| plasma concentrations of oestradiol-17 beta and progesterone, and laparoscopic observations of the ovary in the puma (felis concolor) during oestrus, pseudopregnancy and pregnancy. | plasma levels of oestradiol and progesterone in 3 pumas during oestrus and artificially induced pregnancy and pseudopregnancy were determined by radioimmunoassay. during oestrus, basal levels of oestradiol (5-30 pg/ml) were interrupted by surges of 30-375 pg/ml at intervals of 17-25 days. considerable variation occurred between and within animals. periods of oestrus and follicular development were confirmed by laparoscopy and vaginal smear patterns. absence of an increase in plasma progesterone ... | 1981 | 7299754 |
| the impact of rewilding, species introductions and climate change on the structure and function of the yukon boreal forest ecosystem. | community and ecosystem changes are happening in the pristine boreal forest ecosystem of the yukon for two reasons. first, climate change is affecting the abiotic environment (temperature, rainfall, growing season) and driving changes in plant productivity and predator-prey interactions. secondly, simultaneously change is occurring because of mammal species reintroductions and rewilding. the key ecological question is the impact these faunal changes will have on trophic dynamics. primary product ... | 2017 | 29168615 |
| hunger mediates apex predator's risk avoidance response in wildland-urban interface. | 1.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 tradeoff. 2. ... | 2018 | 29380374 |
| characterization of puma-livestock conflicts in rangelands of central argentina. | livestock predation is one of the major causes of conflicts between humans and pumas (puma concolor). using data from interviews with ranchers and kill-site inspections, we characterized puma-livestock conflicts in villarino and patagones counties of central argentinean rangelands. depredation was considered the major cause of livestock losses, and puma attacks were reported in 46.6% and 35.4% of ranches in villarino and patagones, respectively. the majority of ranches underwent losses smaller t ... | 2017 | 29308228 |
| response of pumas (puma concolor) to migration of their primary prey in patagonia. | large-scale ungulate migrations result in changes in prey availability for top predators and, as a consequence, can alter predator behavior. migration may include entire populations of prey species, but often prey populations exhibit partial migration with some individuals remaining resident and others migrating. interactions of migratory prey and predators have been documented in north america and some other parts of the world, but are poorly studied in south america. we examined the response o ... | 2017 | 29211753 |
| [the jaguar panthera onca (carnivora: felidae) in “el cielo” biosphere reserve, tamaulipas, mexico]. | information on the ecology of jaguars (panthera onca) in “el cielo” biosphere reserve in tamaulipas, mexico is scant and limited to anecdotic records in a handful of publications. the objectives of our study were to: a) determine population density and structure of jaguars, b) compare their activity patterns with that of pumas (puma concolor), c) ascertain potential prey relative abundance, and d) evaluate local resident’s perception on loss of domestic animals due to jaguar predation. between a ... | 2016 | 29465909 |
| non-invasive sampling in itatiaia national park, brazil: wild mammal parasite detection. | non-invasive sampling through faecal collection is one of the most cost-effective alternatives for monitoring of free-living wild mammals, as it provides information on animal taxonomy as well as the dynamics of the gastrointestinal parasites that potentially infect these animals. in this context, this study aimed to perform an epidemiological survey of gastrointestinal parasites using non-invasive faecal samples from carnivores and artiodactyls identified by stool macroscopy, guard hair morphol ... | 2020 | 32807197 |
| immunohistochemical identification of antigens of canine distemper virus in neotropical felids from southern brazil. | the pathologic and immunohistochemical findings associated with infections due to canine distemper virus (cdv) are described in the cougar (puma concolor), margay (leopardus wiedii) and jaguarundi (herpailurus yagouaroundi) from southern brazil. tissue sections of the neotropical felids (n = 3) that died at the bela vista sanctuary, paraná, southern brazil were routinely processed for histopathology to identify possible histopathologic patterns associated with infections due to cdv. selected for ... | 2020 | 31916410 |
| prey availability and temporal partitioning modulate felid coexistence in neotropical forests. | carnivores have long been used as model organisms to examine mechanisms that allow coexistence among ecologically similar species. interactions between carnivores, including competition and predation, comprise important processes regulating local community structure and diversity. we use data from an intensive camera-trapping monitoring program across eight neotropical forest sites to describe the patterns of spatiotemporal organization of a guild of five sympatric cat species: jaguar (panthera ... | 2019 | 30861045 |
| feeding interactions in an assemblage of terrestrial carnivores in central mexico. | we evaluated the strategies of resources partitioning among species, dietary overlap and niche breadth in an assemblage of carnivores integrated by top predators (puma concolor and panthera onca) and mesopredators(leoparduspardalis,leoparduswiedii,puma yagouaroundi,nasuanarica andurocyoncinereoargenteus). the aim of this study was to investigate the mechanisms explaining the coexistence among species at a temperate zone in central mexico. | 2015 | 31966103 |
| absence of parvovirus shedding in feces of threatened carnivores from misiones, argentina. | since its emergence in the 1970s, canine parvovirus (cpv) has spread worldwide and infects a wide variety of mammalian hosts, including domestic and nondomestic carnivores. today it is one of the most important pathogenic viruses associated with high morbidity and mortality in domestic dogs ( canis familiaris). in south america, the range of wild hosts has been scarcely studied and the epidemiology of cpv in wildlife is still unclear. in 2011, feces from five wild carnivores (bush dog [ speothos ... | 2018 | 30592932 |
