<p class="normal">La estimación de la densidad de fauna silvestre permite tener una idea del estado de salud de las poblaciones y en algunos casos indica el estado de conservación de los ecosistemas. Los métodos de evaluación deben hacer estimaciones no sesgadas, ya que servirán de base para estrategias de conservación de especies clave. Algunas regiones en México han sido identificadas como áreas de alta prioridad para la conservación de especies con cierto nivel de riesgo, como es la Península de Yucatán (PY), donde prevalece la mayor población de jaguares en México. Sin embargo, poco se sabe acerca de la situación actual de los felinos amenazados y en peligro de extinción, como un grupo de especies que conviven en la parte noreste de la Península. Nuestro objetivo fue estimar la densidad de las poblaciones de felinos silvestres a mediano plazo en la Reserva Ecológica El Edén (EEER) y sus alrededores. Se llevaron a cabo muestreos con cámaras-trampa durante cuatro años (2008, 2010, 2011 y 2012), se usaron modelos de captura-recaptura para poblaciones cerradas (CAPTURA + MMDM o ½MMDM) y un modelo de C-R espacialmente explícito (CERC) por medio del paquete SPCACAP para realizar las estimaciones de densidad. Las especies estudiadas fueron: jaguar (<em>Panthera onca</em>), puma (<em>Puma concolor</em>), ocelote (<em>Leopardus pardalis</em>), jaguarundi (<em>Puma yaguaroundi</em>) y tigrillo (<em>Leopardus wiedii</em>). La frecuencia de captura se obtuvo para las cinco especies y la densidad para tres (individuos/100km²). La densidad estimada por medio de MMDM varió entre 1.2 y 2.6 para jaguares, pumas (1.7-4.3) y ocelotes (1.4-13.8). Las estimaciones de la densidad en SPACECAP variaron desde 0.7 hasta 3.6 para jaguares, de 1.8 a 5.2 para pumas y de 2.1 a 5.1 en ocelotes. El método de C-R espacialmente explícito (SECR, SPACECAP) tiene menos probabilidades de sobrestimar la densidad, lo que provee una herramienta útil en el proceso de planificación y toma de decisiones para la conservación de estas especies. La parte noreste de la Península de Yucatán mantiene poblaciones altas de felinos, la REEE y sus alrededores son clave para la conservación de este grupo de depredadores.</p>

Ocelots are at risk of extinction due to anthropogenic pressures. Therefore, it is essential to generate information about this species in zones with climatic and anthropogenic pressures in order to determine appropriate measures for their conservation. Our goals were to determine population density, relative abundance, activity patterns and minimum observed home ranges of ocelots in northern Quintana Roo, Mexico. During 2008, we conducted systematic sampling for 60 days using camera-traps in Northern Quintana Roo, Mexico. The camera-trap grid covered an area of 81 km 2 and included El Eden Ecological Reserve. We placed 27 camera-trap stations: 18 with a single camera and 9 with two. Camera-trap stations were spaced approximately 1 kilometer apart. Our total sampling effort was 2160 trap-days. We registered 12 individual ocelots: five males, six females, and one of undetermined sex. The density estimated using CAPTURE program was 14 ind/100 km 2 , while the density estimated for each sex separately was 7 ind/100 km 2 . We estimated a relative abundance index of 1.85 ± 0.27 in tropical forest, 1.11 ± 0.22 in secondary vegetation and 0.185 ± 0.09 in savannah. The ocelot was more active at night. The minimum observed home range of male ocelots was larger than that of females, 4.63 km 2 and 1.80 km 2 respectively. We presented some ecological data of ocelot in El Eden Ecological Reserve and its area of influence. These results constitute an important baseline to make a comparison in areas adjacent that have strong climatic and anthropic pressures. Finally, the area is one of the most important for the conservation of ocelot in México.El ocelote está en riesgo de extinción debido a factores antropogénicos. Por lo tanto, generar información sobre esta especie en zonas con impactos climáticos y antrópicos se convierte en esencial para determinar medidas adecuadas para su conservación. Nuestros objetivos fueron determinar la densidad de población, abundancia relativa, los patrones de actividad y áreas mínimas de acción del ocelote en el norte de Quintana Roo, México. Durante el 2008 se realizó un muestreo sistemático de 60 días mediante foto-trampeo en el norte de Quintana Roo. El diseño se implementó para muestrear un área de 81 km 2 , que incluye a la Reserva Ecológica El Edén. Se colocaron 27 estaciones de cáma-ras trampa, 18 fueron sencillas y 9 dobles, cada estación de foto-trampeo tuvo una separación aproximada de 1 kilómetro. En total tuvimos un esfuerzo de muestreo de 2160 días/trampa. Se registraron 12 ocelotes, cinco machos, seis hembras y un individuo sin determinar el sexo. La densidad estimada de ocelotes usando el programa "CAPTURE" fue de 14 ind/100 km 2 , mientras que la densidad estimada para machos y hembras fue de 7 ind/100 km 2 . El índice de abundancia relativa fue de: 1.85 ± 0.27 para selva mediana, 1.11 ± 0.22 para vegetación secundaria y 0.185 ± 0.09 para sabana. El ocelote presentó su mayor actividad por la noche y el área de acción de los machos fue mayor al de las hembras, 4.63 km 2 y 1.80 km ...

