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Fernando Cesar Cascelli De Azevedo - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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population genetics of Jaguars panthera onca in the brazilian pantanal molecular evidence for demographic connectivity on a regional scale
Journal of Heredity, 2015Co-Authors: Fernanda P Valdez, Sandra M C Cavalcanti, Leandro Silveira, Fernando Cesar Cascelli De Azevedo, Taiana Haag, Francisco M Salzano, Eduardo EizirikAbstract:Habitat loss and fragmentation are important threats to carnivores worldwide, and can be especially intense for large predators. Jaguars have already been extirpated from over half of their original area of distribution, and few regions still maintain large populations. For these, detailed understanding is crucial for setting appropriate recovery targets in impacted areas. The Pantanal is among the best examples of a region with a large Jaguar population in a healthy environment. Here, we analyzed 12 microsatellite loci to characterize genetic diversity and population structure of 52 Jaguars sampled in 4 localities of the southern Pantanal, and compared them with prior studies of heavily fragmented populations of the Atlantic Forest. Although we observed some internal structure among the Pantanal localities, our results indicated that this area comprises a single population with high genetic variability. Moreover, our comparative analyses supported the hypothesis that the strong population structure observed in the Atlantic Forest derives from recent, anthropogenic fragmentation. We also observed significant but low levels of genetic differentiation between the Pantanal and Atlantic Forest populations, indicating recent connectivity between Jaguars occurring in these biomes. Evidence for admixture between the Pantanal and a population on the western boundary of the Atlantic Forest corroborates the transitional nature of the latter area, where the Jaguar population has already been extirpated. Our results can be used to understand Jaguar population dynamics in a region that is less disturbed than the Atlantic forest, and to support the design of conservation strategies that maintain and restore natural connectivity among currently isolated areas.
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predator prey interactions Jaguar predation on caiman in a floodplain forest
Journal of Zoology, 2012Co-Authors: Fernando Cesar Cascelli De Azevedo, Luciano Martins VerdadeAbstract:Advances in the understanding of ecological factors determining predator–prey interactions have provided a strong theoretical background on diet preferences of predators. We examined patterns of Jaguar predation on caiman in southern Pantanal, Brazil. We investigated factors affecting predation rates and vulnerability of caiman to predation by Jaguars. We recorded 114 caiman mortality incidents. Predation accounted for 62.3% (n = 71) of all caiman found dead, while other causes of mortality (nonpredation) accounted for 37.7% (n = 43). We found that Jaguars prey on a broad size range of caiman body and caiman predation was influenced by distance to forests. During dry seasons, 70% (n = 49) of deaths were due to predation, while 30% (n = 21) were due to nonpredation causes. However, we found no significant relationship between annual and monthly killings of caiman and rainfall totals by year and month (r = 0.130, r = −0.316). The annual flooding regime may be a more important factor influencing prey selection by Jaguars. Although neotropical crocodilians are relatively well studied, their interactions with Jaguars have been mostly ignored and should be prioritized in future studies.
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tick borne bacteria in free living Jaguars panthera onca in pantanal brazil
Vector-borne and Zoonotic Diseases, 2011Co-Authors: Cynthia Elisa Widmer, Fernando Cesar Cascelli De Azevedo, Aliny P Almeida, Fernando Ferreira, Marcelo Bahia LabrunaAbstract:Abstract Tick-borne bacteria were investigated in 10 free-living Jaguars and their ticks in the Pantanal biome, Brazil. Jaguar sera were tested by indirect fluorescent antibody assays using Rickettsia rickettsii, Rickettsia parkeri, Rickettsia amblyommii, Rickettsia rhipicephali, Rickettsia felis, Rickettsia bellii, Ehrlichia canis, and Coxiella burnetii as crude antigens. All 10 Jaguar sera reacted (titer ≥64) to at least one Rickettsia species; 4 and 3 sera reacted with E. canis and C. burnetii, respectively. One Jaguar presented antibody titer to R. parkeri at least fourfold higher than those to any of the other five Rickettsia antigens, suggesting that this animal was infected by R. parkeri. Ticks collected from Jaguars included the species Amblyomma cajennense, Amblyomma triste, and Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus. No Rickettsia DNA was detected in Jaguar blood samples, but an A. triste specimen collected on a Jaguar was shown by PCR to be infected by R. parkeri. The blood of two Jaguars and samp...
