Temporal overlap between two sympatric carnivores in northwestern Peru and southwestern Ecuador
Main Article Content
Abstract
The coexistence of sympatric species is determined by differences in their ecological niche. Thus, for taxonomically and ecologically similar species to coexist, they must segregate in at least one of the three most important dimensions of the ecological niche: space, time or diet. The Pampas Cat Leopardus colocola and the Sechuran Fox Lycalopex sechurae are sympatric species; and they are the most common medium-sized carnivores in the Sechura Desert and in the lowland seasonally dry tropical forest of Peru and Ecuador. We evaluated the activity pattern of both mesocarnivores using camera trapping and temporal overlap analysis in both arid ecosystems. We found a high degree of activity overlap and no statistically significant difference in the activity pattern of both species (Δ = 0.85 with 95% CI = 0.81 – 0.94; W = 0.531, SD = 2, P = 0.767), both being cathemeral. There is, however, a contrasting pattern in the daytime activity of these species in the dry forest. These results suggest that the different diet composition may be the main dimension that is facilitating the coexistence of both mesocarnivores in the arid ecosystems of northern Peru and southern Ecuador.
Article Details
Authors own the copyright to the articles published in JoTT. This is indicated explicitly in each publication. The authors grant permission to the publisher Wildlife Information Liaison Development (WILD) Society to publish the article in the Journal of Threatened Taxa. The authors recognize WILD as the original publisher, and to sell hard copies of the Journal and article to any buyer. JoTT is registered under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY), which allows authors to retain copyright ownership. Under this license the authors allow anyone to download, cite, use the data, modify, reprint, copy and distribute provided the authors and source of publication are credited through appropriate citations (e.g., Son et al. (2016). Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of the southeastern Truong Son Mountains, Quang Ngai Province, Vietnam. Journal of Threatened Taxa 8(7): 8953–8969. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.2785.8.7.8953-8969). Users of the data do not require specific permission from the authors or the publisher.
References
Agostinelli, C. & U. Lund (2017). R package ‘circular’ Version 0.4-93. Available online at https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/circular/circular.pdf, accessed on 11 June 2019.
Asa, C.S. & M.P Wallace (1990). Diet and Activity Pattern of the Sechuran Desert Fox (Dusicyon sechurae). Journal of Mammalogy 71(1): 69–72.
Bagno, M.A., F.H.G. Rodrigues, M.P. Villalobos, J.C. Dalponte, R.A. Brandão, B. Britto, R. Cunha & A.M.R. Bezerra (2004). Notes on the Natural History and Conservation Status of Pampas Cat, Oncifelis colocolo, in the Brazilian Cerrado. Mammalia 68(1): 75–79. https://doi.org/10.1515/mamm.2004.011 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/mamm.2004.011
Batschelet, E. (1981). Circular Statistics in Biology. Academic Press, New York.
Beltran, J.F. & M. Delibes (1994). Environmental determinants of circadian activity of free-ranging Iberian Lynxes. Journal of Mammalogy 75(2): 382–393.
Brack-Egg, A. (1986). Las ecoregiones del Perú. BoletÃn de Lima 44: 57–70.
Chávez-Villavicencio, C., A. GarcÃa-Olaechea & L. Casas (2015). Tasa de ocurrencia de Lycalopex sechurae (Canidae, Carnivora) en el Sitio Ramsar Manglares San Pedro De Vice (Piura, Perú): base para monitoreo del impacto por explotación de hidrocarburos. The Biologist 13(1): 1–10.
CossÃos, D. (2005). Dispersión y variación de la capacidad de germinación de semillas ingeridas por el Zorro Costeño (Lycalopex sechurae) en el Santuario Histórico Bosque de Pómac, Lambayeque. MSc. Thesis. Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, Lima, Perú, 48pp.
