A long-term study on free-ranging jaguar-tick interactions, featuring a novel report of Amblyomma incisum adult infestation.

Over nearly 12 years, we collected ticks from free-ranging jaguars (Panthera onca) and performed statistical analyses to comprehend the vector-host relationship throughout the seasons. We evaluated the presence and number of ticks, as well as their association with weight, age, and gender of captured jaguars in the Pantanal and Amazon biomes. Out of 100 captured jaguars (comprising 72 initial captures and 28 recaptures, with 41 females and 31 males), 77 were found to be infested by different tick species. We gathered a total of 1,002 ticks, categorized by the following species in descending order of abundance: Amblyomma sculptum, Amblyomma ovale, Rhipicephalus microplus, Amblyomma triste, Amblyomma cajennense sensu stricto, Amblyomma incisum, and Amblyomma spp. larvae. Apart from weight, statistical analysis indicated that age, gender and seasonality does not significantly affect the presence of different tick species in free ranging jaguars. Notably, A. sculptum adults were more abundant in the first semester, while A. sculptum nymphs and Amblyomma spp. larvae were mainly found during dry months, aligning with their expected life cycle stages. This is the first long-term study in jaguars to correlate seasonality and host factors and also the first time an adult of A. incisum is reported infesting a jaguar.

Unveiling demographic and mating strategies of Panthera onca in the Pantanal, Brazil.

We conducted the first long-term and large-scale study of demographic characteristics and reproductive behavior in a wild jaguar (Panthera onca) population. Data were collected through a combination of direct observations and camera trapping on a study area that operates both as a cattle ranch and ecotourism destination. Jaguars exhibited two birth peaks: April/May and October/November, that are the end and the beginning of the wet season in the Pantanal, respectively. The average litter size was 1.43 ± 0.65. Single cubs made up a total of 65.7% of the births, and we found a slight predominance of females (1.15:1 ratio) in litters. The mean age at independence was 17.6 ± 0.98 months, with sex-biased dispersal, with all males (n = 27) leaving the natal home range and 63.6% of females exhibiting philopatry. The interbirth intervals were 21.8 ± 3.2 months and the mean age at first parturition was 31.8 ± 4.2 months. Our results estimated a lifetime reproductive success for female jaguars of 8.13 cubs. Our observations also indicate that female jaguars can display mating behavior during cub rearing or pregnancy, representing 41.4% of the consorts and copulations recorded. We speculate that this behavior has evolved as a defense against infanticide and physical harm to the female. To our knowledge, this is the first time that such behavior is described for this species. All aggressive interactions between females involved the presence of cubs, following the offspring-defense hypothesis, that lead to territoriality among females in mammals, regardless of food availability. In the face of growing threats to this apex predator, this work unveils several aspects of its natural history, representing a baseline for comparison with future research and providing critical information for population viability analysis and conservation planning in the long term.

Este é o primeiro estudo de longo prazo e em grande escala de características demográficas e de comportamento reprodutivo em uma população selvagem de onças-pintadas (Panthera onca). Os dados foram coletados por meio de uma combinação de observações diretas e armadilhamentos fotográficos em uma área de estudo que atua tanto como fazenda de pecuária quanto como destino ecoturístico. As onças-pintadas apresentaram dois picos de nascimento: abril/maio e outubro/novembro, que são o final e o início da estação chuvosa no Pantanal, respectivamente. O tamanho médio da ninhada foi 1.43 ± 0.65. Filhotes únicos representaram um total de 65.7% dos nascimentos, e encontramos uma ligeira predominância de fêmeas (proporção 1.15:1) nas ninhadas. A idade média de independência foi de 17.6 ± 0.98 meses, com uma dispersão sexo-assimétrica, com todos os machos (n = 27) deixando a área natal e 63.6% das fêmeas apresentando filopatria. O intervalo entre ninhadas foi de 21.8 ± 3.2 meses e a idade média da primeira cria foi de 31.8 ± 4.2 meses. Nossos resultados estimaram um sucesso reprodutivo médio ao longo da vida para onças-pintadas fêmeas de 8.13 filhotes. Nossas observações também indicam que as onças-pintadas fêmeas podem apresentar comportamento de acasalamento durante a criação dos filhotes ou da gestação, representando 41.4% das cortes e cópulas registradas. Especulamos que esse comportamento tenha evoluído como uma defesa contra infanticídio e danos físicos à fêmea. Segundo nosso conhecimento, está é a primeira vez que tal comportamento é descrito para esta espécie. Todas as interações agressivas entre fêmeas envolveram a presença de filhotes, seguindo a hipótese de defesa da prole, que levam à territorialidade entre fêmeas em mamíferos, independentemente da disponibilidade de alimento. Diante das crescentes ameaças a este predador de topo, este trabalho revela vários aspectos de sua história natural, representando uma base de comparação com pesquisas futuras e fornecendo informações críticas para a análise de viabilidade populacional e planejamento de conservação em longo prazo.

