Positive selection in gamete interaction proteins in Carnivora.

The absence of robust interspecific isolation barriers among pantherines, including the iconic South American jaguar (Panthera onca), led us to study molecular evolution of typically rapidly evolving reproductive proteins within this subfamily and related groups. In this study, we delved into the evolutionary forces acting on the zona pellucida (ZP) gamete interaction protein family and the sperm-oocyte fusion protein pair IZUMO1-JUNO across the Carnivora order, distinguishing between Caniformia and Feliformia suborders and anticipating few significant diversifying changes in the Pantherinae subfamily. A chromosome-resolved jaguar genome assembly facilitated coding sequences, enabling the reconstruction of protein evolutionary histories. Examining sequence variability across more than 30 Carnivora species revealed that Feliformia exhibited significantly lower diversity compared to its sister taxa, Caniformia. Molecular evolution analyses of ZP2 and ZP3, subunits directly involved in sperm-recognition, unveiled diversifying positive selection in Feliformia, Caniformia and Pantherinae, although no significant changes were linked to sperm binding. Structural cross-linking ZP subunits, ZP4 and ZP1 exhibited lower levels or complete absence of positive selection. Notably, the fusion protein IZUMO1 displayed prominent positive selection signatures and sites in basal lineages of both Caniformia and Feliformia, extending along the Caniformia subtree but absent in Pantherinae. Conversely, JUNO did not exhibit any positive selection signatures across tested lineages and clades. Eight Caniformia-specific positive selected sites in IZUMO1 were detected within two JUNO-interaction clusters. Our findings provide for the first time insights into the evolutionary trajectories of ZP proteins and the IZUMO1-JUNO gamete interaction pair within the Carnivora order.

Mitogenomic analysis of a late Pleistocene jaguar from North America.

The jaguar (Panthera onca) is the largest living cat species native to the Americas and one of few large American carnivorans to have survived into the Holocene. However, the extent to which jaguar diversity declined during the end-Pleistocene extinction event remains unclear. For example, Pleistocene jaguar fossils from North America are notably larger than the average extant jaguar, leading to hypotheses that jaguars from this continent represent a now-extinct subspecies (Panthera onca augusta) or species (Panthera augusta). Here, we used a hybridization capture approach to recover an ancient mitochondrial genome from a large, late Pleistocene jaguar from Kingston Saltpeter Cave, Georgia, United States, which we sequenced to 26-fold coverage. We then estimated the evolutionary relationship between the ancient jaguar mitogenome and those from other extinct and living large felids, including multiple jaguars sampled across the species' current range. The ancient mitogenome falls within the diversity of living jaguars. All sampled jaguar mitogenomes share a common mitochondrial ancestor ~400 thousand years ago, indicating that the lineage represented by the ancient specimen dispersed into North America from the south at least once during the late Pleistocene. While genomic data from additional and older specimens will continue to improve understanding of Pleistocene jaguar diversity in the Americas, our results suggest that this specimen falls within the variation of extant jaguars despite the relatively larger size and geographic location and does not represent a distinct taxon.

Jaguar conservation in the American continent: the role of protected landscape and human-impacted biomes

Introduction: Worldwide, expanding human activities continue to be a threat to many large-bodied species, including jaguars. As these activities continue, it is critical to understand how home range sizes will be impacted by human-modified landscapes. Objective: To evaluate the importance of protected and unprotected land on home-range size across their range. Methods: We used home range data from 117 jaguars in several habitat protection categories and human biome types. We used a Generalized Linear Mixed Model to test home range and spatial overlap with conservation categories and human biomes. Results: Most home-ranges were in Jaguar Conservation Units (62 %), followed by Protected Areas (21 %), Indigenous People's Lands (10 %) and Jaguar Movement Corridors (3 %), where 76 % of the jaguars lived inside one the first three conservation types. However, outside of conserved land, Rangeland, Cropland, Seminatural land and other human biomes were also important (24 % of the individuals). Jaguars in Rangeland, Cropland and Seminatural land had the largest home ranges. Conclusions: Although conservation land was dominant, human-impacted lands appear to play a considerable role in satisfying the spatial requirements of jaguars.