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food habits and livestock depredation of sympatric Jaguars and pumas in the iguacu national park area south brazil
Biotropica, 2008Co-Authors: Fernando Cesar Cascelli De AzevedoAbstract:Understanding coexistence between sympatric felines with similar body sizes, such as Jaguars Panthera onca and pumas Puma concolor, requires knowledge of the way these predators consume and partition food resources. Yet the importance of livestock predation on Jaguar and puma coexistence is poorly known. I investigated food habits and patterns of livestock depredation of Jaguar and pumas in the Iguacu National Park (INP) in southern Brazil. From 1997 to 2001, I collected scats opportunistically on trails and roads in INP and visited ranches on the border of INP. I found that Jaguars relied mostly on large and medium-sized wild prey species, while pumas concentrated on medium-sized prey species. Livestock was the fifth most frequent prey found in Jaguar scats but the most important one in terms of biomass consumed. Jaguar and puma diets differed significantly when all prey items were compared and also when livestock was excluded from the Jaguar diet. Jaguar predation on livestock was considerably higher than predation by pumas. However, predation was not substantial relative to availability of livestock, and cattle likely constitute an alternative source of prey for Jaguars. Degree of diet overlap between Jaguar and puma in INP suggests that coexistence was likely driven by exploitative competition through some degree of food partitioning. My results highlight the importance of more actions toward increasing numbers of large ungulates to preserve the population of Jaguars in INP. Abstracts in Portuguese is available at http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/loi/btp.
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spatial organization and food habits of Jaguars panthera onca in a floodplain forest
Biological Conservation, 2007Co-Authors: Fernando Cesar Cascelli De Azevedo, Dennis L MurrayAbstract:For most carnivore populations, territoriality is the regulating social system ultimately determined by food abundance and/or strife. However, in some food-based territorial felid species such as the Jaguar (Panthera onca), the influence of food availability on territoriality remains unclear and may be lessened because of a tendency for individuals to occur at high densities across the landscape. We examined spatial organization and use of food in a population of Jaguars in the southern region of the Pantanal, Brazil (2003‐04). We predicted that if territoriality plays an important role in determining Jaguar population dynamics, exclusive use of territories should be observed and thereby influence prey selection patterns. We determined that home range sizes were comparable between sexes and overlapped little at the core area level. Line transect surveys revealed that large mammals comprised the bulk of available wild prey for Jaguars, and scat analysis indicated that Jaguars relied mostly on large mammalian prey. The most common wild species killed by Jaguars were capybara (Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris) and caiman (Caiman yacare). We estimated that the wild prey base was adequate to support the Jaguar population. Larger wild prey species were considerably more likely to die from predation than from other causes, and predation was more likely to occur in Jaguar core areas than in areas of home range overlap. Modest cattle depredation rates had little demographic importance to the local Jaguar population. We conclude that spacing patterns in the local Jaguar population were likely based on exclusion through territoriality rather than food limitation.
