Habitat selection of the margay (Leopardus wiedii) in the eastern Andean foothills of Ecuador

Anne-Marie C. Hodge

doi:10.1515/mammalia-2013-0070

Article

Habitat selection of the margay (Leopardus wiedii) in the eastern Andean foothills of Ecuador

Anne-Marie C. Hodge

Published/Copyright: January 10, 2014

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From the journal Mammalia Volume 78 Issue 3

Abstract

The margay (Leopardus wiedii) is a small felid currently facing critical population declines in many regions throughout its Central–South American range. This species is thought to be the most arboreal of the New World felids, which has led to concern that it may be especially sensitive to deforestation and habitat destruction. Due to the margay’s elusive nature, little is known about its ecology and natural history. In the present study, a camera trap survey was used to investigate whether margay abundance and activity patterns are correlated to vegetational structure in a mid-elevation forest in the eastern Andes of Ecuador. Structural habitat variables were measured at each camera station to assess whether these factors were predictive of margay camera “trap” success. The data show that canopy cover, average distance to nearest trees, and distance to forest edge were significant predictors of margay trap success, although compositional analysis indicated that the highest margay presence was in areas of 51–75% canopy cover rather than the very densest locations. These results highlight the importance of curbing habitat destruction and deforestation as part of efforts to reverse the margay’s declining population trend and protect its habitat.

Keywords: carnivores; conservation; Felidae; habitat selection; neotropics

Corresponding author: Anne-Marie C. Hodge, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, 1000 E. University Ave, Laramie, WY 82071, USA, e-mail: ahodge@uwyo.edu; and Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina-Wilmington, 601 S. College Road, Wilmington, NC 28403, USA

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and the Explorer’s Club Young Explorer’s Grant. I would also like to thank the owners and staff of Wildsumaco Wildlife Sanctuary and colleagues at the Pontifica Universidad Católica del Ecuador for their generosity in facilitating this fieldwork. I send much appreciation to A. Fominaya for his advice on statistical methods. I also thank B. Arbogast and T. Knowles for their roles in advising the project, in addition to the many field assistants that contributed to data collection.

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Received: 2013-4-28

Accepted: 2013-11-19

Published Online: 2014-1-10

Published in Print: 2014-8-1

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Keywords for this article

carnivores; conservation; Felidae; habitat selection; neotropics

Habitat selection of the margay (Leopardus wiedii) in the eastern Andean foothills of Ecuador

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