Introducción: A nivel mundial, la expansión de actividades humanas continúa teniendo un riesgo para muchas especies de cuerpo grande, tal como los jaguares. Conforme continúen estas actividades, es crucial entender el impacto de paisajes modificados sobre el tamaño de su territorio. Objetivo: Evaluar la importancia de terrenos protegidos y no protegidos sobre el tamaño de su territorio a lo largo de su rango. Métodos: Usamos datos de tamaño de los territorios de 117 jaguares en varias categorías de protección de hábitats y biomas humanos. Usamos un Modelo Mixto Lineal Generalizado para probar traslapes espaciales y de territorios con categorías de conservación y biomas humanos. Resultados: La mayoría de los territorios estaban en Unidades de Conservación de Jaguares (62 %), seguido por Áreas protegidas (21 %), Tierras de Pueblos Indígenas (10 %) y Corredores de Movimiento de Jaguares (3 %), en donde el 76 % de los jaguares vivían dentro de alguna de las primeras tres modalidades de conservación. Sin embargo, fuera de áreas protegidas, pastizales, tierras de cultivo, terrenos seminaturales y otros biomas humanos también fueron importantes (24 % de individuos). Jaguares en pastizales, tierras de cultivo, y terrenos seminaturales tuvieron territorios más grandes. Conclusiones: Aunque las áreas de conservación fueron dominantes, áreas con impacto humano parecieron jugar un rol considerable en satisfacer los requerimientos espaciales de los jaguares.

The jaguar (Panthera onca) as a potential new host of Dracunculus sp.

Nematode species of the genus Dracunculus (Spirurida: Dracunculoidea) infect tissues and body cavities of reptiles, domestic and wild carnivores, and humans. The definitive hosts acquire the infection by ingesting intermediate (i.e., cyclopoid copepod) or paratenic (i.e., amphibians and fishes) hosts. Here we report the jaguar (Panthera onca) as a potential new host for Dracunculus sp. The nematode was collected from an ulcerated cutaneous nodule on the left anterior limb of a female jaguar in the municipality of Miranda, Mato Grosso do Sul state, Brazil. Based on the morphology of first stage larvae collected from a small fragment of the uterus of the adult nematode, the species was identified as Dracunculus sp. Reichard, 1759. Additionally, the morphological identification was molecularly confirmed by sequencing the cox1 gene. This report advocates for further investigations into the transmission cycle of this parasite in the Brazilian Pantanal wetland, considering the role of wildlife hosts and the zoonotic potential of Dracunculus species in that area.

Habitat modification destabilizes spatial associations and persistence of Neotropical carnivores.

Spatial relationships between sympatric species underpin biotic interactions, structure ecological communities, and maintain ecosystem health. However, the resilience of interspecific spatial associations to human habitat modification remains largely unknown, particularly in tropical regions where anthropogenic impacts are often greatest. We applied multi-state multi-species occurrence models to camera trap data across nine tropical landscapes in Colombia to understand how prominent threats to forest ecosystems influence Neotropical carnivore occurrence and interspecific spatial associations, with implications for biotic interactions. We show that carnivore occurrence represents a delicate balance between local environmental conditions and interspecific interactions that can be compromised in areas of extensive habitat modification. The stability of carnivore spatial associations depends on forest cover to mediate antagonistic encounters with apex predators and structurally intact forests to facilitate coexistence between competing mesocarnivores. Notably, we demonstrate that jaguars play an irreplaceable role in spatially structuring mesocarnivore communities, providing novel evidence on their role as keystone species. With increasing global change, conserving both the extent and quality of tropical forests is imperative to support carnivores and preserve the spatial associations that underpin ecosystem stability and resilience.

Disappearance of an ecosystem engineer, the white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari), leads to density compensation and ecological release.

Given the rate of biodiversity loss, there is an urgent need to understand community-level responses to extirpation events, with two prevailing hypotheses. On one hand, the loss of an apex predator leads to an increase in primary prey species, triggering a trophic cascade of other changes within the community, while density compensation and ecological release can occur because of reduced competition for resources and absence of direct aggression. White-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari-WLP), a species that typically co-occurs with collared peccary (Pecari tajacu), undergo major population crashes-often taking 20 to 30-years for populations to recover. Using a temporally replicated camera trapping dataset, in both a pre- and post- WLP crash, we explore how WLP disappearance alters the structure of a Neotropical vertebrate community with findings indicative of density compensation. White-lipped peccary were the most frequently detected terrestrial mammal in the 2006-2007 pre-population crash period but were undetected during the 2019 post-crash survey. Panthera onca (jaguar) camera trap encounter rates declined by 63% following the WLP crash, while collared peccary, puma (Puma concolor), red-brocket deer (Mazama americana) and short-eared dog (Atelocynus microtis) all displayed greater encounter rates (490%, 150%, 280%, and 500% respectively), and increased in rank-abundance. Absence of WLP was correlated with ecological release changes in habitat-use for six species, with the greatest increase in use in the preferred floodplain habitat of the WLP. Surprisingly, community-weighted mean trait distributions (body size, feeding guild and nocturnality) did not change, suggesting functional redundancy in diverse tropical mammal assemblages.