Andrew J Noss - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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habitat loss and overhunting synergistically drive the extirpation of Jaguars from the gran chaco
Diversity and Distributions, 2019Co-Authors: Alfredo Romeromunoz, Andrew J Noss, Ricardo Torres, Anthony J Giordano, Veronica Andrea Quiroga, Jeffrey J Thompson, Matthias Baumann, Mariana Altrichter, Roy T Mcbride, Marianela VelillaAbstract:AIM: Understanding how habitat loss and overhunting impact large carnivores is important for broad‐scale conservation planning. We aimed to assess how these threats interacted to affect Jaguar habitat (Panthera onca) between 1985–2013 in the Gran Chaco, a deforestation hotspot. LOCATION: Gran Chaco ecoregion in Argentina, Paraguay and Bolivia. METHODS: We modelled Jaguar habitat change from 1985–2013 using a time‐calibrated species distribution model that uses all occurrence data available for that period. We modelled habitat as a function of resource availability and hunting threats, which allowed us to separate core (high resource availability and low hunting threat), refuge (low resources but safe), attractive sink (high resources but risky) and sink (low resources and risky) habitat for 1985, 2000 and 2013. RESULTS: Jaguar core areas contracted by 33% (82,400 km²) from 1985–2013, mainly due to an expansion of hunting threats. Sink and attractive sink habitat covered 58% of the Jaguar range in 2013 and most confirmed Jaguar kill sites occurred in these areas. Furthermore, habitat loss and hunting threats co‐occurred in 29% of Jaguars’ range in 2013. Hunting threats also deteriorated core areas within protected areas, but 95% of all core areas loss occurred outside protected lands. About 68% of the remaining core areas in 2013 remained unprotected, mostly close to international borders. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: Our study highlights the synergistic effects that habitat loss and hunting threats exert on large carnivores, even inside protected areas, emphasizing the need to consider the geography of threats in conservation planning. Our results also point to the importance of areas along international borders as havens for wildlife and thus the urgent need for cross‐border planning to prevent the imminent extinction of Jaguars from the Chaco. Opportunities lie in reducing Jaguar mortality over the widespread attractive sinks, particularly in corridors connecting core areas.
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critical population status of the Jaguar panthera onca in the argentine chaco camera trap surveys suggest recent collapse and imminent regional extinction
Oryx, 2014Co-Authors: Veronica Andrea Quiroga, Andrew J Noss, Gabriel Ivan Boaglio, Mario S Di BitettiAbstract:The population of Jaguars Panthera onca in the semi-arid Chaco Province is the least well-known in Argentina. Its status in the region is described only from interviews that confirmed its presence until 2003. To update information on the distribution and population density of this species we undertook three camera-trap surveys, combined with searches for sign, at sites across latitudinal and protection gradients, and 156 interviews with local inhabitants across three larger areas. The camera-trap sites were located in areas with the highest density of records in the Argentine Chaco: Copo National Park (1,204 trap days, 24 stations, 344 km of transects), Aborigen Reserve (1,993 trap days, 30 stations, 251 km of transects) and El Cantor (2,129 trap days, 35 stations, 297 km of transects). We did not obtain any photographs of Jaguars. We recorded very few Jaguar tracks, and only in the Aborigen Reserve (n = 3) and El Cantor (n = 1). The map of distribution points confirmed through interviews suggests that the Jaguar range has not changed significantly in the past 10 years; however, the camera-trap and sign surveys suggest that densities are extremely low. Before our study the Chaco population was thought to be the largest in Argentina. This perception was incorrect: the Chaco Jaguar population is the most threatened in the country. Systematic, intensive studies are essential to provide the necessary information for decision-making for the management and conservation of threatened species.
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one thousand Jaguars panthera onca in bolivia s chaco camera trapping in the kaa iya national park
Journal of Zoology, 2004Co-Authors: Leonardo Maffei, Erika Cuellar, Andrew J NossAbstract:This paper reports on efforts to trap Jaguars Panthera onca on camera in the dry forests of the Kaa-Iya del Gran Chaco National Park in Bolivia. Ad hoc camera trapping provided certain information on Jaguar presence and habits, but was limited in application. Activity patterns showed that Jaguars are active all day, particularly at one of three sites, with peaks in the morning and evening the more common pattern. Minimum observed home range was variable, with males (up to 65 km 2 ) occupying more area than females (up to 29 km 2 ). The authors adapted systematic methodologies first developed to survey tigers in India, based on individually distinctive pelage patterns in tigers and Jaguars. Abundance is estimated using capture–recapture statistical analysis, and a sample area defined based on the maximum distance that individual Jaguars move during the sample period. The methodology has proved successful for Jaguars in dry Chaco forest, population densities of 1/30–45 km 2 and 1/20 km 2 are estimated in the two most extensive landscape systems of Kaa-Iya. The entire 34 400 km 2 protected area is estimated to sustain a population of over 1000 adult and juvenile Jaguars, the largest single population of Jaguar reported anywhere, and a viable population for long-term Jaguar conservation.
