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Food habits of the ocelot, Leopardus pardalis, in two areas in southeast

Brazil
Rita de Cassia Bianchia; Sérgio Lucena Mendesa; Paulo De Marco Júniorb
a
Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Brazil b
Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiania, Brazil

Online publication date: 10 December 2010

To cite this Article Bianchi, Rita de Cassia , Mendes, Sérgio Lucena and Júnior, Paulo De Marco(2010) 'Food habits of the
ocelot, Leopardus pardalis, in two areas in southeast Brazil', Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment, 45: 3, 111 —
119
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 Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment
Vol. 45, No. 3, December 2010, 111–119

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
NNFE

Food habits of the ocelot, Leopardus pardalis, in two areas in southeast Brazil
Rita de Cassia Bianchia*, Sérgio Lucena Mendesa & Paulo De Marco Júniorb
Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment

aDepartamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Brazil; bDepartamento de Biologia Geral,

Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiania, Brazil

(Received 18 January 2010; accepted 4 August 2010)

The objective of this study was to compare the diet of the ocelot at two sites in southeastern Brazil: the small
(957 ha), isolated Caratinga Biological Station (CBS), Minas Gerais and the large (>44,000 ha) contiguous area,
comprised of the Vale do Rio Doce Natural Reserve (VRDNR) and the Sooretama Biological Reserve (SBR). We
collected 60 scats in CBS from January 1997 to July 2000. Small rodents, small marsupials and primates were the
most important items in terms of frequency of occurrence. In terms of biomass consumed, the brown howler
monkey (Alouatta guariba) was the most important item. In the VRDNR/SBR we collected 77 scats from April
1995 to September 1996 and from January 1999 to September 2000. The main food items were armadillo
Downloaded By: [University of Sao Paulo] At: 15:45 11 December 2010

(Dasypus sp.), small rodents, teju (Tupinambis merianae), and small marsupials. In VRDNR/SBR the ocelot had a
more diverse diet, probably reflecting the diversity of prey species found in this area. The occurrence of ocelots in
CBS indicates the adaptive flexibility of this felid to forests fragments, probably facilitated by the high biomass of
potential prey – in this case, the primate Alouatta guariba.
Keywords: diet; Felidae; Atlantic Forest; Leopardus pardalis; ocelot; Brazil

Introduction Atlantic Forest, the ocelot was studied in detail only

The ocelot, Leopardus pardalis (Linnaeus, 1758), is
one of eight species of felids that occur in Brazil. It is
found from extreme southern Texas to southern
Brazil and northern Argentina. It is a mid-sized
carnivore (8–15 kg) with a solitary and territorial life-
style (Ludlow & Sunquist 1987). Although legally
protected, ocelot populations continue to be threat-
ened by deforestation, fragmentation, and conse-
quent genetic isolation (Oliveira 1994; Oliveira &
Bianchi 2008), especially in the Atlantic Forest of
Brazil, where there has been a loss of about 92% of
the original vegetation (Evolução... 1993). As a car-
nivore, the ocelot may be more directly affected by
fragmentation and habitat loss, since it putatively
needs large areas of use. Thus, there are few Brazilian
conservation areas which effectively protect popula-
tions of this species (Redford & Robinson 1991;
Oliveira 1994).
Studies on the diet of ocelots are more common
than those about other Neotropical felids. However,
information about its diet is incomplete for most of
its distribution (Mondolfi 1986; Emmons 1987;
Ludlow & Sunquist 1987; Konecny 1989; Sunquist
et al. 1989; Crawshaw 1995; Chinchilla 1997; Moreno
et al. 2006; Bianchi & Mendes 2007), or is based on
non-standardized data collection (Bisbal 1986; Facure
& Giaretta 1996; Ximenez 1982). In the Brazilian
in Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná (Crawshaw 1995). This
paucity of information limits understanding the influ-
ence of habitat fragmentation on ocelots. Small mam-
mals were the main items consumed in all previous
locations studied, and these were consumed according
to their local abundance (Bisbal 1986; Emmons 1987;
Ludlow & Sunquist 1987). Forest fragmentation
could affect prey abundance. We examined the diet of
ocelots in a large intact forest and a small forest frag-
ment, so as to identify their primary prey in each area
and compare any differences in their diet.
Materials and methods
Study sites
The Vale do Rio Doce Natural Reserve (VRDNR)
includes 21,800 ha and is contiguous to the Sooret-
ama Biological Reserve (SBR), of 24,150 ha, which is
administered by the Brazilian Environmental Agency
(IBAMA). Both conservation units constitute the
largest remaining forest patch in the state of Espírito
Santo and are considered here as a single study area
(19°03′S, 40°05′W). Climate is tropical hot and
humid, with an average annual precipitation of 1.051
mm and an average annual temperature of 23°C. The
predominant vegetation is tropical rain forest of the
Tertiary tablelands (“Mata de Tabuleiros”), which is

