of evidence indicating that an animal's energetic state is very important in the decision-making process; animals will make riskier choices when hunger beckons," said Blecha. "This is likely the same for all animals, whether it is mountain lions, rabbits, birds, or even humans." This is among the first studies to demonstrate a direct relationship between hunger and the decision-making process of a large predator. Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials said homeowners living in the wildland-urban interface can do their part by recognizing that wild and domestic animals in their backyards are seen as prey to wild predators. "It is important to keep pets from running loose in these areas without supervision," said Blecha. Story Source: Colorado State University. "Hunger guides mountain lions' actions to enter residential areas." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/03/180313130652.htm (accessed March 13, 2018). Journal Reference: Kevin A. Blecha, Randall B. Boone, Mathew W. Alldredge. Hunger mediates apex predator's risk avoidance response in wildland-urban interface. Journal of Animal Ecology, 2018; DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12801 Abstract Conflicts between large mammalian predators and humans present a challenge to conservation efforts, as these events drive human attitudes and policies concerning predator species. Unfortunately, generalities portrayed in many empirical carnivore landscape selection studies do not provide an explanation for a predator's occasional use of residential development preceding a carnivore–human conflict event. In some cases, predators may perceive residential development as a risk–reward trade-off. We examine whether state-dependent mortality risk-sensitive foraging can explain an apex carnivore's (Puma concolor) occasional utilization of residential areas. We assess whether puma balance the risk and rewards in a system characterized by a gradient of housing densities ranging from wildland to suburban. Puma GPS location data, characterized as hunting and feeding locations, were used to assess landscape variables governing hunting success and hunting site selection. Hunting site selection behaviour was then analysed conditional on indicators of hunger state. Residential development provided a high energetic reward to puma based on increases in prey availability and hunting success rates associated with increased housing density. Despite a higher energetic reward, hunting site selection analysis indicated that pumas generally avoided residential development, a landscape type attributed with higher puma mortality risk. However, when a puma experienced periods of extended hunger, risk avoidance behaviour towards housing waned. This study demonstrates that an apex carnivore faces a trade-off between acquiring energetic rewards and avoiding risks associated with human housing. Periods of hunger can help explain an apex predator's occasional use of developed landscapes and thus the rare conflicts in the wildland–urban interface. Apex carnivore movement behaviours in relation to human conflicts are best understood as a three-player community-level interaction incorporating wild prey distribution. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2656.12801/abstract;jsessionid=72C8E53A0E3ACDEF8637E5DE0B192593.f02t03 |
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Individual_and_Population_Level_Resource_Selection_Patterns_of_Mountain_Lions_Preying_on_Mule_Deer_along_an_Urban_Wildland_Gradient.pdf (5.79 MB)









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