Sandra M C Cavalcanti - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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identification of kill sites from gps clusters for Jaguars panthera onca in the southern pantanal brazil
Wildlife Research, 2016Co-Authors: Eric M Gese, Patricia A Terletzky, Sandra M C CavalcantiAbstract:Context Understanding predator–prey relationships is important for making informed management decisions. Knowledge of Jaguar (Panthera onca) predation on livestock and native prey is imperative for future conservation of Jaguars in Central and South America. Aim As part of an investigation to determine predation patterns of Jaguars in the southern Pantanal, Brazil, we examined spatial, temporal and habitat variables, which are useful in categorising location clusters as kill sites and non-kill sites. Methods Using GPS-collars on 10 Jaguars we obtained a total of 11 784 locations, from which 877 clusters were identified, visited and examined for prey remains. Of the 877 clusters, 421 were associated with a kill and 456 clusters were not associated with a kill. We used univariate and multivariate models to examine the influence of spatial (distance to nearest: water, dense cover, road; dispersion of points), temporal (season, time, number of nights, duration) and habitat (percentage of seven habitat classes, dominant habitat class) variables on categorising clusters as kill or non-kill sites. Key results We found the time a Jaguar spent at a cluster (duration), the dispersion of points around the centre of the cluster (dispersion) and the number of nights spent at the cluster were all reliable predictors of whether a cluster was a kill or non-kill site. The best model predicting the likelihood a cluster was a Jaguar kill site was a combination of duration and dispersion. Habitat variables were not important in discriminating kills from non-kill sites. Conclusion We identified factors useful for discriminating between kills and non-kill sites for Jaguars. We found that as a Jaguar spent more time at a cluster and as the dispersion of points around the centre of the cluster increased, the higher likelihood the cluster was a Jaguar kill. Similarly, as the number of nights spent at the cluster increased, the greater the probability the cluster was a kill. Implications Our results will increase the efficiency of field investigations of location clusters in determining predation patterns of Jaguars in Central and South America. Being able to prioritise which location clusters should be investigated will assist researchers with limited time and resources.
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can scat analysis describe the feeding habits of big cats a case study with Jaguars panthera onca in southern pantanal brazil
PLOS ONE, 2016Co-Authors: Miriam Lucia Lages Perilli, Flavio Henrique Guimaraes Rodrigues, Fernando Lima, Sandra M C CavalcantiAbstract:Large cats feeding habits have been studied through two main methods: scat analysis and the carcasses of prey killed by monitored animals. From November 2001 to April 2004, we studied Jaguar predation patterns using GPS telemetry location clusters on a cattle ranch in southern Pantanal. During this period, we recorded 431 carcasses of animals preyed upon by monitored Jaguars. Concurrently, we collected 125 Jaguar scats opportunistically. We compared the frequencies of prey found through each method. We also compared the prey communities using Bray-Curtis similarity coefficient. These comparisons allowed us to evaluate the use of scat analysis as a means to describe Jaguar feeding habits. Both approaches identified prey communities with high similarity (Bray-Curtis coefficient > 70). According to either method, Jaguars consume three main prey: cattle (Bos taurus), caiman (Caiman yacare) and peccaries (Tayassu pecari and Pecari tajacu). The two methods did not differ in the frequency of the three main prey over dry and wet seasons or years sampled. Our results show that scat analysis is effective and capable of describing Jaguar feeding habits.