| effectiveness of panama as an intercontinental land bridge for large mammals. | habitat fragmentation is a primary driver of wildlife loss, and establishment of biological corridors is a common strategy to mitigate this problem. a flagship example is the mesoamerican biological corridor (mbc), which aims to connect protected forest areas between mexico and panama to allow dispersal and gene flow of forest organisms. because forests across central america have continued to degrade, the functioning of the mbc has been questioned, but reliable estimates of species occurrence w ... | 2020 | 31385631 |
| predation attacks on wild spider monkeys (ateles geoffroyi). | we report 2 cases of predation on an adult and a subadult spider monkey (ateles geoffroyi) by a puma (puma concolor) and an unidentified terrestrial predator at the natural protected area of otoch ma'ax yetel kooh, in the yucatan peninsula, mexico. although spider monkeys are believed to experience overall low predation pressure compared to other primate species, our observations show that predation occurs in the study area and therefore behavioral strategies are likely to be in place to reduce ... | 2018 | 30176669 |
| non-human papillomaviruses for gene delivery in vitro and in vivo. | papillomavirus capsids are known to have the ability to package dna plasmids and deliver them both in vitro and in vivo. of all known papillomavirus types, human papillomaviruses (hpvs) are by far the most intensely studied. although hpvs work well as gene transfer vectors, their use is limited as most individuals are exposed to this virus either through a hpv vaccination or natural infection. to circumvent these constraints, we produced pseudovirions (psvs) of ten non-human papillomavirus types ... | 2018 | 29912929 |
| comparison between trichinella patagoniensis and trichinella spiralis infection in balb/c mice. | in argentina, trichinellosis is an endemic disease acquired mainly through consumption of raw pork infected with nematodes larvae from the trichinella genus. for years, the only species involved in outbreaks in humans and pig foci in argentina was trichinella spiralis. in 2008 the presence of a new trichinella taxon from a cougar (puma concolor) was detected and recorded in the province of rio negro, argentina, and the finding was established as a new species in 2012: trichinella patagoniensis. ... | 2020 | 33002768 |
| wild carnivores, domestic dogs and ticks: shared parasitism in the brazilian cerrado. | the increase of contact between natural and rural areas is prominent in brazil, due to agricultural activities and concern with the environmental conservation. in this context, domestic animals, wild fauna and humans are exposed to mutual exchange of parasites, microorganisms and diseases. we studied tick parasitism of wild carnivores and domestic dogs, and the environmental of questing ticks, in extensive cattle ranch areas intermingled with natural vegetation, and in a natural reserve, both in ... | 2020 | 32102697 |
| the elephant in the room: what can we learn from california regarding the use of sport hunting of pumas (puma concolor) as a management tool? | puma (puma concolor) management in the western united states is highly contentious, particularly with regard to the use of sport hunting as a management tool. since the 1970s, puma in ten western states have been managed by state fish and game agencies through the use of a sport hunt. the rationale presented by wildlife managers is that sport hunting, in addition to providing recreational hunting opportunities, also reduces threats to human safety and livestock safety, and increases populations ... | 2020 | 32053602 |
| human-cougar interactions in the wildland-urban interface of colorado's front range. | as human populations continue to expand across the world, the need to understand and manage wildlife populations within the wildland-urban interface is becoming commonplace. this is especially true for large carnivores as these species are not always tolerated by the public and can pose a risk to human safety. unfortunately, information on wildlife species within the wildland-urban interface is sparse, and knowledge from wildland ecosystems does not always translate well to human-dominated syste ... | 2019 | 31632646 |
| expression of apobec3 lentiviral restriction factors in cats. | feline immunodeficiency virus (fiv) is a naturally occurring t-cell tropic lentiviral disease of felids with many similarities to hiv/aids in humans. similar to primate lentiviral-host interactions, feline apobec3 (a3) has been shown to inhibit fiv infection in a host-specific manner and feline a3 degradation is mediated by fiv vif. further, infection of felids with non-native fiv strains results in restricted viral replication in both experimental and naturally occurring infections. however, th ... | 2019 | 31500260 |
| multiple anthropogenic interventions drive puma survival following wolf recovery in the greater yellowstone ecosystem. | humans are primary drivers of declining abundances and extirpation of large carnivores worldwide. management interventions to restore biodiversity patterns, however, include carnivore reintroductions, despite the many unresolved ecological consequences associated with such efforts. using multistate capture-mark-recapture models, we explored age-specific survival and cause-specific mortality rates for 134 pumas (puma concolor) monitored in the greater yellowstone ecosystem during gray wolf (canis ... | 2018 | 30073082 |
| summer habitat use and activity patterns of wild boar sus scrofa in rangelands of central argentina. | biological invasions are one of the main components of human-caused global change and their negative impact on invaded ecosystems have long been recognized. invasive mammals, in particular, can threaten native biodiversity and cause economic impacts in the region where they are introduced, often through a wide range of conflicts with humans. although the wild boar, sus scrofa, is considered by the iucn as one of the 100 invasive species most damaging to biodiversity in the world, in argentina th ... | 2018 | 30356269 |
| tracking cats revisited: placing terrestrial mammalian carnivores on δ2h and δ18o isoscapes. | the relationship between hydrogen and oxygen stable isotopic compositions in environmental water and hair was investigated for both domestic cats (felis catus) and dogs (canis lupus familiaris). a strong, but different, covariance was measured between the hydrogen and oxygen stable isotopic compositions of local precipitation and hair keratin from both cats and dogs. these isotopic differences are most likely a result of the differences between the dietary and drinking water needs of cats compar ... | 2019 | 31479471 |