Indirect Hemagglutination Test in the Detection of Antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii in Venezuelan Felids / Prueba de hemaglutinación indirecta en la detección de anticuerpos contra Toxoplasma gondii en félidos venezolanos

Abstract Current knowledge of Toxoplasma gondii infection in Venezuelan ecosystems is limited. Mammals and birds are intermediate hosts, and felid species are definitive hosts. In most human-altered habitats, the domestic cat is the predominant definitive host. Cats are important in the epidemiology of T. gondii infection because they are the only hosts that can excrete environmentally resistant oocysts. Other carnivores can be infected consuming tissue cysts when feeding on infected animals and by incidental ingestion of oocysts from environmental contamination. This study aimed to quantify the values of antibodies for T. gondii in blood serum of some felids' species employing the technique of indirect hemagglutination. In the present study, seropositivity of T. gondii was determined in serum of 35 animals (22 stray cats and 13 wild cats) from Venezuela, South America. Antibodies to T. gondii were found in 21 of 22 (95.45 %) stray cats' titers of 1:64 in four, 1:128 in four, 1:256 in one, 1:512 in one, 1:1024 in three, and 1:2048 or higher in eight. In four of six (66.67 %) ocelots' titers of 1:64 in one, 1:256 in one, 1:1024 in one, and one with titers 1:2048. In three of four (75.00 %) jaguars' titers of 1:512 in one, and two with titers 1:2048. The Kruskal-Wallis test showed a statistically significant difference between species (H = 8.413, p = 0 .015).

Resumen El conocimiento actual de la infección por Toxoplasma gondii en los ecosistemas venezolanos es limitado. Los mamíferos y las aves son hospedadores intermedios y los félidos son hospedadores definitivos. En la mayoría de los hábitats alterados por el hombre, el gato doméstico es el hospedador definitivo predominante. Los gatos son importantes en la epidemiología de la infección por T. gondii porque son los únicos hospedadores que pueden excretar los ooquistes resistentes al medio ambiente. Otros carnívoros pueden infectarse por el consumo de quistes tisulares al alimentarse de animales infectados y por la ingestión incidental de ooquistes procedentes de la contaminación ambiental. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo cuantificar los valores de anticuerpos para T. gondii en el suero sanguíneo de algunas especies de félidos mediante la técnica de hemoaglutinación indirecta. En el presente estudio se determinó la seropositividad de T. gondii en el suero de 35 animales (22 gatos callejeros y 13 felinos silvestres) de Venezuela, Sudamérica. Los anticuerpos contra T. gondii se encontraron en 21 de 22 (95,45 %) gatos callejeros con títulos de 1:64 en cuatro, 1:128 en cuatro, 1:256 en uno, 1:512 en uno, 1:1024 en tres y 1:2048 o más en ocho. En cuatro de seis (66,67 %) ocelotes con títulos de 1:64 en uno, 1:256 en uno, 1:1024 en uno, y uno con títulos 1:2048. En 3 de 4 (75,00 %) jaguares con títulos de 1:512 en uno, y dos con títulos 1:2048. La prueba de Kruskal-Wallis mostró una diferencia estadísticamente significativa entre las especies (H = 8,413, p = 0,015).

Integrating presence-only and occupancy data to model habitat use for the northernmost population of jaguars.

Species distribution models (SDMs) have become an essential tool for the management and conservation of imperiled species. However, many at-risk species are rare and characterized by limited data on their spatial distribution and habitat relationships. This has led to the development of SDMs that integrate multiple types and sources of data to leverage more information and provide improved predictions of habitat associations. We developed a novel integrated species distribution model to predict habitat suitability for jaguars (Panthera onca) in the border region between northern Mexico and the southwestern USA. Our model combined presence-only and occupancy data to identify key environmental correlates, and we used model results to develop a probability of use map. We adopted a logistic regression modeling framework, which we found to be more straightforward and less computationally intensive to fit than Poisson point process-based models. Model results suggested that high terrain ruggedness and the presence of riparian vegetation were most strongly related to habitat use by jaguars in our study region. Our best model, on average, predicted that there is currently 25,463 km2 of usable habitat in our study region. The United States portion of the study region, which makes up 38.6% of the total area, contained 40.6% of the total usable habitat. Even though there have been few detections of jaguars in the southwestern USA in recent decades, our results suggest that protection of currently suitable habitats, along with increased conservation efforts, could significantly contribute to the recovery of jaguars in the USA.

Perspectivism and shamanism in the Jungian clinic: the jaguar as an archetypal image of the Latin American cultural unconscious.