*Corresponding author. Email: rc_bianchi@yahoo.com.br

ISSN 0165-0521 print/ISSN 1744-5140 online

© 2010 Taylor & Francis
DOI: 10.1080/01650521.2010.514791
http://www.informaworld.com
 112 R. C. Bianchi et al.
a semi-deciduous, mesophytic forest formation of the
Atlantic forest domain. The original vegetation of the
VRDNR is typically forest (Vicens et al. 1998). The
vegetation at SBR also consists primarily of forest,
though swampy vegetation is found at the edges of
rivers and streams. The mammal fauna of the
VRDNR/SBR is nearly intact, including jaguar
(Panthera onca), puma (Puma concolor), margay
(L. wiedii), oncilla (L. tigrinus), and jaguarundi (Puma
yagouaroundi), as well as other carnivores, such as
otter (Lontra longicaudis), crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon
thous), raccoon (Procyon cancrivorus), coati (Nasua
nasua), and kinkajou (Potos flavus) (Chiarello 1999).
Caratinga Biological Station (CBS) (19°50′S,
41°50′W, 957 ha), Minas Gerais, Brazil, is a Private
Reserve of Natural Patrimony (Fonseca 1989; Castro
2001). Vegetation fits the low-montane Atlantic
pluvial forest, with characteristics of semi-deciduous
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to deciduous forests. Climate, based on Köppen’s
classification, is tropical sub-hot mild humid (AW),
with an average temperature of 16.5°C in the coldest
month (July) and 23.9°C in the hottest month
(February). The dry season presents 132.8 mm of pre-
cipitation, whereas the wet season presents 839.2 mm
(Ferrari 1988). The reserve is surrounded mainly by
pasture. There is no information on the population of
ocelots or any other carnivorous mammal in the
region, although many species have been seen by
researches in the study area, such as C. thous and
L. wiedii; likewise, several scat samples of domestic
dogs have been collected.
Data collection and analysis
We determined the diet from fecal samples opportun-
istically collected along roads and trails. Field collec-
tion occurred monthly from April 1995 to September
1996 and from January 1999 to September 2000 at
VRDNR/SBR; and in the period from January 1997
to September 2000 at CBS.
Because large prey (such as paca or monkey) can
be consumed by an ocelot in several meals and result
in several scats, fecal samples collected in the same
day and containing the same large prey were not con-
sidered independent feeding events, thereby ensuring
independence of samples.
Scats were identified as being from ocelots based
on track presence near them, as well as the presence
of ocelot hairs that were likely ingested during self-
grooming. The hairs were identified through cuticle
and medullar patterns (Quadros 2002). The scats
were oven dried and washed on a sieve. The screened
material (e.g. hair, teeth, and scales) was identified by
comparison with the material deposited at the
Zoological Collection of Prof. Mello Leitão Biology
Museum (Santa Teresa, Espírito Santo State), through
analysis of the guard-hair microstructure (Quadros
2002), or by consulting a specialist.
We analyzed the importance of each kind of prey
based on its frequency (proportion of a prey item in
relation to the total number of items, in percent) and
as the frequency of occurrence in the scats (propor-
tion of scats that contained a particular prey type, in
percent) (Crawshaw 1995). For estimating the number
of vertebrate taxa used in the diet, we used a Jack-
knife procedure (Colwell & Coddington 1994), which
corrects for sub-sampling bias, allowing estimation of
confidence intervals, and hypothesis testing. We
evaluated Jackknife using the EstimateS program
(Colwell 1997), which also produced a collector curve
from the output of the Jackknife analysis. We applied
Chi-square tests (Zar 1999) to frequencies of occur-
rence of taxa in relation to a given site.
To correct for differences in size and weight of
prey in the diet, we estimated biomass consumed for
each taxon. Average weight of each prey was multi-
plied by the number of individuals found (evaluated
biomass = prey’s average weight × number of individ-
uals in the scats). We considered the presence of an
item as a single individual except in the case of teeth,
where the minimum number of individuals was esti-
mated from the number of teeth found in the sample.
The relative importance of each prey is expressed as a
percentage in relation to the weight of all the items
(Crawshaw 1995). We obtained the estimated weight
of prey taxa from the literature (Fonseca et al. 1996;
Emmons & Feer 1997) or from data on species depos-
ited in the collection of the Prof. Mello Leitão
Biology Museum. Biomass for prey larger than 10 kg
(Brachyteles hypoxanthus, Mazama sp. and Pecari
tajacu) was estimated as 30% of adult mass.
The nomenclature of the mammals followed
Wilson & Reeder (2005) and Emmons et al. (2002).
Results
Diet at Vale do Rio Doce Natural Reserve/Sooretama
Biological Reserve
Analyses of 77 ocelot scats collected in VRDNR/SBR
indicated 37 taxa and 148 vertebrate prey items.
Mammals were the most frequent items, occurring in
96% of the scats, followed by the Squamata (21%)
and birds (7%) (Table 1). Among the mammals,
rodents were most frequently consumed order with
59.5% of occurrence in the scats and representing
31.1% of the total of the items, followed by Edentata
and Didelphimorphia with 29.9 and 15.6% of occur-
rence in the scats; and 15.6 and 8.12% of the items
consumed, respectively. The most important prey
 Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment 113

