Spatial ecology of jaguars in Mexico: implications for conservation

Abstract ContextMovement ecology contributes valuable information about animal interactions with the environment, and their responses to landscape-level anthropogenic impacts. Big cats are vulnerable to such changes, but the current deficit of information about home range movements, limits the scope of conservation initiatives. Objectives Describe the home range size, interactions, and differences between jaguar populations across its distribution in MexicoMethodsWe used 41,008 GPS-generated data points obtained from 28 tagged jaguars (Panthera onca) in five different states of Mexico over an 18-year period to describe home range size, differences between male and female territories, interactions in overlapping territories, and territory differences among populations. ResultsOur data shows that jaguar home range is smaller than tiger’s but larger than leopard’s. Male mean home range size (285.28 km2, n=13) tends to be larger than that of females (152.2 km2, n = 15), the difference was not statistically significant. While the home range for at least one male was 633.44 km2, contrasted with the much smaller 48.89 km2 for some female jaguars. Data of overlapping ranges showed 34.71% of female territory overlaps male territory, 32.46% of female territory is shared with other females, 18.97% of male territory is shared with other males, and only 16.89% male territory overlaps with female territory. ConclusionsThe absence of significant differences in home range sizes among the habitats suggest jaguar territory is not highly dependent on the type of habitat it occupies. Our findings of the spatial parameters of jaguar movements can be applied to identifying ecological corridors and the design of protected areas for this species.