CossÃos, D. (2007). Lycalopex sechurae (Carnivora: Canidae). Mammalian Species 42(848): 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1644/848.1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1644/848.1
CossÃos, D., A. Madrid, J. Condori & U. Fajardo (2007). Update on the distribution of the Andean Cat Oreailurus jacobita and the Pampas Cat Lynchailurus colocolo in Peru. Endangered Species Research 3: 313–320. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00059 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00059
Cove, M., R.M. Spinola, V.L. Jackson & J. Saenz (2014). Camera trapping Ocelots: an evaluation of felid attractants. Hystrix, the Italian Journal of Mammalogy 5(2):113–116. https://doi.org/10.4404/hystrix-25.2-9945
Davies, T.J., S. Meiri, T.G. Barraclough & J.L. Gittleman (2007). Species co-existence and character divergence across carnivores. Ecology Letters 10(2): 146–152. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2006.01005.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2006.01005.x
Di Bitetti, M.S., Y.E. Di Blanco, J.A. Pereira, A. Paviolo & I.J. Pérez (2009). Time partitioning favors the coexistence of sympatric Crab eating Foxes (Cerdocyon thous) and Pampas Fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus). Journal of Mammalogy 90(2): 479–490.
Escribano-Avila, G. (2019). Non-specialized frugivores as key seed dispersers in dry disturbed environments: An example with a generalist neotropical mesocarnivore. Journal of Arid Environments 167: 18–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2019.04.015 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2019.04.015
Fajardo, U., D. CossÃos & V. Pacheco (2014). Dieta de Leopardus colocolo (Carnivora: Felidae) en la Reserva Nacional de JunÃn, JunÃn, Perú. Revista Peruana de Biologia 21(1): 61–70. https://doi.org/10.15381/rpb.v21i1.8248 DOI: https://doi.org/10.15381/rpb.v21i1.8248
Figueroa, J., M. Stucchi & R. Rojasâ€VeraPinto (2013). El Oso Andino (Tremarctos ornatus) como especie clave para la conservación del bosque seco del Marañón (Cajamarca †Amazonas, Perú). Cooperación Técnica Alemana (GIZ), Asociación para la Investigación y Conservación de la Biodiversidad (AICB). Lima, Perú, 160 pp.
Foster, V.C., P. Sarmento, R. Sollmann, N. Tôrres, A.T.A. Jácomo, N. Negrões, C. Fonseca & L. Silveira (2013). Jaguar and Puma activity patterns and predator-prey interactions in four Brazilian biomes. Biotropica 45(3): 373–379. https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.12021 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.12021
Gantchoff, M.G. & J.L Belant (2016). Patterns of coexistence between two mesocarnivores in northern Patagonia in the presence of invasive hares and anthropogenic disturbance. Austral Ecology 41(1): 97–105. https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.12303 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.12303
GarcÃa-Olaechea, A. & C.M. Hurtado (2018). Assessment of the current distribution and human perceptions of the Pampas Cat Leopardus colocolo in northern Peru and southern Ecuador. Oryx 52(3): 587–590. https://doi.org/10.1017/S003060531700151X DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S003060531700151X
Gómez, H., R.B. Wallace, G. Ayala & R. Tejada (2005). Dry season activity periods of some Amazonian mammals. Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment 40(2): 91–95. https://doi.org/10.1080/01650520500129638 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01650520500129638
Huaranca, J.C., M.L. Villalba, N. Negrões, J.E. Jiménez, D.W. Macdonald & L.F. Pacheco (2019). Density and activity patterns of Andean Cat and Pampas Cat (Leopardus jacobita and L. colocolo) in the Bolivian Altiplano. Wildlife Research 47(1): 68–76: https://doi.org/10.1071/WR19053 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1071/WR19053
Hurtado, C.M. & V. Pacheco (2015). New mammalian records in the Parque Nacional Cerros de Amotape, northwestern Peru. Revista Peruana de BiologÃa 44: 77–86. https://doi.org/10.15381/rpb.v22i1.11124 DOI: https://doi.org/10.15381/rpb.v22i1.11124
Linares-Palomino, R., L.P. Kvist, Z. Aguirre-Mendoza & C. Gonzales-Inca (2010). Diversity and endemism of woody plant species in the Equatorial Pacific seasonally dry forests. Biodiversity Conservation 19: 169. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-009-9713-4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-009-9713-4
Lucherini, M., J.I. Reppucci, R.S. Walker, M.L. Villalba, A. Wurstten, G. Gallardo, A. Iriarte, R. Villalobos & P. Perovic (2009). Activity Pattern Segregation of Carnivores in the High Andes. Journal of Mammalogy 90(6): 1404–1409. https://doi.org/10.1644/09-MAMM-A-002R.1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1644/09-MAMM-A-002R.1
Macarthur, R. & R. Levins (1967). The limiting similarity, convergence, and divergence of coexisting species. The American Naturalis 101(921): 377–385.