| do prey select for vacant hunting domains to minimize a multi-predator threat? | many ecosystems contain sympatric predator species that hunt in different places and times. we tested whether this provides vacant hunting domains, places and times where and when predators are least active, that prey use to minimize threats from multiple predators simultaneously. we measured how northern yellowstone elk (cervus elaphus) responded to wolves (canis lupus) and cougars (puma concolor), and found that elk selected for areas outside the high-risk domains of both predators consistent ... | 2019 | 31373137 |
| are pumas subordinate carnivores, and does it matter? | interspecific competition affects species fitness, community assemblages and structure, and the geographic distributions of species. established dominance hierarchies among species mitigate the need for fighting and contribute to the realized niche for subordinate species. this is especially important for apex predators, many of which simultaneous contend with the costs of competition with more dominant species and the costs associated with human hunting and lethal management. | 2018 | 29379688 |
| recolonizing wolves influence the realized niche of resident cougars. | niche differentiation may betray current, ongoing competition between two sympatric species or reflect evolutionary responses to historic competition that drove species apart. the best opportunity to test whether ongoing competition contributes to niche differentiation is to test for behavioral shifts by the subordinate competitor in controlled experiments in which the abundance of the dominant competitor is manipulated. because these circumstances are difficult to coordinate in natural settings ... | 2015 | 31966128 |
| linking human and ecological components to understand human-wildlife conflicts across landscapes and species. | human-wildlife conflicts (hwc) are complex conservation challenges that impair both wildlife populations and human livelihood. research on hwc, however, has traditionally approached ecological and human components separately, hampering a broader understanding of connections between ecological drivers and human dimensions of conflicts. we developed a model that integrates ecological and human components of hwc to investigate how the amount of remaining native forest (forest cover, a key ecologica ... | 2020 | 32406127 |
| extinction vortex dynamics of top predators isolated by urbanization. | extinction risk is elevated in small, isolated populations due to demographic and genetic interactions. therefore, it is critical to model these processes realistically in population viability analyses (pva) to inform local management and contribute to a greater understanding of mechanisms within the extinction vortex. we conducted pva's for two small mountain lion populations isolated by urbanization in southern california to predict population growth, extinction probability, and loss of geneti ... | 2019 | 30892753 |
| mammalian carnivore occupancy is inversely related to presence of domestic dogs in the high andes of ecuador. | although the andes have long been occupied by people, habitat loss, fragmentation through deforestation, and other human activities such as introduction of invasive species have increased drastically during the past century. the ecuadorian andes are considered a biodiversity hotspot. however, the fauna and threats to the region are poorly studied, and understanding of factors that shape the distribution of species in habitats disturbed by human activities is needed to identify and mitigate regio ... | 2018 | 29489855 |
| cougar (puma concolor) injury in the united states. | human encounters with the cougar (puma concolor) are rare in the united states but may be fatal. | 2019 | 31248816 |
| an ecological framework for contextualizing carnivore-livestock conflict. | carnivore predation on livestock is a complex management and policy challenge, yet it is also intrinsically an ecological interaction between predators and prey. human-wildlife interactions occur in socioecological systems in which human and environmental processes are closely linked. however, underlying human-wildlife conflict and key to unpacking its complexity are concrete and identifiable ecological mechanisms that lead to predation events. to better understand how ecological theory accords ... | 2020 | 32406970 |
| motion-triggered video cameras reveal spatial and temporal patterns of red fox foraging on carrion provided by mountain lions. | carrion is a rich, ephemeral resource vital to biodiversity and ecosystem health. in temperate ecosystems in which cold temperatures and snowfall influence the accessibility and availability of small prey and seasonal mast crops, carrion may also be a limiting resource for mesocarnivores like red foxes (vulpes vulpes), which are too small to predate ungulates. using motion-triggered video cameras and generalized linear mixed models, we studied the spatial and temporal patterns of red fox scaveng ... | 2018 | 30083459 |
| feline immunodeficiency virus in puma: estimation of force of infection reveals insights into transmission. | determining parameters that govern pathogen transmission (such as the force of infection, foi), and pathogen impacts on morbidity and mortality, is exceptionally challenging for wildlife. vital parameters can vary, for example across host populations, between sexes and within an individual's lifetime.feline immunodeficiency virus (fiv) is a lentivirus affecting domestic and wild cat species, forming species-specific viral-host associations. fiv infection is common in populations of puma (puma co ... | 2019 | 31641451 |
| presence of endogenous viral elements negatively correlates with feline leukemia virus susceptibility in puma and domestic cat cells. | while feline leukemia virus (felv) has been shown to infect felid species other than the endemic domestic cat host, differences in felv susceptibility among species has not been evaluated. previous reports have noted a negative correlation between endogenous felv (enfelv) copy number and exogenous felv (exfelv) infection outcomes in domestic cats. since felids outside the genus felis do not harbor enfelv genomes, we hypothesized absence of enfelv results in more severe disease consequences in fe ... | 2020 | 32817213 |
