There are three species of Neotropical cats whose northernmost distribution reaches the USA-Mexico border region: the jaguar Panthera onca, ocelot Leopardus pardalis and jaguarundi Herpailurus yagouaroundi. To ensure the long-term viability of Neotropical cat populations in this region it is imperative to identify current distribution and status in the northern limits of their range to conserve important populations effectively. The purpose of this study was to construct a blueprint of priority conservation areas for each species in the border region. This was done by (1) compiling reliable sightings for each species from the early 1900s to 2003, (2) conducting field surveys to ascertain species presence, and (3) conducting a geographical information system based habitat mapping workshop in which 29 scientists and conservationists provided information on the distribution and status of each species. Participants were asked to delineate and describe specific areas in the border region where historical and recent sightings of Neotropical cats have occurred, resulting in a compilation of 864 felid sightings of which 283 where reliable and had physical evidence. Twenty-one Cat Conservation Units and seven Cat Conservation Corridors were identified as areas in which to concentrate efforts for protecting felids. Only 8.9% of these Corridors and 1.1% of the Units currently have any protection. An additional 12 Corridors and 12 Units were identified as areas requiring further study.

We studied small mammal assemblages recovered from owl pellets collected at 11 locations throughout the Argentina’s Pampean Region. We identified 21 species, including two marsupials, one bat, and 18 rodents. From the analysis of this dataset, we could distinguish three main groups of small mammals that currently inhabit the Pampean Region: 1) a group of taxa related to Pampean agroecosystems (Calomys spp., Akodon azarae, and Oligoryzomys flavescens); 2) a group of Brazilian species (Cavia aperea, Oxymycterus rufus, Necromys lasiurus, Necromys obscurus, Holochilus brasiliensis, and Monodelphis dimidiata); and 3) a group including species from Patagonia, Espinal and Monte phytogeographic provinces (Microcavia australis, Oligoryzomys longicaudatus, Eligmodontia typus, Graomys griseoflavus, and Akodon molinae). In addition, we documented the first record of a species of the large-bodied group of Calomys in Buenos Aires province, expanding its distribution ca. 420 km southward.

The main objective of this study was to determine the taxonomic and taphonomic characteristics of the micromammal remains recovered from pellets of Pseudoscops clamator (striped owl), collected at three localities in northeastern Buenos Aires Province, Argentina (Punta Lara Natural Reserve, 34 49'02,6''S, 58 03'03,9''W; Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve, 34 36'6,44"S, 58 21'33,22"W; Los Robles Park, 34 40'22,03''S, 58 52'18,88''W). The main taphonomic variables (e.g. evidence of digestive action, breakage patterns and relative abundance of skeletal elements) suggest that this owl mainly produces intermediate to moderate modification. On the other hand, P. clamator preyed mainly upon large-sized (>150 g) micromammals (e.g. Lutreolina crassicaudata, Cavia aperea, Holochilus brasiliensis and Rattus sp.), and to a lesser degree on medium-(50-150 g) and small-sized species (<50 g) (e.g. Scapteromys aquaticus, Calomys sp., Oligoryzomys flavescens, Akodon azarae and Mus musculus). Fossil assemblages with a dominance of large-sized micromammals are commonly associated with humans as agents of accumulation. However, this study demonstrates that this owl produces assemblages with abundant large-sized micromammals, which introduces an equifinality problem. In that sense, digestive corrosion marks, breakage patterns and the relative abundance of skeletal remains are the main attributes to differentiate P. clamator from humans, as agents of accumulation. Finally, our results might serve as an analytical model for the taphonomic interpretation of the fossil record of micromammals from paleontological and archaeological sites, which fall within the distributional range and habitat of P. clamator.