Marinho, P.H., D. Bezerra, M. Antongiovanni, C.R. Fonseca & E.M. Venticinque (2017). Activity patterns of the threatened Northern Tiger Cat Leopardus tigrinus and its potential prey in a Brazilian dry tropical forest. Mammalian Biology 89: 30–36. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-017-0330-4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-017-0330-4
Meredith, M. & M. Ridout (2017). Overview of the overlap package. R Project 1–18.
Monterroso, P., P.C. Alves & P. Ferreras (2013). Catch me if you can: Diel activity patterns of mammalian prey and predators. Ethology 119(12): 1044–1056. https://doi.org/10.1111/eth.12156 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/eth.12156
Monterroso, P., P.C. Alves & P. Ferreras (2014). Plasticity in circadian activity patterns of mesocarnivores in Southwestern Europe: Implications for species coexistence. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 68(9): 1403–1417. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-014-1748-1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-014-1748-1
Napolitano, C., M. Bennett, W.E. Johnson, S.J. O’Brien, P. A. Marquet, I. BarrÃa, E. Poulin & A. Iriarte (2008). Ecological and biogeographical inferences on two sympatric and enigmatic Andean cat species using genetic identification of faecal samples. Molecular Ecology 17(2): 678–690. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2007.03606.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2007.03606.x
Olson, D.M. & E. Dinerstein (2002). The Global 200: Priority Ecoregions for Global Conservation. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 89: 199–224. https://doi.org/10.2307/3298564 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/3298564
Prugh, L.R., C.J. Stoner, C.W. Epps, W.T. Bean, W.J. Ripple, A.S. Laliberte & J.S. Brashares (2009). The rise of the mesopredator. BioScience 59(9): 779–791. https://doi.org/10.1525/bio.2009.59.9.9 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1525/bio.2009.59.9.9
R Core Team (2015). R: a language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundaton for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria. Available online at https://www.r-project.org/
Reppucci, J., B. Gardner & M. Lucherini (2011). Estimating detection and density of the Andean Cat in the high Andes. Journal of Mammalogy 92(1): 140–147. https://doi.org/10.1644/10-MAMM-A-053.1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1644/10-MAMM-A-053.1
Richer, M. & R. Ise (2005). Monitoring plant development after El Niño 1997/98 in northwestern Peru. Erdkunde 59: 136–155.
Ridout, M.S. & M. Linkie (2009). Estimating overlap of daily activity patterns from camera trap data. Journal of Agricultural, Biological, and Environmental Statistics 14(3): 322–337. https://doi.org/10.1198/jabes.2009.08038 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1198/jabes.2009.08038
Schoener, T.W. (1974). Resource partitioning in ecological communities. Science 185(4145): 27–39. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.185.4145.27. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.185.4145.27
Sidell, B.P. (2002). Moonrise 3.5 (32Bit) Software. https://moonrise.informer.com/3.5/ Electronic version accessed on 09 June 2019.
Silveira, L. (1992). Notes on the distribution and natural history of the Pampas Cat, Felis colocolo, in Brazil. Mammalia 3: 17–26.
Silveira, L., Jácomo, A.T.A. & M. Furtado (2005). Pampas Cat ecology and conservation in the Brazilian grasslands. Project of the Month, Cat Specialist Group. Available online at http://www. catsg.org/catsgportal/project-o-month/02_webarchive/ grafics/sept2005.pdf, accessed on 25 May 2019.
Villalba, M., N. Bernal, K. Nowell & D. Macdonald (2012). Distribution of two Andean small cats (Leopardus jacobita and Leopardus colocolo) in Bolivia and the potential impacts of traditional beliefs on their conservation. Endangered Species Research 16(1): 85–94. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00389 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00389
Walker, R.S., A.J. Novaro, P. Perovic, R. Palacios, E. Donadio, M. Lucherini, M. Pia & M.S. López (2007). Diets of Three Species of Andean Carnivores in High-Altitude Deserts of Argentina. Journal of Mammalogy 88(2): 519–525. https://doi.org/10.1644/06-mamm-a-172r.1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1644/06-MAMM-A-172R.1
Weller, S.H. & C.L. Bennett (2001). Twenty-four hour activity budgets and patterns of behavior in captive Ocelots (Leopardus pardalis). Applied Animal Behaviour Science 71(1): 67–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0168-1591(00)00169-6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0168-1591(00)00169-6