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population genetics of Jaguars panthera onca in the brazilian pantanal molecular evidence for demographic connectivity on a regional scale
Journal of Heredity, 2015Co-Authors: Fernanda P Valdez, Sandra M C Cavalcanti, Leandro Silveira, Fernando Cesar Cascelli De Azevedo, Taiana Haag, Francisco M Salzano, Eduardo EizirikAbstract:Habitat loss and fragmentation are important threats to carnivores worldwide, and can be especially intense for large predators. Jaguars have already been extirpated from over half of their original area of distribution, and few regions still maintain large populations. For these, detailed understanding is crucial for setting appropriate recovery targets in impacted areas. The Pantanal is among the best examples of a region with a large Jaguar population in a healthy environment. Here, we analyzed 12 microsatellite loci to characterize genetic diversity and population structure of 52 Jaguars sampled in 4 localities of the southern Pantanal, and compared them with prior studies of heavily fragmented populations of the Atlantic Forest. Although we observed some internal structure among the Pantanal localities, our results indicated that this area comprises a single population with high genetic variability. Moreover, our comparative analyses supported the hypothesis that the strong population structure observed in the Atlantic Forest derives from recent, anthropogenic fragmentation. We also observed significant but low levels of genetic differentiation between the Pantanal and Atlantic Forest populations, indicating recent connectivity between Jaguars occurring in these biomes. Evidence for admixture between the Pantanal and a population on the western boundary of the Atlantic Forest corroborates the transitional nature of the latter area, where the Jaguar population has already been extirpated. Our results can be used to understand Jaguar population dynamics in a region that is less disturbed than the Atlantic forest, and to support the design of conservation strategies that maintain and restore natural connectivity among currently isolated areas.
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estimating the density of a Jaguar population in the brazilian pantanal using camera traps and capture recapture sampling in combination with gps radio telemetry
Biological Conservation, 2006Co-Authors: Marianne K Soisalo, Sandra M C CavalcantiAbstract:Abstract The Jaguar ( Panthera onca ) is the largest feline in the Americas and third largest world-wide, smaller in size only to the tiger ( P. tigris ) and lion ( P. leo ). Yet, in comparison, relatively few studies on Jaguar population densities have been conducted and baseline data for management purposes are needed. Camera trapping and capture–recapture sampling methods were used to estimate the size of a Jaguar population in the Pantanal’s open wet grassland habitat, an important area for the long-term survival of the species. This study is the first Jaguar population estimate conducted in co-operation with a GPS-telemetry study providing an important opportunity for comparing different methods of density estimation. An accessible area within a 460 km 2 privately-owned ranch was sampled with equal effort during the dry seasons of 2003 and 2004. Thirty-one and twenty-five individual Jaguars were identified in 2003 and 2004, respectively. Estimates of Jaguar abundance were generated by program CAPTURE. Density estimates were produced according to different methods used to calculate the effectively sampled areas which ranged from 274 to 568 km 2 . For 2003, the currently-used mean maximum distance moved (MMDM) method produced a density of 10.3 Jaguars/100 km 2 , while GPS-telemetry-based calculations produced a mean density of 6.6 Jaguars/100 km 2 . For 2004, the MMDM method produced an estimate of 11.7 Jaguars/100 km 2 while GPS-telemetry calculations produced a density of 6.7 Jaguars/100 km 2 . Our results suggest that the widely-used MMDM method used to calculate effectively sampled areas is significantly under-reflecting maximum distances moved by Jaguars and their range-use and, thereby, considerably inflating cat density estimates. This overestimation could place a population in a difficult situation by lengthening the time taken to initiate protection measures because of underestimating the risk to that population.
Roberto Salomperez - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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impact of Jaguar panthera onca carnivora felidae predation on marine turtle populations in tortuguero caribbean coast of costa rica
Revista De Biologia Tropical, 2015Co-Authors: Stephanny Arroyoarce, Roberto SalomperezAbstract:Little is known about the effects of Jaguars on the population of marine turtles nesting in Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica. This study assessed Jaguar predation impact on three species of marine turtles (Chelonia mydas, Dermochelys coriacea and Eretmochelys imbricata) that nest in Tortuguero beach. Jaguar predation data was obtained by using two methodologies, literature review (historical records prior the year 2005) and weekly surveys along the 29 km stretch of beach during the period 2005-2013. Our results indicated that Jaguar predation has increased from one marine turtle in 1981 to 198 in 2013. Jaguars consumed annually an average of 120 (SD= 45) and 2 (SD= 3) green turtles and leatherbacks in Tortuguero beach, respectively. Based on our results we concluded that Jaguars do not represent a threat to the population of green turtles that nest in Tortuguero beach, and it is not the main cause for population decline for leatherbacks and hawksbills. Future research should focus on continuing to monitor this predator-prey relationship as well as the factors that influence it so the proper management decisions can be taken.