Amerindians, living in a perspective of synchronicity, attribute to symmetry a negative value that produces an understanding of unstable dualism cosmologies, in a continuous and dynamic imbalance, in a notion of complementarity between conscious and unconscious. These notions are in line with the view of synchronicity proposed by Jung (1952/1972) and Cambray (2013), a view that expands temporal, acausal boundaries, within a perspective of interconnection, resonance and correspondence. Amerindian epistemologies break-up the discontinuity between animals and humans. By establishing a parallel with the Jungian concept of the relationship between unconscious and conscious, we reach a dimension of personification of both, a continuous and permanent flow of meaning. We introduce the jaguar as a symbol of Amerindian cultures and as an archetypal image of the numinosum that activates the unconscious, in asymmetrical and symmetrical movements. This is a qualitative contribution of indigenous mythologies to the understanding of the relationship between unconscious and conscious. Through perspectivism and Amerindian shamanism, we reflect on the archetypal image of the jaguar, as a mythological Latin American knowledge, which contributes to an understanding of the human being in the world, in an instinctive and spiritual integration. Recognizing this cosmos expands the ability to observe and access another point of view, in which the human being is seen in the jaguar, a personification or psychification of his unconscious. In clinical practice, it means finding the humanity that was left behind by that human who became an animal. The shaman, as a therapist, takes on the role of an active interlocutor in the exchange of human and non-human subjectivities, in an amplification process.

Les Amérindiens, vivants dans une perspective de synchronicité, attribuent à la symétrie une valeur négative, qui produit une compréhension des cosmologies du dualisme instable, dans un déséquilibre continu et dynamique, avec la notion de complémentarité entre conscient et inconscient. Ces notions sont en cohérence avec la vision de synchronicité proposée par Jung (1952/1972) et Cambray (2013), une vision qui élargit les frontières temporelles et acausales, dans une perspective d'interconnexion, de résonnance et de correspondance. Les épistémologies amérindiennes cassent la discontinuité entre les animaux et les humains. En établissant un parallèle avec le concept de relation entre inconscient et conscient, nous atteignons la dimension de personnification des deux, un flux permanent de sens. Nous introduisons le jaguar en tant que symbole des cultures amérindiennes et image archétypale du numineux qui active l'inconscient, dans des mouvements asymétriques et symétriques. Il s'agit là d'une contribution qualitative des mythologies indigènes à la compréhension de la relation entre inconscient et conscient. A travers le perspectivisme et le chamanisme amérindien, nous réfléchissons à l'image archétypale du jaguar, en tant que savoir mythologique Amérindien, qui contribue à la compréhension de l'être humain dans le monde, dans une intégration instinctive et spirituelle. Reconnaitre ce cosmos élargit notre capacité à observer et à avoir accès à un autre point de vue, dans lequel l'être humain est vu dans le jaguar, une personnification ou psychification de son inconscient. Dans la pratique clinique, cela signifie de trouver l'humanité qui a été abandonnée par l'humain qui est devenu animal. Le chamane, en tant que thérapeute, prend le rôle d'un interlocuteur actif dans l'échange de subjectivités humaines et non-humaines, dans un processus d'amplification.

Los indios americanos, habitando en una perspectiva de sincronicidad, atribuyen a la simetría un valor negativo dando lugar a una comprensión sobre las cosmologías de un dualismo inestable, en un desbalance continuo y dinámico, y en una noción de complementariedad entre consciente e inconsciente. Estas nociones son similares con la mirada sobre sincronicidad propuesta por Jung (1952/1972) y por Cambray (2013), una mirada que expande las fronteras temporales, acausales, dentro de una perspectiva de interconexión, resonancia y correspondencia. Las epistemologías amerindias rompen con la discontinuidad entre animales y humanos. Al establecer un paralelismo con el concepto Junguiano de la relación entre inconsciente y consciente, alcanzamos una dimensión en la cual se personifica a ambos, en un constante y permanente fluir de sentidos. Introducimos el yaguar como símbolo de las culturas amerindias y como imagen arquetípica de lo numinoso que se activa en el inconsciente, en movimientos asimétricos y simétricos. Es una contribución cualitativa de las mitologías indígenas a la comprensión de la relación entre inconsciente y consciente. A través del perspectivismo y del shamanismo amerindio, nos proponemos reflexionar sobre la imagen arquetípica del yaguar, como conocimiento mitológico latinoamericano, el cual contribuye a una comprensión del ser humano en el mundo, en una integración instintiva y espiritual. Reconocer este cosmos expande la habilidad para observar y acceder a otro punto de vista, en el que el ser humano es visto en el yaguar, como una personificación o psiquización de su inconsciente. En la práctica clínica, significa encontrar la humanidad que fue dejada atrás por aquel humano devenido en animal. El/la shaman/a como terapeuta, toma el rol de un interlocutor activo en el intercambio de subjetividades humanas y no-humanas, en un proceso de amplificación.

