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Spatial organization and activity patterns of ocelots (Leopardus pardalis) in a protected subtropical forest of Brazil

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Abstract

We estimated home range size and overlap and activity patterns of ocelots in a protected subtropical forest, the Iguaçu National Park (INP), in southwestern Brazil using a long-term dataset from 1990 to 2001. We expected that male ocelots would have larger home ranges than females and that ocelots would be primarily nocturnal. In general, we found large home ranges sizes, with male home ranges larger than females, and significant intra and intersexual overlap. In addition, ocelots were more active during crepuscular hours. The observed larger home ranges than in other sites and significant overlap observed may reflect weak territoriality of ocelots in our study. The activity patterns observed may reflect an increase in the consumption of more diurnal and crepuscular prey species, such as lizards and agoutis. The weak territoriality and more crepuscular activity patterns may be indicatives of the flexibility of this felid species’ ecology.

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Acknowledgments

We thank all the research assistants and trainees who helped with data collection. We thank the Brazilian Institute of Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) for permission to conduct the project. The National Center for the Conservation of Predators (CENAP), also as a part of IBAMA at the time of the study, provided important assistance.

Funding

The first part of the study (1990–1994) was supported by IBAMA, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)/US, Helisul Taxi Aéreo Ltda., the Lincoln Park Zoo “Scott Neotropical Fund”, Fundação O Boticário de Conservação da Natureza, and Ilha do Sol Turismo. The second part (1996–2001) was financed by Ilha do Sol Turismo e Navegação and EUCATEX S.A. The Instituto Pró-Carnívoros provided institutional support. We thank Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) for the productivity fellowship to K.M.P.M.B. Ferraz (Funder id: https://doi.org/10.13039/501100003593, grant #308503/2014-7).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ciências Naturais, Universidade Federal de São João del Rei, São João del Rei, MG, 36301-160, Brazil

    Fernando C. C. Azevedo

  2. Instituto Pró-Carnívoros Atibaia, Av. Horácio Neto, 1030, Atibaia, SP, 12945-010, Brazil

    Fernando C. C. Azevedo, Valéria A. Conforti, Ronaldo G. Morato, Sandra M. C. Cavalcanti & Katia M. P. M. B. Ferraz

  3. Museu de Ciências Naturais, Fundação Zoobotânica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, 90690-000, Brazil

    Jan K. F. Mähler Jr

  4. Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis (IBAMA), Porto Alegre, 90050-050, Brazil

    Cibele B. Indrusiak

  5. Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX, 75962, USA

    Daniel Scognamillo

  6. Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Carnívoros CENAP/ICMBio, Av. Hisaichi Takebayashi, 8600, Atibaia, SP, 12946-051, Brazil

    Ronaldo G. Morato & Peter G. Crawshaw Jr

  7. Departamento de Ciências Florestais, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Pádua Dias, 11, Piracicaba, SP, 13418-900, Brazil

    Katia M. P. M. B. Ferraz

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  1. Fernando C. C. Azevedo
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  2. Jan K. F. Mähler Jr
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  3. Cibele B. Indrusiak
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  6. Ronaldo G. Morato
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  8. Katia M. P. M. B. Ferraz
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  9. Peter G. Crawshaw Jr
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Correspondence to Fernando C. C. Azevedo.

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Communicated by: Krzysztof Schmidt

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Azevedo, F.C.C., Mähler, J.K.F., Indrusiak, C.B. et al. Spatial organization and activity patterns of ocelots (Leopardus pardalis) in a protected subtropical forest of Brazil. Mamm Res 64, 503–510 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-019-00430-9

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