Table 1. Spectrum and frequency of food items found in fecal samples of ocelots at Vale do Rio Doce Natural Reserve/
Sooretama Biological Reserve, ES (VRDNR/SBR) and at Caratinga Biological Station, MG (CBS).
VRDNR/SBR (n = 77) CBS (n = 60)

Mass Frequency of Frequency Frequency of Frequency

Item (g) N occurrence (%) (%) N occurrence (%) (%)

Rodentia 46 59.46 31.10 52 86.68 41.94

Cuniculus paca 8200 11 14.29 7.43 3 5.00 2.42
Dasyprocta leporina 2100 8 10.39 5.41 – – –
Rodentia n.i. 50 8 10.39 5.41 6 10.00 4.84
Calomys sp. 25 4 5.19 2.70 16 26.67 12.90
Phyllomys sp. 260 3 3.90 2.03 – – –
Cavia sp. 400 2 2.60 1.35 1 1.67 0.81
Mus musculus 15 2 2.60 1.35 – – –
Trinomys sp. 180 2 2.60 1.35 1 1.67 0.81
Sigmodontinae n.i. 5 2 2.60 1.35 1 1.67 0.81
Oryzomyinae n.i. 80 1 1.30 0.68 – – –
Guerlinguetus ingrami 200 1 1.30 0.68 2 3.33 1.61
Sphiggurus sp. 1100 1 1.30 0.68 10 16.67 8.06
Rattus rattus 200 1 1.30 0.68 – – –
Necromys sp. 35 – – – 5 8.33 4.03
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Oligoryzomys sp. 50 – – – 4 6.67 3.23