Os ameríndios, vivendo em uma perspectiva de sincronicidade, atribuem à simetria um valor negativo que produz uma compreensão das cosmologias instáveis do dualismo, em um desequilíbrio contínuo e dinâmico, em uma noção de complementaridade entre consciente e inconsciente. Essas noções estão de acordo com a visão de sincronicidade proposta por Jung (1952/1972) e Cambray (2013), uma visão que expande as fronteiras temporais e acausais, dentro de uma perspectiva de interconexão, ressonância e correspondência. Epistemologias ameríndias rompem a descontinuidade entre animais e humanos. Estabelecendo um paralelo com o conceito junguiano da relação entre inconsciente e consciente, alcançamos uma dimensão de personificação de ambos, um fluxo contínuo e permanente de significado. Apresentamos a onça-pintada como um símbolo das culturas ameríndias e como uma imagem arquetípica do numinoso que ativa o inconsciente, em movimentos assimétricos e simétricos. Esta é uma contribuição qualitativa das mitologias indígenas para a compreensão da relação entre inconsciente e consciente. Através do perspectivismo e do xamanismo ameríndio, refletimos sobre a imagem arquetípica da onça-pintada, como um conhecimento mitológico latino-americano, que contribui para uma compreensão do ser humano no mundo, em uma integração instintiva e espiritual. Reconhecer esse cosmos expande a capacidade de observar e acessar outro ponto de vista, no qual o ser humano é visto na onça-pintada, uma personificação ou ou psiqueificação de seu inconsciente. Na prática clínica, significa encontrar a humanidade que foi deixada para trás por aquele humano que se tornou um animal. O xamã, como terapeuta, assume o papel de interlocutor ativo na troca de subjetividades humanas e não humanas, em um processo de amplificação.

Extensive aquatic subsidies lead to territorial breakdown and high density of an apex predator.

Energetic subsidies between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems can strongly influence food webs and population dynamics. Our objective was to study how aquatic subsidies affected jaguar (Panthera onca) diet, sociality, and population density in a seasonally flooded protected area in the Brazilian Pantanal. The diet (n = 138 scats) was dominated by fish (46%) and aquatic reptiles (55%), representing the first jaguar population known to feed extensively on fish and to minimally consume mammals (11%). These aquatic subsidies supported the highest jaguar population density estimate to date (12.4 jaguars/100 km²) derived from camera traps (8,065 trap nights) and GPS collars (n = 13). Contrary to their mostly solitary behavior elsewhere, we documented social interactions previously unobserved between same-sex adults including cooperative fishing, co-traveling, and play. Our study demonstrates that aquatic subsidies, frequently described in omnivores, can also transform the ecology and behavior of obligate carnivores.

Em busca das onças: as fotografias do jaguar sul-americano no relato de viagem de Theodore Roosevelt / In search of jaguars: photographs of the South American jaguar in the report of Theodore Roosevelt's expedition

Resumo Theodore Roosevelt viajou ao noroeste brasileiro em 1913 e 1914. Um dos seus objetivos era o de recolher informações sobre a fauna amazônica, especialmente a onça-pintada. Aliando fotografia e caça esportiva, Roosevelt desejava criar um repertório visual desse animal, mesclando-o à memória de suas conquistas. Entretanto, o terreno inóspito da floresta, o caráter furtivo e a rapidez dos movimentos das onças, assim como as limitações técnicas da fotografia, desafiaram suas pretensões. Examinaremos fotografias de animais produzidas por Roosevelt durante a viagem, assim como os retratos do Señor Lopez, famosa onça do Zoológico do Bronx, cujo registro, incorporado à narrativa da expedição, tornou-se relevante na memória da conquista, numa curiosa "representação do ausente".

Abstract Theodore Roosevelt traveled to northwestern Brazil in 1913-1914. One of his objectives was to collect information on Amazonian fauna, particularly the jaguar. Combining photography with hunting for sport, Roosevelt wanted to create a visual repertoire of this animal and add it into the record of his conquests. But the inhospitable forest, the furtive and quick jaguars, and the technical limits of photography challenged these aspirations. We will examine photographs of animals taken by Roosevelt during this trip, along with portraits of Señor Lopez, a famous jaguar at the Bronx Zoo, whose record, incorporated into the narrative of the expedition, became relevant in the memoirs of the conquest, as a curious "representation of the absent."

Intestinal Parasites of Neotropical Wild Jaguars, Pumas, Ocelots, and Jaguarundis in Colombia: Old Friends Brought Back from Oblivion and New Insights.

