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I METHODS of NICHE PARTITIONING BETWEEN METHODS OF NICHE PARTITIONING BETWEEN ECUADORIAN CARNIVORES AND HABITAT PREFERENCE OF THE MARGAY ( LEOPARDUS WIEDII ) Anne-Marie C. Hodge A Thesis Submitted to the University of North Carolina Wilmington in Partial Fulfillment for the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science Department of Biology and Marine Biology University of North Carolina Wilmington 2012 Approved By: Advisory Committee Travis Knowles Steven Emslie Marcel van Tuinen Brian Arbogast Chair Accepted by Dean, Graduate School i TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... iv DEDICATION .................................................................................................................................v LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................................... vi LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................................... vii CHAPTER 1: MARGAY ACTIVITY PATTERNS AND DENSITY............................................1 Introduction ..........................................................................................................................1 Methods................................................................................................................................5 Study Location .........................................................................................................5 Equipment ................................................................................................................6 Transect Design .......................................................................................................7 Calculations..............................................................................................................8 Results ................................................................................................................................10 Discussion ..........................................................................................................................12 CHAPTER 2: MARGAY HABITAT CHOICE ............................................................................18 Introduction ........................................................................................................................18 Habitat Terminology ..............................................................................................20 Margay Habitat Choice ..........................................................................................21 Conservation Implications of Habitat Choice ........................................................22 Methods...................................................................................................................24 Variables Measured ...............................................................................................24 Analyses Conducted...............................................................................................24 Results ................................................................................................................................26 Discussion .........................................................................................................................27 CHAPTER 3: INTRAGUILD NICHE PARTITIONING .............................................................36 Introduction ........................................................................................................................36 Methods..............................................................................................................................39 Trap Success ..........................................................................................................39 Latency to Initial Detection ...................................................................................39 Sørensen’s Index ....................................................................................................40 Temporal Activity Patterns ....................................................................................40 ii Results ................................................................................................................................41 Discussion ..........................................................................................................................43 CHAPTER 4: COMPARISON OF DOMESTIC CANINE AND MARGAY TRAP SUCCESS ..63 Introduction ........................................................................................................................63 Methods..............................................................................................................................66 Results ................................................................................................................................67 Discussion ..........................................................................................................................69 CHAPTER 5: MARGAY LITERATURE REVIEW ....................................................................77 Introduction ........................................................................................................................77 Evolution ............................................................................................................................77 Distribution ........................................................................................................................79 Morphology and Physiology ..............................................................................................79 Reproduction and Development ........................................................................................80 Feeding Behavior ...............................................................................................................82 Habitat ................................................................................................................................83 Home Range and Activity Patterns ....................................................................................83 Current Conservation Status ..............................................................................................84 REFERENCES ..............................................................................................................................87 iii ABSTRACT Assessing the abundance, distribution, and spatial and temporal activity patterns of carnivores is an essential step towards understanding their basic ecology and interactions with sympatric guild members. Camera-trapping techniques are of great utility in such studies, as they are non- invasive, provide synchronized photographic and environmental data, and minimize disturbance of animals’ natural activity patterns. The present study was conducted at the Wildsumaco Wildlife Sanctuary in Sumaco, Ecuador, between July 2010 and July 2011. WWS is situated between 1300 and 1400 m on the eastern slope of the Andes mountains. This region encompasses a rare zone of elevational overlap between upland Andean and lowland Amazonian species, resulting in a highly diverse and unique assemblage of mammals. Transects of remote cameras were established in order to assess the effects of habitat structure, baiting regimen, and activity patterns of sympatric carnivores and domestic dogs on margay camera-trap success. Canopy cover was significantly correlated with margay trap success. The data also support the hypothesis that sympatric carnivores use complementary niche partitioning as a mechanism of co-existence, compensating for overlap in one or more niche dimensions with separation on one or more other dimensions. Domestic dogs were shown to have negative effects on margay trap success, and to penetrate over 500 meters beyond forest edges. The results of this study yielded insights into the mechanisms utilized to allow co-existence of carnivores in the eastern Andes, in addition to producing new information on habitat preferences and behavior of the margay. It is hoped that the results of this study will lay important groundwork for further investigation of mammal community ecology in the Sumaco region. iv DEDICATION Many thanks to my major professor, Brian Arbogast, for his mentorship, guidance, logistical support, and friendship. I would also like to thank Travis Knowles, who had the most direct involvement with the implementation of my study “on the ground” at Sumaco. My other committee members, Steve Emslie and Marcel Van Tuinen, also provided valuable advice and support. In addition, Fred Scharf and Adam Fominaya were instrumental in helping with statistical analyses. The following people were essential in assisting with the physical establishment of camera transects and habitat data collection: Debbie Folkerts, Molly Folkerts, Katie Glynn, Tom McMeans, Pamela Rivera, Aaron Corcoran, Katie Dowell, and Lauren Gentry. Many thanks to Kathy Hodge, Gerald Hodge, Andrea Arbogast, and Dae Grodin for assuming stewardship of Charlie—my best friend and sidekick—while I was on my equatorial excursions. This study would not have been possible without the generosity of the owners and managers of the Wildsumaco Wildlife Sanctuary: Jim Olson, Bonnie Olson, and Jonas Nilsson. Extra thanks to Jim for facilitating the most astounding cribbage victory of my long record
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