| frequent cross-species transmissions of foamy virus between domestic and wild felids. | emerging viral outbreaks resulting from host switching is an area of continued scientific interest. such events can result in disease epidemics or in some cases, clinically silent outcomes. these occurrences are likely relatively common and can serve as tools to better understand disease dynamics, and may result in changes in behavior, fecundity, and, ultimately survival of the host. feline foamy virus (ffv) is a common retrovirus infecting domestic cats globally, which has also been documented ... | 2020 | 31942245 |
| feline foamy virus is highly prevalent in free-ranging puma concolor from colorado, florida and southern california. | feline foamy virus (ffv) is a retrovirus that has been detected in multiple feline species, including domestic cats (felis catus) and pumas (puma concolor). ffv results in persistent infection but is generally thought to be apathogenic. sero-prevalence in domestic cat populations has been documented in several countries, but the extent of viral infections in nondomestic felids has not been reported. in this study, we screened sera from 348 individual pumas from colorado, southern california and ... | 2019 | 31010173 |
| multiple introductions of domestic cat feline leukemia virus in endangered florida panthers. | the endangered florida panther (puma concolor coryi) had an outbreak of infection with feline leukemia virus (felv) in the early 2000s that resulted in the deaths of 3 animals. a vaccination campaign was instituted during 2003-2007 and no additional cases were recorded until 2010. during 2010-2016, six additional felv cases were documented. we characterized felv genomes isolated from florida panthers from both outbreaks and compared them with full-length genomes of felvs isolated from contempora ... | 2019 | 30561312 |
| minimum habitat thresholds required for conserving mountain lion genetic diversity. | jointly considering the ecology (e.g., habitat use) and genetics (e.g., population genetic structure and diversity) of a species can increase understanding of current conservation status and inform future management practices. previous analyses indicate that mountain lion (puma concolor) populations in california are genetically structured and exhibit extreme variation in population genetic diversity. although human development may have fragmented gene flow, we hypothesized the quantity and qual ... | 2020 | 33072289 |
| surviving in steep terrain: a lab-to-field assessment of locomotor costs for wild mountain lions (puma concolor). | under current scenarios of climate change and habitat loss, many wild animals, especially large predators, are moving into novel energetically challenging environments. consequently, changes in terrain associated with such moves may heighten energetic costs and effect the decline of populations in new localities. | 2020 | 32782806 |
| a retrospective study of reported disorders of the oral cavity in large felids in australian zoos. | disorders of the oral cavity are conditions reported by veterinarians that impact the health and welfare of large felids in human care. there have been no studies documenting the prevalence of these conditions and species affected in australian zoos. a review of the medical records of lions (panthera leo), tigers (panthera tigris), cheetahs (acinonyx jubatus), jaguars (puma onca), snow leopards (panthera uncia), persian leopards (panthera pardus saxicolor), and cougars (puma concolor) from 10 au ... | 2019 | 31120658 |
| running on empty: recharge dynamics from animal movement data. | vital rates such as survival and recruitment have always been important in the study of population and community ecology. at the individual level, physiological processes such as energetics are critical in understanding biomechanics and movement ecology and also scale up to influence food webs and trophic cascades. although vital rates and population-level characteristics are tied with individual-level animal movement, most statistical models for telemetry data are not equipped to provide infere ... | 2019 | 30548152 |
| trichinella spiralis in a south american sea lion (otaria flavescens) from patagonia, argentina. | trichinella spp. from a sylvatic cycle has been found in several animal species such as pumas (puma concolor), armadillos (chaetophractus villosus), rats (rattus norvegicus), and wild boars (sus scrofa) in argentina. moreover, trichinella infection has been detected in a wide range of marine mammals around the world, including polar bears (ursus maritimus) and walruses (odobenus rosmarus). until the present time, trichinella spp. infection has not been detected in marine mammals of south america ... | 2018 | 30334078 |
| climatically driven changes in primary production propagate through trophic levels. | climate and land-use change are the major drivers of global biodiversity loss. their effects are particularly acute for wide-ranging consumers, but little is known about how these factors interact to affect the abundance of large carnivores and their herbivore prey. we analyzed population densities of a primary and secondary consumer (mule deer, odocoileus hemionus, and mountain lion, puma concolor) across a climatic gradient in western north america by combining satellite-based maps of plant pr ... | 2018 | 30088318 |
| quantifying animal movement for caching foragers: the path identification index (pii) and cougars, puma concolor. | many studies of animal movement have focused on directed versus area-restricted movement, which rely on correlations between step-length and turn-angles and on stationarity through time to define behavioral states. although these approaches might apply well to grazing in patchy landscapes, species that either feed for short periods on large, concentrated food sources or cache food exhibit movements that are difficult to model using the traditional metrics of turn-angle and step-length alone. | 2017 | 29201376 |
| papillary architecture of the lingual surface in the puma (puma concolor). | this research presents the first anatomical description of the tongue and lingual papillae of the mountain lion (puma). the tongues of three adult male pumas were used in this study. the tongues were dissected and studied firstly by gross and stereomicroscopy. samples of each part were processed by study with scanning electron microscopy. the margins of the lingual apex were surrounded by numerous filiform papillae, which had a bulky papillary body and a bifurcated tip. on the dorsal surface of ... | 2018 | 29152772 |