Neotropical wild felids (NWF) are obligate carnivore species present in Central and South America, and some are considered endangered due to constantly decreasing populations. NWF can become infected by a wide range of protozoan and metazoan parasites, some of them affecting their health conditions and others having anthropozoonotic relevance. Parasitological studies on NWF are still very scarce, and most data originated from dead or captive animals. On this account, the current study aimed to characterize gastrointestinal parasites of free-ranging jaguars (Panthera onca), pumas (Puma concolor), ocelots (Leopardus pardalis), and jaguarundis (Herpailurus yagouaroundi), i.e., four out of six NWF species endemic to Colombia. Fecal samples from jaguars (n = 10) and ocelots (n = 4) were collected between 2012 and 2017 as part of the Jaguar Corridor Initiative from six geographic locations in Colombia. In addition, cestode specimens were obtained during puma and jaguarundi necropsies. Scat samples were processed by standardized sodium acetate-acetic acid-formalin (SAF), sedimentation, and flotation techniques and by carbol fuchsin-stained fecal smears. Morphological evaluation of feces showed the presence of one cestode (Spirometra sp.), a nematode (Toxocara cati), an acanthocephalan (Oncicola sp.), and one cyst-forming coccidian (Cystoisospora-like oocysts). Feces oocysts were submitted to a Toxoplasma gondii-specific PCR for species identification, but no product was amplified. The cestodes isolated from a puma and jaguarundi were molecularly characterized by sequencing cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, identifying them as Taenia omissa and as a T. omissa sister lineage, respectively. These results collectively demonstrate the potential role of NWF as natural reservoir hosts for neglected zoonotic parasites (e.g., Spirometra sp., T. cati) and highlight their possible role in parasite transmission to human communities. Due to public health concerns, the occurrence of these parasites should be monitored in the future for appropriate zoonotic management practices in conservation strategies and wild felid health management programs.

Environmental and anthropogenic factors synergistically affect space use of jaguars.

Large terrestrial carnivores have undergone some of the largest population declines and range reductions of any species, which is of concern as they can have large effects on ecosystem dynamics and function.1-4 The jaguar (Panthera onca) is the apex predator throughout the majority of the Neotropics; however, its distribution has been reduced by >50% and it survives in increasingly isolated populations.5 Consequently, the range-wide management of the jaguar depends upon maintaining core populations connected through multi-national, transboundary cooperation, which requires understanding the movement ecology and space use of jaguars throughout their range.6-8 Using GPS telemetry data for 111 jaguars from 13 ecoregions within the four biomes that constitute the majority of jaguar habitat, we examined the landscape-level environmental and anthropogenic factors related to jaguar home range size and movement parameters. Home range size decreased with increasing net productivity and forest cover and increased with increasing road density. Speed decreased with increasing forest cover with no sexual differences, while males had more directional movements, but tortuosity in movements was not related to any landscape factors. We demonstrated a synergistic relationship between landscape-scale environmental and anthropogenic factors and jaguars' spatial needs, which has applications to the conservation strategy for the species throughout the Neotropics. Using large-scale collaboration, we overcame limitations from small sample sizes typical in large carnivore research to provide a mechanism to evaluate habitat quality for jaguars and an inferential modeling framework adaptable to the conservation of other large terrestrial carnivores.

Smoothing splines of apex predator movement: Functional modeling strategies for exploring animal behavior and social interactions.

The collection of animal position data via GPS tracking devices has increased in quality and usage in recent years. Animal position and movement, although measured discretely, follows the same principles of kinematic motion, and as such, the process is inherently continuous and differentiable. I demonstrate the functionality and visual elegance of smoothing spline models. I discuss the challenges and benefits of implementing such an approach, and I provide an analysis of movement and social interaction of seven jaguars inhabiting the Taiamã Ecological Station, Pantanal, Brazil, a region with the highest known density of jaguars. In the analysis, I derive measures for pairwise distance, cooccurrence, and spatiotemporal association between jaguars, borrowing ideas from density estimation and information theory. These measures are feasible as a result of spline model estimation, and they provide a critical tool for a deeper investigation of cooccurrence duration, frequency, and localized spatio-temporal relationships between animals. In this work, I characterize a variety of interactive relationships between pairs of jaguars, and I particularly emphasize the relationships in movement of two male-female and two male-male jaguar pairs exhibiting highly associative relationships.

Taxonomic Distribution of Neoplasia Among Non-Domestic Felid Species Under Managed Care.

As evidenced by numerous case reports from zoos, neoplasia in felids is common, but most reports are limited to Panthera species in North America or Europe. In order to obtain a wider epidemiologic understanding of neoplasia distribution, necropsy records at seven facilities (USA, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, and Brazil) were evaluated. In contrast to others, this study population (195 cases, 16 species), included many non-Panthera felids. Overall neoplasia prevalence was 28.2% (55/195). Panthera species had a higher prevalence of neoplasia than non-Panthera species (52.5%; vs. 13.0%). Lions (66.7%), jaguars (55.0%), and tigers (31.3%) had the highest species-specific prevalence of neoplasia. Neoplasms in Panthera species were more frequently malignant than in non-Panthera (86.1% vs. 55.6%). The systems most commonly affected were the reproductive, hematolymphoid, and respiratory. The range of management conditions and more varied genetic backgrounds support a robust taxonomic pattern and suggest that the reported propensity for neoplasia in jaguars may have a genetic basis at a taxonomic level higher than species, as lions and tigers also have high prevalence. Given the high prevalence of neoplasia and high likelihood of malignancy, routine medical exams in all nondomestic felids, but Panthera species in particular, should include thorough assessments of any clinical signs of neoplasia.