Wildfires disproportionately affected jaguars in the Pantanal.

The Pantanal wetland harbours the second largest population of jaguars in the world. Alongside climate and land-use changes, the recent mega-fires in the Pantanal may pose a threat to the jaguars' long-term survival. To put these growing threats into perspective, we addressed the reach and intensity of fires that have affected jaguar conservation in the Pantanal ecoregion over the last 16 years. The 2020 fires were the most severe in the annual series, burned 31% of the Pantanal and affected 45% of the estimated jaguar population (87% of these in Brazil); 79% of the home range areas, and 54% of the protected areas within home ranges. Fires consumed core habitats and injured several jaguars, the Pantanal's apex predator. Displacement, hunger, dehydration, territorial defence, and lower fecundity are among the impacts that may affect the abundance of the species. These impacts are likely to affect other less mobile species and, therefore, the ecological stability of the region. A solution to prevent the recurrence of mega-fires lies in combating the anthropogenic causes that intensify drought conditions, such as implementing actions to protect springs, increasing the number and area of protected areas, regulating fire use, and allocating fire brigades before dry seasons.

Epidemiological compatibility of Amblyomma sculptum as possible vector and Panthera onca as reservoir of Cytauxzoon spp. in Midwestern Brazil.

Cytauxzoonosis is an acute and highly lethal tick-borne disease of wild and domestic cats, and is widely distributed in Africa, Asia, Europe, the USA and Brazil. So far, only two tick species present on the USA are experimentally confirmed in Cytauxzoon transmission however, in Brazil and other continents, the epidemiology of the disease remains unknown. Evidences points to Panthera onca as a possible reservoir, but there is no evidence to point the vector. Therefore, this study evaluates the presence of Cytauxzoon spp. in wild felids from areas with and without records of Amblyomma sculptum this ixodid for comparison. Overall, 53 blood samples of P. onca, Puma concolor, and Leopardus pardalis from the Midwest region (MR; region with A. sculptum) and 143 blood and/or spleen samples from Leopardus geoffroyi, Leopardus wiedii, Leopardus munoai, Leopardus guttulus, Herpailurus yagouaroundi, L. pardalis, and P. concolor from Rio Grande do Sul State (RS; without A. sculptum). Only one feline sample was negative for Cytauxzoon sp. from MR; no samples from RS were positive. In total, 507 ticks were identified from MR felids, with predominance of A. sculptum (69.23%). In RS, there were 93 ixodids, of which 90.32% were Amblyomma aureolatum. The difference in the tick fauna of the two regions studied (presence/absence of A. sculptum) reflects the results found. This study highlighted A. sculptum as a possible vector since this hemoparasite was abundantly observed in areas where it occurs, also, there was no evidence of Cytauxzoon spp. where it was absent. Additionally, the study supported the suggestion that P. onca is the reservoir for the agent in MR.

Dermatobiosis in Panthera onca: first description and multinomial logistic regression to estimate and predict parasitism in captured wild animals.

Dermatobia hominis is a parasite widely distributed in neotropical regions. The parasitic phase of the cycle is characterized by the formation of a subcutaneous nodule in the host, which can promote infestation by other dipterans and skin infections. The aim of this report is to register parasitism by D. hominis in free-ranging Panthera onca captured in the Brazilian wetland and to determine significant biological and meteorological factors that are likely to influence the presence of larval parasitism in captured wild jaguars. Between 2011 to 2020, 34 jaguars were captured and examined manually by searching for lesions characteristic of myiasis. By manual compression in the subcutaneous nodules, larvae morphologically identified as D. hominis (first and third instars) were collected from 13 jaguars. A multinomial logistic regression showed that adult jaguars had 16.49-fold higher odds of being parasitized than subadults. Thus, jaguars captured in the season of July-September have 34.01- and 11.42-fold higher odds of being parasitized compared to the seasons of October-December and April-June, respectively, which is associated with high total monthly precipitation in the previous season. The present study is the first to describe parasitism by D. hominis larvae in jaguars.