| serosurvey of mountain lions in southern arizona. | an understanding of the prevalence of diseases in free-ranging populations of felids is limited, and there is even less known about the overall health and diseases of wild felids that inhabit or utilize urban areas. we collected serum samples from 9 radiocollared mountain lions (puma concolor) in the mountains surrounding tucson, arizona, usa, from august 2005 to august 2008. we tested serum samples for evidence of exposure to 10 feline viruses: feline calicivirus (fcv), feline herpesvirus, feli ... | 2012 | 32327861 |
| genetic structure of mountain lion (puma concolor) populations in california. | analysis of 12 microsatellite loci from431 mountain lions (puma concolor)revealed distinct genetic subdivision that wasassociated with geographic barriers andisolation by distance in california. levels ofgenetic variation differed among geographicregions, and mountain lions that inhabitedcoastal areas exhibited less heterozygositythan those sampled inland. the san franciscobay and sacramento-san joaquin river delta, thecentral valley, and the los angeles basinappeared to be substantial barriers ... | 2003 | 32214916 |
| heterologous microsatellite primers are informative for paca (cuniculus paca), a large rodent with economic and ecological importance. | this study was designed to facilitate genetic studies that would allow information on population structure and genetic diversity of natural or captive stocks of paca (cuniculus paca), a species of ecological and socioeconomic importance, by testing cross-amplification of 20 heterologous microsatellite primer pairs developed for guinea pigs (cavia porcellus) and capybara (hydrochoerus hydrochaeris). | 2020 | 33028373 |
| the differential genetic signatures related to climatic landscapes for jaguars and pumas on a continental scale. | modern and paleoclimate changes may have altered species dynamics by shifting species' niche suitability over space and time. we analyze whether the current genetic structure and isolation of the two large american felids, jaguar (panthera onca) and puma (puma concolor), are mediated by changes in climatic suitability and connection routes over modern and paleoclimatic landscapes. we estimate species distribution under 5 climatic landscapes (modern, holocene, last maximum glaciations [lmg], aver ... | 2020 | 32929877 |
| participatory development of incentives to coexist with jaguars and pumas. | reducing costs and increasing benefits for rural communities coexisting with large carnivores is necessary for conservation of jaguar (panthera onca) and puma (puma concolor). to design acceptable incentives, stakeholders must be involved in the process. we conducted an innovative, structured, group communication process based on a delphi technique as a template for identifying potential incentives. community workshops with 133 members of 7 communities and surveys with 25 multidisciplinary exper ... | 2018 | 29356132 |
| anatomical description of the origin and distribution of the lumbosacral plexus in one puma (puma concolor). | wild felids often suffer spinal and limb disorders; however, their nervous system anatomy is poorly studied. herein, the lumbosacral plexus (plexus lumbosacralis) of an adult puma and the motor and sensitive innervation of the pelvic limb is described. we found anatomical similarities to other felids, but also some differences. branches l4-s3 form the lumbosacral plexus (plexus lumbosacralis) in the puma. the femoral nerve (n. femoris) arises from the union of l4-l5, while in other felids, it is ... | 2020 | 32452572 |
| characterization of mesenchymal stem cells derived from adipose tissue of a cougar (puma concolor). | adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells (amscs) have been isolated from domestic and wild cats. for wild cats, the isolation of amscs has been reported in the black-footed cats (felis nigripes) and guigna (leopardus guigna). stromal vascular fraction (svf) isolated from cougar adipose tissue have been used to restore elbow functionality in the cougar (puma concolor) but multipotent characteristics of these cells have not been described. the present study describes for the first time the isolation ... | 2020 | 32714450 |
| illegal trade in wild cats and its link to chinese-led development in central and south america. | seizures of hundreds of jaguar heads and canines in central and south america from 2014 to 2018 resulted in worldwide media coverage suggesting that wildlife traffickers are trading jaguar body parts as substitutes for tiger parts to satisfy the demand for traditional asian medicine. we compiled a data set of >1000 seized wild cats (jaguar [panthera onca], puma [puma concolor], and ocelot [leopardus pardalis]) from 19 central and south american countries and china. we ran generalized additive mi ... | 2020 | 32484587 |
| novel circoviruses detected in feces of sonoran felids. | sonoran felids are threatened by drought and habitat fragmentation. vector range expansion and anthropogenic factors such as habitat encroachment and climate change are altering viral evolutionary dynamics and exposure. however, little is known about the diversity of viruses present in these populations. small felid populations with lower genetic diversity are likely to be most threatened with extinction by emerging diseases, as with other selective pressures, due to having less adaptive potenti ... | 2020 | 32942563 |
| oncicola venezuelensis (marteau, 1977) (acanthocephala: oligacanthorhynchidae) in puma concolor in rio de janeiro, brazil. | specimens of oncicola venezuelensis (marteau, 1977) were recovered from fragments of intestinal tissue of a female puma concolar (linn, 1771) found dead in petrópolis, rio de janeiro in 2017. a total of 140 helminths were recovered. five males and 5 females of the helminths were analyzed morphologically as well as 50 parasite eggs recovered in intestinal contents. morphologically, these helminths were compatible with the genus oncicola, because of the size and shape of the proboscis, the size an ... | 2020 | 32667498 |
| nodular and sclerosing gastritis caused by cylicospirura felineus in a puma (puma concolor). | an adult male puma (puma concolor), hit by a car in an urban area, died three days later despite the therapeutic support provided. at necropsy, multiple firm nodules were identified in the gastric mucosa. the nodules were coated by an intact mucosa with a central opening from which reddish and cylindrical nematodes protruded into the lumen. twenty-seven nematodes were retrieved for morphological and morphometric evaluations. during histopathological examination of the gastric tissue, the adult n ... | 2020 | 32609248 |