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habitat features influencing Jaguar panthera onca carnivora felidae occupancy in tortuguero national park costa rica
Revista De Biologia Tropical, 2014Co-Authors: Stephanny Arroyoarce, James Guilder, Roberto SalomperezAbstract:Habitat characteristics and human activities are known to play a major role in the occupancy of jag- uars Panthera onca across their range, however the key variables influencing Jaguar distribution in Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica, have yet to be identified. This study evaluated Jaguar occupancy in Tortuguero National Park and the surrounding area. Jaguar detection/non-detection data was collected using digital camera traps distributed within the boundaries of the protected area. Local community members were also interviewed to determine Jaguar occurrence in the Park's buffer zone. Occupancy models were then applied to identify the habitat characteristics that may better explain Jaguar distribution across the study area. From June 2012 to June 2013, a total of 4 339 camera trap days were used to identify 18 individual Jaguars inside the protected area; 17 of these Jaguars were exclusively detected within the coastal habitat, whilst the remaining individual was detected solely within the interior of the Park. Interviewees reported 61 occasions of Jaguar presence inside the buffer zone, between 1995 and 2013, with 80% of these described by the communities of Lomas de Sierpe, Barra de Parismina and La Aurora. These communities also reported the highest levels of livestock predation by Jaguars (85% of attacks). In the study area, Jaguar occurrence was positively correlated with the seasonal pres- ence of nesting green turtles Chelonia mydas, and negatively correlated with distance to the Park boundary. Our findings suggested that the current occupancy of the Jaguar in the study area may be a response to: 1) the vast availability of prey (marine turtles) on Tortuguero beach, 2) the decline of its primary prey species as a result of illegal hunting inside the Park, and 3) the increase in anthropogenic pressures in the Park boundaries. Rev. Biol. Trop. 62 (4): 1449-1458. Epub 2014 December 01.
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integrating occupancy modeling and interview data for corridor identification a case study for Jaguars in nicaragua
Biological Conservation, 2011Co-Authors: Katherine A. Zeller, Sahil Nijhawan, Roberto Salomperez, Sandra H Potosme, James E HinesAbstract:Abstract Corridors are critical elements in the long-term conservation of wide-ranging species like the Jaguar ( Panthera onca ). Jaguar corridors across the range of the species were initially identified using a GIS-based least-cost corridor model. However, due to inherent errors in remotely sensed data and model uncertainties, these corridors warrant field verification before conservation efforts can begin. We developed a novel corridor assessment protocol based on interview data and site occupancy modeling. We divided our pilot study area, in southeastern Nicaragua, into 71, 6 × 6 km sampling units and conducted 160 structured interviews with local residents. Interviews were designed to collect data on Jaguar and seven prey species so that detection/non-detection matrices could be constructed for each sampling unit. Jaguars were reportedly detected in 57% of the sampling units and had a detection probability of 28%. With the exception of white-lipped peccary, prey species were reportedly detected in 82–100% of the sampling units. Though the use of interview data may violate some assumptions of the occupancy modeling approach for determining ‘proportion of area occupied’, we countered these shortcomings through study design and interpreting the occupancy parameter, psi, as ‘probability of habitat used’. Probability of habitat use was modeled for each target species using single state or multistate models. A combination of the estimated probabilities of habitat use for Jaguar and prey was selected to identify the final Jaguar corridor. This protocol provides an efficient field methodology for identifying corridors for easily-identifiable species, across large study areas comprised of unprotected, private lands.
Leandro Silveira - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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First detection of feline hemoplasmas in free-ranging Jaguars (Panthera onca).