Revision of the South American genus Gaujonia Dognin (Noctuidae, Pantheinae) with descriptions of five new genera and twenty-one new species.

The endemic Neotropical genus Gaujonia Dognin is revised. Morphological characters and a phylogenetic analysis demonstrate paraphyletic relationships among the species. Four different groups are interpreted to represent four different genera. The G. arbosi group is the only remaining clade in the genus Gaujonia, and the other groups have been arranged into three new genera: Millerana gen. nov., Oculicattus gen. nov., and Cicadoforma gen. nov. Additionally, two other genera Cicadomorphus gen. nov., and Gaujoptera gen. nov. were found using morphological and molecular analyses based on some specimens that were misidentified as Gaujonia spp. A total of five new genera, three new combinations (Cicadoforma vau-nigrum Hampson, comb. nov., Oculicattus renifera Hampson, comb. nov., and Millerana arbosioides Dognin, comb. nov.) and 21 new species (Cicadoforma ocelotus sp. nov., Cicadomorphus chicharra sp. nov., Cicadomorphus chuya sp. nov., Cicadomorphus falkasiska sp. nov., Cicadomorphus lilianae sp. nov., Gaujonia bichu sp. nov., Gaujonia chiqyaq sp. nov., Gaujonia kanakusika sp. nov., Gaujonia sourakovi sp. nov., Gaujoptera amsa sp. nov., Millerana austini sp. nov., Millerana cajas sp. nov., Millerana cundinamarquensis sp. nov., Millerana matthewsae sp. nov., Millerana tigrina sp. nov., Oculicattus boliviana sp. nov., Oculicattus brehmi sp. nov., Oculicattus inca sp. nov., Oculicattus raizae sp. nov., Oculicattus schmidti sp. nov., and Oculicattus uturunku sp. nov.) are established.

A stochastic model of jaguar abundance in the Peruvian Amazon under climate variation scenarios.

The jaguar (Panthera onca) is the dominant predator in Central and South America, but is now considered near-threatened. Estimating jaguar population size is difficult, due to uncertainty in the underlying dynamical processes as well as highly variable and sparse data. We develop a stochastic temporal model of jaguar abundance in the Peruvian Amazon, taking into account prey availability, under various climate change scenarios. The model is calibrated against existing data sets and an elicitation study in Pacaya Samiria. In order to account for uncertainty and variability, we construct a population of models over four key parameters, namely three scaling parameters for aquatic, small land, and large land animals and a hunting index. We then use this population of models to construct probabilistic evaluations of jaguar populations under various climate change scenarios characterized by increasingly severe flood and drought events and discuss the implications on jaguar numbers. Results imply that jaguar populations exhibit some robustness to extreme drought and flood, but that repeated exposure to these events over short periods can result in rapid decline. However, jaguar numbers could return to stability-albeit at lower numbers-if there are periods of benign climate patterns and other relevant factors are conducive.

Bilateral pyelonephritis due to Escherichia coli infection in a captive jaguar (Panthera onca) / Pielonefrite bilateral por Escherichia coli em uma onça-pintada (Panthera onca)

Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) is a highly diverse pathotype of E. coli which colonizes the intestine, and it is considered an important etiological agent associated with bacteremia and other systemic infections, among them urinary tract infection. Retrospective studies evaluating morbidity and mortality of nondomestic felids have demonstrated that urinary tract diseases are among the main causes of death for geriatric animals. Also, mesenchymal neoplasms of the uterus are common in wild felids, and they possess variable morphologic characteristics related to invasiveness and malignancy. This report describes a case of bilateral pyelonephritis due to extraintestinal uropathogenic E. coli infection in a captive jaguar (Panthera onca). The diagnosis was confirmed through pathological, bacterial and immunohistochemical findings. According to molecular analysis, this E. coli strain was classified in the phylogroup F, possessing the following virulence-associated genes: usp, cnf-1, hlyA, papC and sfa. Additionally, this E. coli was highly resistant to beta-lactams and first-generation cephalosporin. This jaguar also presented a uterine leiomyoma with distinct distribution, and severe degenerative articular disease, both of them described as frequently seen lesions in geriatric animals from the Panthera genus.(AU)