Akodon sp. 53 – – – 3 5.00 2.42
Didelphimorphia 12 15.58 8.12 20 33.34 16.14
Didelphidae n.i. 100 7 9.09 4.73 6 10.00 4.84
Marmosa murina 52 2 2.60 1.35 – – –
Didelphis aurita 1000 1 1.30 0.68 4 6.67 3.23
Metachirus nudicaudatus 280 1 1.30 0.68 – – –
Monodelphis domestica 67 1 1.30 0.68 – – –
Monodelphis americana 30 – – – 6 10.00 4.84
Gracilinanus sp. 30 – – – 4 6.67 3.23
Primates 4 5.19 2.70 16 26.67 12.91
Callicebus personatus 1350 2 2.60 1.35 – – –
Cebus apella 2500 2 2.60 1.35 1 1.67 0.81
Alouatta guariba 5700 – – – 12 20.00 9.68
Brachyteles hypoxanthus 4000a – – – 3 5.00 2.42
Edentata 23 29.87 15.54 7 11.67 5.65
Dasypus sp. 2200 23 29.87 15.54 7 11.67 5.65
Artiodactyla 7 9.09 4.73 – – –
Pecari tajacu 5700a 4 5.19 2.70 – – –
Mazama sp. 5000a 3 3.90 2.03 – – –
Carnivora 5 6.49 3.39 – – –
Procyon cancrivorus 5400 3 3.90 2.03 – – –
Eira barbara 4850 1 1.30 0.68 – – –
Potos flavus 2600 1 1.30 0.68 – – –
Lagomorpha 4 5.19 2.70 3 5.00 2.42
Sylvilagus brasiliensis 1000 4 5.19 2.70 3 5.00 2.42
Mammalia n.i. 50 6 7.79 4.05 2 3.33 1.61
Aves 10 12.99 6.76 15 25.00 12.10
Aves n.i. – 10 12.99 6.76 15 25.00 12.10
Squamata 31 40.26 20.94 9 15.01 7.27
Tupinambis merianae 1500 13 16.88 8.78 1 1.67 0.81
Ophidia n.i. – 6 7.79 4.05 4 6.67 3.23
Tropidurus gr. torquatus 89 4 5.19 2.70 – – –
Polychrus marmoratus 94 2 2.60 1.35 – – –
Lacertilia n.i. – 2 2.60 1.35 2 3.33 1.61
Colubridae n.i. – 2 2.60 1.35 – – –
Ameiva ameiva 97 1 1.30 0.68 1 1.67 0.81
Mabuya cf. agilis 9 1 1.30 0.68 – – –
Teiidae n.i. – – – – 1 1.67 0.81
Invertebrates – 12 15.58 – 11 18.33 –
Plants – 13 16.88 – 20 33.33 –
Total number of itemsb 148 100 124 100
Total number of taxab 37 27

Mass (g) = weight of prey; N = number of items; frequency of occurrence = proportion of scats in which the respective item occurred; frequency = proportion of
the total number of items; n.i., not identified.
a
The weight was considered as 30% of the weight of an adult individual.
b
Without invertebrates and plant items.
 114 R. C. Bianchi et al.

40

30
Proportion (%)

20

10

Didelphimorphia

Sphiggurus

Squamata
Sylvilagus
Artiodactyla

Tupinambis
Carnivora

Primates
Dasypus

Small rodents
Cuniculus paca

Dasyprocta
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Biomass Frequency
Figure 1. Comparison of the proportions (%) of biomass and frequency of prey items found in ocelot scats (n = 77) at Vale do
Rio Doce Natural Reserve and Sooretama Biological Reserve, ES.