| study of trichinella patagoniensis in wild boars. | trichinellosis is a zoonotic disease, which represents a significant public health concern in some south american countries, such as argentina and chile. its impact is essentially due to absence of adequate control measures on meat from game animals, as well as the presence of illegal slaughterhouses and the trade of meat products without being tested for this parasite. in argentina, trichinellosis is an endemic disease. at present, trichinella spiralis, trichinella patagoniensis, trichinella ps ... | 2020 | 32540092 |
| mountain goat survival and mortality during a period of increased puma abundance in the black hills, south dakota. | we investigated survival and cause-specific mortality for a mountain goat (oreamnos americanus) population during a period when the puma (puma concolor) population was growing in the black hills, south dakota, 2006-2018. we obtained survival data from 47 adult goats (n = 33 females, n = 14 males). annual survival varied from 0.538 (95% ci [0.285-0.773]) to 1.00 (95% ci [1.00-1.00]) and puma predation was the primary cause-specific mortality factor over a 12-year period. cumulative hectares of mo ... | 2020 | 32523807 |
| inferring the demographic history of inbred species from genome-wide snp frequency data. | demographic inference using the site frequency spectrum (sfs) is a common way to understand historical events affecting genetic variation. however, most methods for estimating demography from the sfs assume random mating within populations, precluding these types of analyses in inbred populations. to address this issue, we developed a model for the expected sfs that includes inbreeding by parameterizing individual genotypes using beta-binomial distributions. we then take the convolution of these ... | 2020 | 32068861 |
| diagnostic uncertainty and the epidemiology of feline foamy virus in pumas (puma concolor). | feline foamy virus (ffv) is a contact-dependent retrovirus forming chronic, largely apathogenic, infections in domestic and wild felid populations worldwide. given there is no current 'gold standard' diagnostic test for ffv, efforts to elucidate the ecology and epidemiology of the virus may be complicated by unknown sensitivity and specificity of diagnostic tests. using bayesian latent class analysis, we estimated the sensitivity and specificity of the only two ffv diagnostic tests available-eli ... | 2020 | 32005906 |
| towards the restoration of the mesoamerican biological corridor for large mammals in panama: comparing multi-species occupancy to movement models. | habitat fragmentation is a primary driver of wildlife loss, and the establishment of biological corridors is a conservation strategy to mitigate this problem. identifying areas with high potential functional connectivity typically relies on the assessment of landscape resistance to movement. many modeling approaches exist to estimate resistance surfaces but to date only a handful of studies compared the outputs resulting from different methods. moreover, as many species are threatened by fragmen ... | 2020 | 31938545 |
| marine fog inputs appear to increase methylmercury bioaccumulation in a coastal terrestrial food web. | coastal marine atmospheric fog has recently been implicated as a potential source of ocean-derived monomethylmercury (mmhg) to coastal terrestrial ecosystems through the process of sea-to-land advection of foggy air masses followed by wet deposition. this study examined whether pumas (puma concolor) in coastal central california, usa, and their associated food web, have elevated concentrations of mmhg, which could be indicative of their habitat being in a region that is regularly inundated with ... | 2019 | 31772229 |
| altered lentiviral infection dynamics follow genetic rescue of the florida panther. | wildlife translocations are a commonly used strategy in endangered species recovery programmes. although translocations require detailed assessment of risk, their impact on parasite distribution has not been thoroughly assessed. this is despite the observation that actions that alter host-parasite distributions can drive evolution or introduce new parasites to previously sequestered populations. here, we use a contemporary approach to amplify viral sequences from archived biological samples to c ... | 2019 | 31640509 |
| urbanization impacts apex predator gene flow but not genetic diversity across an urban-rural divide. | apex predators are important indicators of intact natural ecosystems. they are also sensitive to urbanization because they require broad home ranges and extensive contiguous habitat to support their prey base. pumas (puma concolor) can persist near human developed areas, but urbanization may be detrimental to their movement ecology, population structure, and genetic diversity. to investigate potential effects of urbanization in population connectivity of pumas, we performed a landscape genomics ... | 2019 | 31587398 |
| de novo assembly and annotation from parental and f1 puma genomes of the florida panther genetic restoration program. | in the mid-1990s, the population size of florida panthers became so small that many individuals manifested traits associated with inbreeding depression (e.g., heart defects, cryptorchidism, high pathogen-parasite load). to mitigate these effects, pumas from texas were introduced into south florida to augment genetic variation in florida panthers. in this study, we report a de novo puma genome assembly and annotation after resequencing 10 individual genomes from partial florida-texas-f1 trios. th ... | 2019 | 31519748 |
| ecological effects of fear: how spatiotemporal heterogeneity in predation risk influences mule deer access to forage in a sky-island system. | forage availability and predation risk interact to affect habitat use of ungulates across many biomes. within sky-island habitats of the mojave desert, increased availability of diverse forage and cover may provide ungulates with unique opportunities to extend nutrient uptake and/or to mitigate predation risk. we addressed whether habitat use and foraging patterns of female mule deer (odocoileus hemionus) responded to normalized difference vegetation index (ndvi), ndvi rate of change (green-up), ... | 2019 | 31380044 |