Escherichia coli extraintestinal patogênica (ExPEC) é um patotipo altamente diverso de E. coli que coloniza o intestino e é considerada um agente etiológico importante, associado com bacteremia e outras infecções sistêmicas, dentre elas infecções do trato urinário. Estudos retrospectivos avaliando morbidade e mortalidade de felídeos não domésticos demostram que doenças do trato urinário estão entre as principais causas de morte de animais geriátricos. Ainda, neoplasias mesenquimais uterinas são comuns em felídeos de cativeiro e possuem características morfológicas variáveis relacionadas a invasividade e malignidade. Neste relato é descrito um caso de pielonefrite bilateral por E. coli extraintestinal uropatogênica em uma onça-pintada de cativeiro (Panthera onca). O diagnóstico foi confirmado através dos achados patológicos, bacteriológicos e imuno-histoquímicos. A partir da análise molecular, esta cepa de E. coli foi classificada no filogrupo F, possuindo os seguintes genes associados a virulência: usp, cnf-1, hlyA, papC and sfa. Adicionalmente, a bactéria isolada foi altamente resistente a ß-lactâmicos e cefalosporinas de primeira geração. Foi observado ainda um leiomioma uterino com distribuição distinta e doença articular degenerativa severa, ambas descritas na literatura como comumente observadas em animais geriátricos do gênero Panthera.(AU)

Illegal trade in wild cats and its link to Chinese-led development in Central and South America.

Seizures of hundreds of jaguar heads and canines in Central and South America from 2014 to 2018 resulted in worldwide media coverage suggesting that wildlife traffickers are trading jaguar body parts as substitutes for tiger parts to satisfy the demand for traditional Asian medicine. We compiled a data set of >1000 seized wild cats (jaguar [Panthera onca], puma [Puma concolor], and ocelot [Leopardus pardalis]) from 19 Central and South American countries and China. We ran generalized additive mixed models to detect trends in wild-cat seizures from 2012 to 2018 and assess the effects of socioeconomic factors of source countries and between those countries and China on the number of wild cats seized. Jaguar seizures increased over time, and most of the seized jaguar pieces were canines (1991 of 2117). Around 34% (32 of 93) of the jaguar-part seizure reports were linked with China, and these seizures contained 14-fold more individuals than those intended for domestic markets. Source countries with relatively high levels of corruption and Chinese private investment and low income per capita had 10-50 times more jaguar seizures than the remaining sampled countries. The number of Chinese residents in Central and South America was not significantly related to the number of jaguars seized. No socioeconomic factors influenced the seizures of puma and ocelots. Legal market chains may provide structure for the illegal chain; thus, the influx of illegal jaguar products is potentially a side effect of the economic partnership between Central and South American countries and China. Poverty and high levels of corruption in the source countries may motivate local people to engage in illegal activities and contribute to the growth of this trade. Supply-side interventions to curb this threat to Neotropical wild cats may include improved training for officials and promotion of governance and the value of protecting these animals to local people.

Mercado Ilegal de Felinos Silvestres y su Conexión al Desarrollo Encabezado por China en América Central y América del Sur Resumen La incautación de cientos de cabezas y colmillos de jaguar en América Central y América del Sur entre 2014 y 2018 resultó en una cobertura mediática mundial que sugirió que los traficantes de fauna están comerciando con partes de jaguar como sustituto de las partes de tigre para satisfacer la demanda de la medicina tradicional asiática. Recopilamos un conjunto de datos de más de mil felinos silvestres incautados (jaguar [Panthera onca], puma [Puma concolor], ocelote [Leopardus pardalis]) en 19 países de América Central y América del Sur y en China. Corrimos modelos aditivos mixtos generalizados para detectar las tendencias en las incautaciones de felinos silvestres entre 2012 y 2018 y para evaluar los efectos de los factores socioeconómicos de los países de origen y entre esos países y China sobre el número de felinos silvestres incautados. La incautación de artículos de jaguar incrementó con el tiempo y la mayoría de ellos fueron colmillos (1991 de 2117). Alrededor del 34% (32 de 93) de los reportes de incautación estuvieron vinculados a China y estas incautaciones tenían 14 veces más individuos que las incautaciones de artículos dirigidos al mercado doméstico. Los países de origen con niveles relativamente altos de corrupción y con inversión privada proveniente de China y con un bajo ingreso per cápita tuvieron de 10 a 50 veces más incautaciones de artículos de jaguar que los demás países muestreados. El número de residentes chinos en América Central y en América del Sur no tuvo una relación significativa con el número de jaguares incautados. Ningún factor socioeconómico influyó sobre las incautaciones de pumas y ocelotes. Las cadenas de mercado legales pueden proporcionar una estructura para la cadena ilegal; por lo tanto, la afluencia de productos ilegales de jaguar es potencialmente un efecto colateral de la colaboración económica entre China y los países de América Central y América del Sur. La pobreza y los altos niveles de corrupción en los países de origen pueden motivar a los habitantes locales a participar en actividades ilegales y a contribuir al crecimiento de este mercado. Las intervenciones del lado del suministro para disminuir esta amenaza para los felinos silvestres neotropicales pueden incluir mejoras al entrenamiento para los oficiales y el fomento entre los locatarios de la gestión y el valor de proteger a estos animales.