types in terms of occurrence frequency were Dasypus the most important taxon was Calomys sp., occurring
sp. (armadillo) which occurred in 30% of the scats, in 26.7% of the scats and in 13% of the total of the
followed by Tupinambis merianae (teju), which items. Among the primates, Alouatta guariba (brown
occurred in 17% of scats. Large mammals also occurred howler monkey) occurred in 20% of the scats and 9%
in the diet, including deer (Mazama sp.), peccary of the total items consumed (Table 1).
(Pecari tajacu) and other carnivore species (Eira In terms of biomass consumed, primates were the
barbara, Potus flavus, and Procyon cancrivorus). most important items, especially A. guariba, followed
In terms of biomass consumed, the most import- by C. paca and by small rodents (Figure 2).
ant items in the ocelot’s diet at VRDNR/SBR
were Cuniculus paca, Dasypus sp. and Artiodactyla
(Figure 1). Although the frequency of occurrence of Cross-site comparisons
these in the scats was only 9%, together these taxa The number of the taxa occurring in ocelot scats at
accounted for approximately 70% of biomass con- VRDNR/SBR as assessed by the Jackknife procedure
sumed. Small rodents and squamates contributed rel- (51.8; CI = 52.6–51.1) was about 50% larger than at
atively little to the biomass consumed by ocelots in CBS (34.9; CI = 35.5–34.2). These results differed sta-
VRDNR/SBR. tistically (P < 0.05) (Figure 3). At both sites ocelots
fed predominately on a few prey types only. Small
rodents, small marsupials and A. guariba were con-
Diet at Caratinga Biological Station sumed significantly more frequently at CBS, while
Analyses of 60 ocelot scats collected from CBS indi- Dasypus sp. and T. merianae were consumed signifi-
cated 27 taxa and 124 vertebrate prey items. Mam- cantly more frequently at VRDNR/SBR (Table 2).
mals were the most frequent items, occurring in 100% In terms of biomass, rodents contributed most to
of the scats, followed by birds (25%) and Squamata the diet of ocelots at VRDNR/SBR and Primates at
(15%) (Table 1). Among the mammals, rodents were CBS (Figure 4). In terms of the frequency of occur-
the most frequently found, with 86% of the occur- rence in scats, Rodentia, Didelphimorphia and Pri-
rence in the scats and 42% of all items, followed by mates were most consumed at CBS, while Edentata,
Didelphimorphia and Primates with 33 and 27% of Carnivora and Artiodactyla were most consumed at
occurrence in the scats, and 16 and 13% of the total of VRDNR/SBR, although in both areas, Rodentia was
the consumed items, respectively. Among the rodents, the order occurring in most scats (Table 2).
 Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment 115

50

40
Proportion (%)

30

20

10

0
Primates

Cuniculus paca

Small rodents

Dasypus

Sphiggurus

Didelphimorphia

Sylvilagus

Squamata
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Biomass Frequency
Figure 2. Comparison of the proportions (%) of biomass and frequency of prey items found in ocelot scats (n = 60) at Caratinga
Biological Station, MG.

60
VRDNR/SBR
CBS
50
Number of food items

40

30

20

10

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Number of samples
Figure 3. Cumulative number of food items (± SD) detected in fecal samples of ocelot at Vale do Rio Doce Natural Reserve
and Sooretama Biological Reserve, ES and Caratinga Biological Station, MG, evaluated by Jackknife procedure.
 116 R. C. Bianchi et al.

Table 2. Differences in the frequency of occurrence of the ocelots at VRDNR/SBR concentrated on just a few
main items and taxa found in ocelot scats at Vale do Rio taxa, such as armadillos, rodents and lizards. In the
Doce Natural Reserve/Sooretama Biological Reserve, ES context of Roper’s definition (1994), the ocelot is not
(VRDNR/SBR) and at Caratinga Biological Station, MG
a specialized carnivore since it feeds on a great
(CBS).
number of species, preying by chance on the most
VRDNR/ CBS abundant and vulnerable, such as Dasypus sp. and
Items/taxa SBR (%) (%) c2 P T. merianae. This feeding behavior was also observed in
Small rodents 30.26 61.67 13.412 <0.00a Peru (Emmons 1987), Venezuela (Ludlow & Sunquist
Rodentia 59.46 86.68 4.853 0.02a 1987), Costa Rica (Chinchilla 1997), and Foz do
Small marsupials 15.58 33.34 4.802 0.028a Iguaçu (Crawshaw 1995). In that study, Crawshaw
Alouatta guariba 0.00 20.00 16.670 <0.001a (1995) detected also a great importance of Dasypus sp.,
Primates 5.19 26.67 12.246 <0.00a
T. merianae, and small rodents in the diet. The
Dasypus sp. 29.87 11.67 6.744 0.009a
Tupinambis merianae 16.88 1.67 8.654 <0.00a National Park of Foz do Iguaçu (175,000 ha) com-
Lagomorpha 5.19 5.00 0.005 0.945 prises a mammalian fauna as diverse as that found at
Carnivora 6.49 0.00 4.098 0.042a VRDNR/SBR, where rodents and Dasypus sp. were
Artiodactyla 9.00 0.00 5.826 0.015a the most frequent prey in the diet of the ocelot. In the
a
Significant to 5%. Peruvian Amazon and in Venezuela, rodents were
also the most important item (Bisbal 1986; Emmons
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1987; Ludlow & Sunquist 1987). In all the locations,