Veterinary microbiology, 2017Co-Authors: Mariana Malzoni Furtado, Sueli Akemi Taniwaki, Betina Metzger, Lucia Helena O’dwyer, Karina Dos Santos Paduan, Anah Tereza De Almeida Jácomo, Grasiela Edith De Oliveira Porfírio, Leandro Silveira, Rahel Sollmann, Natália Mundim TôrresAbstract:Abstract Species of hemoplasmas have been described worldwide, but little information is available for wild felids. Between February 2000 and January 2010, blood samples were collected from 30 Jaguars (Panthera onca) and 22 domestic cats (Felis catus) from the Cerrado, Pantanal and Amazon biomes of Brazil. In all samples molecular tests were performed for Mycoplasma haemofelis/Mycoplasma haemocanis (Mhf/Mhc), ‘Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum’ (CMhm) and ‘Candidatus Mycoplasma turicensis’ (CMt). Twenty-two (73.4%) Jaguars and four domestic cats (18.2%) tested positive for infection with at least one feline hemoplasma: 73.4% Jaguars from the three areas were positive for CMhm, 13.6% Jaguars from the Pantanal and 50.0% from the Amazon were positive for Mhf/Mhc, and 9.1% of individuals from the Pantanal tested positive for CMt. Domestic cats from the Cerrado (28.6%) and the Pantanal (30.0%) were positive for feline hemoplasma. All but one Jaguar from the three sites are healthy. One female adult Jaguar showed low body weight and dehydration. This is the first record of feline hemoplasmas in free-ranging Jaguars. The high prevalence of CMhm suggest the participation of Jaguars in the maintenance of this hemoplasma in nature. Although susceptible to Mhf/Mhc and CMt, Jaguars did not appear to participate in the maintenance of these agents in the environment. The involvement of domestic cats in the transmission of any of these hemoplasmas cannot be excluded.
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Is the free-ranging Jaguar (Panthera onca) a reservoir for Cytauxzoon felis in Brazil?
Ticks and tick-borne diseases, 2017Co-Authors: Mariana Malzoni Furtado, Sueli Akemi Taniwaki, Betina Metzger, Karina Dos Santos Paduan, Anah Tereza De Almeida Jácomo, Grasiela Edith De Oliveira Porfírio, Leandro Silveira, Rahel Sollmann, Helena Lucia O’dwyer, Natália Mundim TôrresAbstract:Abstract This study investigated the occurrence of Cytauxzoon felis and Babesia spp. in free-ranging Jaguars (Panthera onca), domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) and domestic cats (Felis catus) from the Cerrado, Amazon and Pantanal biomes of Brazil. Blood samples were collected from 30 Jaguars, 129 dogs and 22 cats for detection of the 18S rRNA genes of piroplasmids. All of the Jaguars from the Pantanal (n = 22) and Cerrado (n = 4) and three of four Jaguars from the Amazon were positive for C. felis, but no dogs or cats were positive for the agent. All of the Jaguars and domestic cats were negative for Babesia spp., while dogs from the Cerrado (7.9%; 5/63) and Amazon (10.6%; 5/47) biomes tested positive for the hemoparasite. Cytauxzoon nucleotide sequences detected were closely related to C. felis; and Babesia nucleotide sequences showed 100% of identity with Babesia vogeli. Although the pathogenicity of Cytauxzoon spp. genotypes that circulate in Brazil is still unknown, free-ranging Jaguars probably play an important role in the maintenance of C. felis in nature. In addition, even though there is no evidence of the circulation of Babesia spp. between Jaguars and dogs, the presence of this hemoparasite should be monitored in Jaguar populations.
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serosurvey of smooth brucella leptospira spp and toxoplasma gondii in free ranging Jaguars panthera onca and domestic animals from brazil
PLOS ONE, 2015Co-Authors: Mariana Malzoni Furtado, Anah Tereza De Almeida Jácomo, Grasiela Edith De Oliveira Porfírio, Leandro Silveira, Zenaide Maria De Morais, Cassia Yumi Ikuta, Solange Maria Gennari, Hilda Fatima De Jesus Pena, Rahel SollmannAbstract:This study investigated the exposure of Jaguar populations and domestic animals to smooth Brucella, Leptospira spp. and Toxoplasma gondii in the Cerrado, Pantanal and Amazon biomes of Brazil. Between February 2000 and January 2010, serum samples from 31 Jaguars (Panthera onca), 1,245 cattle (Bos taurus), 168 domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) and 29 domestic cats (Felis catus) were collected and analysed by rose bengal test for smooth Brucella, microscopic agglutination test for Leptospira spp. and modified agglutination test for T. gondii. Cattle populations from all sites (9.88%) were exposed to smooth Brucella, but only one Jaguar from Cerrado was exposed to this agent. Jaguars captured in the Cerrado (60.0%) and in the Pantanal (45.5%) were seropositive for different serovars of Leptospira spp., cattle (72.18%) and domestic dogs (13.1%) from the three sites and one domestic cat from Pantanal were also seropositive for the agent. The most prevalent serotype of Leptospira spp. identified in Jaguars from the Cerrado (Grippotyphosa) and the Pantanal (Pomona) biomes were distinct from those found in the domestic animals sampled. Jaguars (100%), domestic dogs (38.28%) and domestic cats (82.76%) from the three areas were exposed to T. gondii. Our results show that brucellosis and leptospirosis could have been transmitted to Jaguars by domestic animals; and Jaguars probably play an important role in the maintenance of T. gondii in nature.