| demography of avian scavengers after pleistocene megafaunal extinction. | the late quaternary megafauna extinctions reshaped species assemblages, yet we know little about how extant obligate scavengers responded to this abrupt ecological change. to explore whether obligate scavengers persisted by depending on contemporary community linkages or via foraging flexibility, we tested the importance of the trophic interaction between pumas (puma concolor) and native camelids (vicugna vicugna and lama guanicoe) for the persistence of andean condors (vultur gryphus) in southe ... | 2019 | 31273237 |
| ancient parasitic dna reveals toxascaris leonina presence in final pleistocene of south america. | parasitological analysis of coprolites has allowed exploring ecological relationships in ancient times. ancient dna analysis contributes to the identification of coprolites and their parasites. pleistocene mammalian carnivore coprolites were recovered from paleontological and archaeological site peñas de las trampas 1.1 in the southern puna of argentina. with the aim of exploring ancient ecological relationships, parasitological analysis was performed to one of them, dated to 16 573-17 002 calib ... | 2019 | 31196226 |
| habitat complexity mediates the predator-prey space race. | the spatial relationship between predator and prey is often conceptualized as a behavioral response race, in which prey avoid predators while predators track prey. limiting habitat types can create spatial anchors for prey or predators, influencing the likelihood that the predator or prey response will dominate. joint spatial anchors emerge when predator and prey occupy similar feeding habitat domains and risk and reward become spatially conflated, confusing predictions of which player will win ... | 2019 | 31157915 |
| chronology of reproductive investment determines predation risk aversion in a felid-ungulate system. | fear of predators can behaviorally mediate prey population dynamics, particularly when predation risk influences reproductive investment. however, the costs of reproductive investment may mitigate predation risk aversion relative to periods when the link between reproductive output and prey behavior is weaker.we posit that intensity of reproductive investment in ungulates may predict their response to predation risk such that the sexes increase risk exposure during biological seasons that are pi ... | 2019 | 30962891 |
| improving estimation of puma (puma concolor) population density: clustered camera-trapping, telemetry data, and generalized spatial mark-resight models. | obtaining reliable population density estimates for pumas (puma concolor) and other cryptic, wide-ranging large carnivores is challenging. recent advancements in spatially explicit capture-recapture models have facilitated development of novel survey approaches, such as clustered sampling designs, which can provide reliable density estimation for expansive areas with reduced effort. we applied clustered sampling to camera-traps to detect marked (collared) and unmarked pumas, and used generalized ... | 2019 | 30872785 |
| integrating temporal refugia into landscapes of fear: prey exploit predator downtimes to forage in risky places. | the landscape of fear is an important driver of prey space use. however, prey can navigate the landscape of fear by exploiting temporal refuges from predation risk. we hypothesized that diel patterns of predator and prey movement and space use would be inversely correlated due to temporal constraints on predator habitat domain. specifically, we evaluated habitat selection and activity of the vicuña and its only predator, the puma, during three diel periods: day, dawn/dusk, and night. pumas selec ... | 2019 | 30868375 |
| time-varying predatory behavior is primary predictor of fine-scale movement of wildland-urban cougars. | while many species have suffered from the detrimental impacts of increasing human population growth, some species, such as cougars (puma concolor), have been observed using human-modified landscapes. however, human-modified habitat can be a source of both increased risk and increased food availability, particularly for large carnivores. assessing preferential use of the landscape is important for managing wildlife and can be particularly useful in transitional habitats, such as at the wildland-u ... | 2018 | 30410764 |
| a case of anthrax in two captive pumas (puma concolor). | in this study, we aimed to report anthrax cases in two pumas, brought to the pathology department, faculty of veterinary medicine, erciyes university for suspected poisoning upon their sudden death at the kayseri zoo, in turkey. in the necropsy, enlargement and malacia were observed in the spleens. the cut surfaces of the spleens were in extreme red-blackish color. bacillus anthracis was isolated as a pure culture from both samples which belong to dead pumas. b. anthracis isolates had pxo1 and p ... | 2018 | 30369586 |
| necrotizing interstitial pneumonia and suppurative myocarditis associated with bartonella henselae infection in three florida pumas. | three florida pumas ( puma concolor coryi) that had spent time in captivity prior to being released in the wild were found exhibiting respiratory signs and reluctance to move. all 3 pumas died shortly after immobilization, despite supportive veterinary care. significant autopsy findings included necrotizing interstitial pneumonia, with pulmonary edema and hyaline membranes, and suppurative myocarditis. organisms morphologically consistent with bartonella henselae were identified in intravascular ... | 2018 | 30027827 |
| toxocariasis in carnivora from argentinean patagonia: species molecular identification, hosts, and geographical distribution. | twenty four specimens of seven species belonging to the families felidae, mustelidae, and canidae were obtained in lanín and nahuel huapi national parks from march 1996 to april 2016. specimens were processed by necropsy in order to contribute to the knowledge of toxocariasis in wild carnivores of argentinean patagonia. the only puma concolor and the seven leopardus geoffroyi were positive for toxocara cati. polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (pcr-rflp) of the its ... | 2018 | 29988800 |
| hunger makes apex predators do risky things. | in focus: blecha, k. a., boone, r. b., & alldredge, m. w. (2018). hunger mediates apex predator's risk avoidance response in wildland-urban interface. journal of animal ecology, 87, 609-622. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.12801 puma (puma concolor), an apex predator, can live at the edge of cities where pockets of low-density human dwellings form residential patches in the wildland-urban interface. blecha, boone, and alldredge () tracked puma via global positioning system (gps) telemetry coll ... | 2018 | 29652091 |