Discussion
Diet at Vale do Rio Doce Natural Reserve/Sooretama
Biological Reserve and CBS
Despite including a great variety of items in its diet,
which reflects the richness of species in the area,
small mammals (<1 kg) were the main items con-
sumed according to their abundance in the area.
Although Ludlow & Sunquist (1987) considered
ocelots as a carnivore specialized on small prey, we
found a different result, since the most important
prey in terms of consumed biomass were armadillos,

60

50

40
Biomass (%)

30

20

10

0
Didelphimorphia

Lagomorpha
Artiodactyla

Carnivora
Primates
Rodentia

Edentata

VRDNR/SBR CBS
Figure 4. Comparison of the proportional biomass (%) of taxa detected in scats of ocelots at Vale do Rio Doce Natural
Reserve and Sooretama Biological Reserve (VRDNR/SBR), ES and Caratinga Biological Station (CBS), MG.

pacas, agoutis and adult tejus at VRDNR/SBR and
primates at CBS. In Foz do Iguaçu, the most
important prey in terms of consumed biomass were
nine-banded armadillos (Crawshaw 1995). Crawshaw
argued that large prey (Mazama sp. and other large
species) were consumed as carrion, since they are
sometimes killed by cars in the park and thus might
become an important alternative food source for oce-
lots. Notwithstanding, predation on large prey has
been attributed to ocelot, primarily large males
(Moreno et al. 2006). Estimates of consumed biomass
provide a better criterion to indicate the most import-
ant prey than frequency, but the difficulty to deter-
mine the prey individual’s age and sex in order to
correct the assumed body mass can generate large dif-
ferences in terms of weight.
Ocelots prey on other carnivores, as has been doc-
umented in other sites, such as Foz do Iguaçu, where
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they fed on P. cancrivorus, C. thous, and Galictis cuja;
Peru, where they fed on Bassaricyon alleni; and Pan-
ama, where they preyed on Procyon sp. and Nasua
narica. However, such consumption is considered cir-
cumstantial (Emmons 1987; Crawshaw 1995; Moreno
et al. 2006).
The importance of A. guariba in the diet of ocelots
at CBS (see Bianchi & Mendes 2007) is evidenced by
both the high frequency of consumption and the bio-
mass of this primate. In this site, the total primate
biomass consumed by ocelots was equivalent to most
of the biomass of all other prey items together. We
have no knowledge of any other study in which
primates were consumed by ocelots with such a high
frequency. A similar situation was observed in the
Panama Canal zone, where a surprisingly high
number of sloths and other arboreal prey was found
in the diet of ocelots, given that they have been con-
sidered predominantly terrestrial hunters (Moreno
et al. 2006).
The high consumption of the brown howler mon-
key in CBS may be related to the high densities of this
prey species and its relative vulnerability. Population
density estimates of brown howler monkey in CBS
are 0.9–1.4 individuals/ha (Hirsch 1995). Brown
howler monkeys in CBS are found in groups of about
six individuals (typically one male, two or three
females, and cubs) and they have young all year
round (Strier et al. 2001). Their main defense strategy
is to take refuge in secluded places in the foliage and
to perform agonistic vocalization (Mendes 1989).
While resting, they stay at a height of 15–20 m, but
they use all strata (0–20 m) for feeding purposes, and
frequently come to the ground for drinking (personal
observations). Nevertheless, we cannot discard the
possibility that the predation on brown howler mon-
keys was an isolated event, performed by a single
Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment 117
individual, despite the fact that its consumption was
continuous, for almost 3 years, and relatively evenly
distributed within the years.
Isbell (1990) observed a sudden short-term increase