Dermatobiosis in Panthera onca: first description and multinomial logistic regression to estimate and predict parasitism in captured wild animals / Dermatobiose em Panthera onca: primeira descrição e regressão logística multinomial para estimar e prever o parasitismo em animais selvagens capturados

Abstract Dermatobia hominis is a parasite widely distributed in neotropical regions. The parasitic phase of the cycle is characterized by the formation of a subcutaneous nodule in the host, which can promote infestation by other dipterans and skin infections. The aim of this report is to register parasitism by D. hominis in free-ranging Panthera onca captured in the Brazilian wetland and to determine significant biological and meteorological factors that are likely to influence the presence of larval parasitism in captured wild jaguars. Between 2011 to 2020, 34 jaguars were captured and examined manually by searching for lesions characteristic of myiasis. By manual compression in the subcutaneous nodules, larvae morphologically identified as D. hominis (first and third instars) were collected from 13 jaguars. A multinomial logistic regression showed that adult jaguars had 16.49-fold higher odds of being parasitized than subadults. Thus, jaguars captured in the season of July-September have 34.01- and 11.42-fold higher odds of being parasitized compared to the seasons of October-December and April-June, respectively, which is associated with high total monthly precipitation in the previous season. The present study is the first to describe parasitism by D. hominis larvae in jaguars.

Resumo Dermatobia hominis é um parasito amplamente distribuído nas regiões neotropicais. A fase parasitária do ciclo é caracterizada pela formação de um nódulo subcutâneo no hospedeiro, que pode promover infestação por outros dípteros e infecções cutâneas. O objetivo deste relato é registrar o parasitismo por D. hominis em Panthera onca de vida livre, capturado no pantanal brasileiro e determinar fatores biológicos e meteorológicos significativos que podem influenciar a presença de parasitismo larval em onças-pintadas selvagens capturadas. Entre 2011 e 2020, 34 onças-pintadas foram capturadas e examinadas manualmente em busca de lesões características de miíase. Por compressão manual nos nódulos subcutâneos, larvas classificadas morfologicamente como D. hominis (primeiro e terceiro instares) foram coletadas de 13 onças-pintadas. Uma regressão logística multinomial mostrou que onças-pintadas adultas tinham chances 16,49 vezes maiores de serem parasitadas do que subadultos. Assim, onças-pintadas capturadas na temporada de julho a setembro têm probabilidade 34,01 e 11,42 vezes maior de serem parasitadas em comparação com as temporadas de outubro a dezembro e de abril a junho, respectivamente, o que está associado à alta precipitação total mensal na temporada anterior. O presente estudo é o primeiro a descrever parasitismo por larvas de D. hominis em onças-pintadas.

Neotropical carnivores: a data set on carnivore distribution in the Neotropics

Mammalian carnivores are considered a key group in maintaining ecological health and can indicate potential ecological integrity in landscapes where they occur. Carnivores also hold high conservation value and their habitat requirements can guide management and conservation plans. The order Carnivora has 84 species from 8 families in the Neotropical region: Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Otariidae; Phocidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae. Herein, we include published and unpublished data on native terrestrial Neotropical carnivores (Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae). NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES is a publicly available data set that includes 99,605 data entries from 35,511 unique georeferenced coordinates. Detection/non‐detection and quantitative data were obtained from 1818 to 2018 by researchers, governmental agencies, non‐governmental organizations, and private consultants. Data were collected using several methods including camera trapping, museum collections, roadkill, line transect, and opportunistic records. Literature (peerreviewed and grey literature) from Portuguese, Spanish and English were incorporated in this compilation. Most of the data set consists of detection data entries (n = 79,343; 79.7%) but also includes non‐detection data (n = 20,262; 20.3%). Of those, 43.3% also include count data (n = 43,151). The information available in NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES will contribute to macroecological, ecological, and conservation questions in multiple spatio‐temporal perspectives. As carnivores play key roles in trophic interactions, a better understanding of their distribution and habitat requirements are essential to establish conservation management plans and safeguard the future ecological health of Neotropical ecosystems. Our data paper, combined with other largescale data sets, has great potential to clarify species distribution and related ecological processes within the Neotropics. There are no copyright restrictions and no restriction for using data from this data paper, as long as the data paper is cited as the source of the information used. We also request that users inform us of how they intend to use the data.