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Landscapes attributes and their consequences on Jaguar Panthera onca and cattle depredation occurrence
European Journal of Wildlife Research, 2015Co-Authors: Marina Zanin, Leandro Silveira, Rahel Sollmann, Natália M. Tôrres, Mariana M. Furtado, Anah T. A. Jácomo, Paulo MarcoAbstract:Human activities affect large carnivores worldwide by increasing mortality due to destruction and fragmentation of habitats, decrease of prey availability, and hunting pressure. The Jaguar ( Panthera onca ) is a large carnivore strongly influenced by these threats, with poaching of predators being primarily a retaliatory response that is motivated by depredation of domestic animals. We investigate the distribution of Jaguars and cattle depredation in 21 sampling units located in Central Brazil. We consider native and domestic prey availability as well as landscape configuration and composition as possible contributory factors. We removed correlated variables and conducted a set of logistic regressions in a step-wise approach. We used the difference between χ2 of the newest and the previous model to evaluate if the addition of a variable increased the explanatory power of the newest model. Jaguar occurrence was influenced by prey richness, which is correlated with habitat aggregation in the landscape, revealing the attributes that can act as proxies for environmental quality for Jaguar. The relationship between Jaguar and prey richness also suggests that Jaguar can act as a surrogate for the presence of other species. Jaguar occurrence is also related to the availability of non-native prey such as cattle, but not cattle depredation, suggesting that cattle depredation could be an opportunistic event. Patterns of cattle depredation warrant further study because human-wildlife conflict is one of the greatest threats to Jaguar conservation.
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population genetics of Jaguars panthera onca in the brazilian pantanal molecular evidence for demographic connectivity on a regional scale
Journal of Heredity, 2015Co-Authors: Fernanda P Valdez, Sandra M C Cavalcanti, Leandro Silveira, Fernando Cesar Cascelli De Azevedo, Taiana Haag, Francisco M Salzano, Eduardo EizirikAbstract:Habitat loss and fragmentation are important threats to carnivores worldwide, and can be especially intense for large predators. Jaguars have already been extirpated from over half of their original area of distribution, and few regions still maintain large populations. For these, detailed understanding is crucial for setting appropriate recovery targets in impacted areas. The Pantanal is among the best examples of a region with a large Jaguar population in a healthy environment. Here, we analyzed 12 microsatellite loci to characterize genetic diversity and population structure of 52 Jaguars sampled in 4 localities of the southern Pantanal, and compared them with prior studies of heavily fragmented populations of the Atlantic Forest. Although we observed some internal structure among the Pantanal localities, our results indicated that this area comprises a single population with high genetic variability. Moreover, our comparative analyses supported the hypothesis that the strong population structure observed in the Atlantic Forest derives from recent, anthropogenic fragmentation. We also observed significant but low levels of genetic differentiation between the Pantanal and Atlantic Forest populations, indicating recent connectivity between Jaguars occurring in these biomes. Evidence for admixture between the Pantanal and a population on the western boundary of the Atlantic Forest corroborates the transitional nature of the latter area, where the Jaguar population has already been extirpated. Our results can be used to understand Jaguar population dynamics in a region that is less disturbed than the Atlantic forest, and to support the design of conservation strategies that maintain and restore natural connectivity among currently isolated areas.