in mortality of vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops)
due to leopard predation in Amboseli National Park
in Kenya. Isbell (1990) argued that this may have
been due to an increase in the presence of the preda-
tor and an individual preference for particular prey
species, perhaps as a result of earlier experience with
that prey (Caro 1980).
Cross-site comparisons
We observed a significant difference in the use of prey
types in the two areas, probably reflecting differences
in resource availability. The high consumption of
small rodents at CBS can be related to the great abun-
dance of this group in the area. Fonseca & Robinson
(1990) found a greater abundance of rodents in CBS
than in two other areas, one of 70 ha, and another of
36,000 ha. Forty-six percent of the rodents observed
in the scats at CBS belonged to only three species
(Calomys, Necromys, and Akodon) adapted to open
and disturbed areas. This may be a consequence of
forest fragmentation. Fragment edge is proportion-
ally greater as the fragment size decreases, enabling
the dominance of species of open or disturbed areas
in a larger proportion of area in small fragments, than
in the large ones (Pardini 2001). Additionally, preda-
tors such as ocelots will spend proportionately greater
time in edges as fragment size decreases, resulting in
the taking of more edge-dominant prey. The lower
consumption of small rodents and small marsupials
at VRDNR/SBR can also be associated to the abun-
dance of energetically more rewarding resources, such
as paca, agouti, armadillo, and teju.
These results suggest that ocelots always maintain
a set of predominant items, which represent the great-
est part of its diet, but opportunistically increase the
number of rare items that are used where the fauna is
richer, such as at VRDNR/SBR. Indeed, the diversity
of prey types at VRDNR/SBR was such that we
detected species which had not been previously
recorded from the site with the use of traps (Palma
1996) or through visual censuses (Chiarello 1999).
Thus, the analysis of felid scats and perhaps those of
other carnivores can be an important complementary
tool in the survey of the fauna, particularly of species
which occur at low densities (Camardella et al. 2000).
Home ranges of ocelots vary from 1.2 to 31.2 km2
(Navarro 1985; Tewes 1986; Ludlow & Sunquist
1987; Emmons 1988; Konecny 1989; Crawshaw &
Quigley 1989; Sunquist et al. 1989; Laack 1991;
Bianchi 2009). As such, the total area of the CBS
 118 R. C. Bianchi et al.
(9.6 km2) is seemingly too small for the maintenance
of a viable population of ocelots, which probably use
the landscape as a whole, moving between forest.
However, the brown howler monkey presence at CBS
in high densities may facilitate the persistence of oce-
lots at the site. Thus, some fragments – although
apparently small for the maintenance of viable felid
populations – could be important refuges and local
stocks of prey (Chiarello 2000). On the other hand,
the pressure by human hunting on the populations of
species that are important items in the diet of ocelots,
such as armadillos and pacas, can indirectly threaten
ocelot populations, even in protected and relatively
large areas as the VRDNR/SBR.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the “O Boticário” Foundation
Downloaded By: [University of Sao Paulo] At: 15:45 11 December 2010
of Nature Protection and the FACITEC for financial
support. We are grateful to the Prof. Mello Leitão Biol-
ogy Museum for technical support, Dr. Albert David
Ditchfield, Natalie Olifiers and Dr. Matthew Gompper
for valuable comments and kind help with the final Eng-
lish version, and Juliana Quadros for help with the tech-
nique of hair slide preparation. We are especially
grateful to Patricia Guedes and Alexandre Christoff for
the identification of small mammals.
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