| new world feline apobec3 potently controls inter-genus lentiviral transmission. | the apolipoprotein b mrna-editing enzyme catalytic polypeptide-like 3 (apobec3; a3) gene family appears only in mammalian genomes. some a3 proteins can be incorporated into progeny virions and inhibit lentiviral replication. in turn, the lentiviral viral infectivity factor (vif) counteracts the a3-mediated antiviral effect by degrading a3 proteins. recent investigations have suggested that lentiviral vif genes evolved to combat mammalian apobec3 proteins, and have further proposed that the vif-a ... | 2018 | 29636069 |
| surgical management of appendicular long-bone fractures in free-ranging florida panthers ( puma concolor coryi): six cases (2000-2014). | the clinical outcomes of six free-ranging florida panthers ( puma concolor coryi) that underwent surgical stabilization of appendicular long-bone fractures (three femoral fractures, one tibial and one tibial and fibular fracture and two radial and ulnar fractures) were evaluated. these panthers presented to the university of florida from 2000-2014. estimated age of the panthers ranged from 0.5 to 4.5 yr, and weights ranged from 22 to 65 kg. causes of injuries were vehicular collision ( n = 4) an ... | 2018 | 29517460 |
| social interactions in a solitary carnivore. | 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 ( ... | 2017 | 29491995 |
| bed site selection by a subordinate predator: an example with the cougar (puma concolor) in the greater yellowstone ecosystem. | 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 ... | 2017 | 29158967 |
| inferring the ecological niche of toxoplasma gondii and bartonella spp. in wild felids. | traditional epidemiological studies of disease in animal populations often focus on directly transmitted pathogens. one reason pathogens with complex lifecycles are understudied could be due to challenges associated with detection in vectors and the environment. ecological niche modeling (enm) is a methodological approach that overcomes some of the detection challenges often seen with vector or environmentally dependent pathogens. we test this approach using a unique dataset of two pathogens in ... | 2017 | 29090215 |
| adaptive social strategies in a solitary carnivore. | 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 ... | 2017 | 29026880 |
| first report of trypanosoma evansi infection (surra) in a puma (felis concolor) of lahore zoo, pakistan. | the blood protozoan trypanosoma evansi, which is transmitted by biting flies, is frequently neglected due to subclinical infections. this report describes a case of trypanosomiasis due to t. evansi in a 9-yr-old male puma (felis concolor) housed at the lahore zoo in pakistan. early in january 2015, this male puma presented with chronic lethargy, weight loss, incoordination, hyperthermia, anorexia, sunken eyes, and unthriftiness. microscopic examination of giemsa-stained blood smears showed numer ... | 2017 | 28920778 |
| feline coronavirus and feline infectious peritonitis in nondomestic felid species. | feline coronavirus (fcov) is reported worldwide and known to cause disease in domestic and nondomestic felid species. although fcov often results in mild to inapparent disease, a small subset of cats succumb to the fatal, systemic disease feline infectious peritonitis (fip). an outbreak of fip in cheetahs (acinonyx jubatus) in a zoological collection demonstrated the devastating effect of fcov introduction into a naïve group of animals. in addition to cheetahs, fip has been described in european ... | 2021 | 33827157 |
| sepsis in cougar (puma concolor) associated with chromobacterium violaceum. | the genus chromobacterium is widely distributed in the environment and is composed of gram-negative, aerobic, or facultative anaerobic bacilli that occur in violet-colored colonies. these bacteria rarely cause infections, but when it occurs, it spreads quickly and has a high mortality. because diseases are infrequent, the diagnosis is often delayed, and it takes time for suitable treatment to be initiated, leading to increased mortality due to the rapid progression of the disease. after the deat ... | 2021 | 33829376 |
| correction: the challenge of monitoring elusive large carnivores: an accurate and cost-effective tool to identify and sex pumas (puma concolor) from footprints. | [this corrects the article doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0172065.]. | 2020 | 33180878 |
| where and when to hunt? decomposing predation success of an ambush carnivore. | predator-prey games emerge when predators and prey dynamically respond to the behavior of one another, driving the outcomes of predator-prey interactions. predation success is a function of the combined probabilities of encountering and capturing prey, which are influenced by both prey behavior and environmental features. while the relative importance of encounter and capture probabilities have been evaluated in a spatial framework, temporal variation in prey behavior and intrinsic catchability ... | 2020 | 32852062 |
| a bayesian network approach to refining ecological risk assessments: mercury and the florida panther (puma concolor coryi). | traditionally hazard quotients (hqs) have been computed for ecological risk assessment, often without quantifying the underlying uncertainties in the risk estimate. we demonstrate a bayesian network approach to quantitatively assess uncertainties in hqs using a retrospective case study of dietary mercury (hg) risks to florida panthers (puma concolor coryi). the bayesian network was parameterized, using exposure data from a previous monte carlo-based assessment of hg risks (barron et al., 2004. e ... | 2020 | 32831453 |
| host relatedness and landscape connectivity shape pathogen spread in the puma, a large secretive carnivore. | urban expansion can fundamentally alter wildlife movement and gene flow, but how urbanization alters pathogen spread is poorly understood. here, we combine high resolution host and viral genomic data with landscape variables to examine the context of viral spread in puma (puma concolor) from two contrasting regions: one bounded by the wildland urban interface (wui) and one unbounded with minimal anthropogenic development (ub). we found landscape variables and host gene flow explained significant ... | 2021 | 33398025 |