The jaguar (Panthera onca) is one of the most threatened carnivores in the Americas. Despite a long history of research on this charismatic species, to date there have been few systematic efforts to assess its population size and status in most countries across its distribution range. We present here the results of the two National Jaguar Surveys for Mexico, the first national censuses in any country within the species distribution. We estimated jaguar densities from field data collected at 13 localities in 2008–2010 (2010 hereafter) and 11 localities in 2016–2018 (2018 hereafter). We used the 2010 census results as the basis to develop a National Jaguar Conservation Strategy that identified critical issues for jaguar conservation in Mexico. We worked with the Mexican government to implement the conservation strategy and then evaluated its effectivity. To compare the 2010 and 2018 results, we estimated the amount of jaguar-suitable habitat in the entire country based on an ecological niche model for both periods. Suitable jaguar habitat covered ~267,063 km2 (13.9% of the country’s territory) in 2010 and ~ 288,890 km2 (~14.8% of the country’s territory) in 2018. Using the most conservative density values for each priority region, we estimated jaguar densities for both the high and low suitable habitats. The total jaguar population was estimated in ~4,000 individuals for 2010 census and ~4,800 for the 2018 census. The Yucatan Peninsula was the region with the largest population, around 2000 jaguars, in both censuses. Our promising results indicate that the actions we proposed in the National Jaguar Conservation Strategy, some of which have been implemented working together with the Federal Government, other NGO’s, and land owners, are improving jaguar conservation in Mexico. The continuation of surveys and monitoring programs of the jaguar populations in Mexico will provide accurate information to design and implement effective, science-based conservation measures to try to ensure that robust jaguar populations remain a permanent fixture of Mexico’s natural heritage.

Worldwide big cats are at risk of extinction, and anthropogenic factors and natural habitat disturbances represent the biggest threats for their survival. It is essential to know the natural resources use by these predators and the way these big felids can adapt to changes. It is unknown how the puma (Puma concolor) selects and uses resources, what environmental factors determine its presence and how this species is affected by natural disturbances in Mexican tropical forests. This study was performed in the Eden ecological reserve and surroundings, in the North of Quintana Roo, Mexico, an area dominated by tropical semideciduous (medium forest) and secondary forest (acahual). Camera samplings were carried out during 2008, and from 2010 to 2012. Habitat variables, activity patterns and species associations were also spatially and temporally analyzed using achi-squared test and overlapping coefficients. General Linear Models (GLM) were used in order to determine which variables influence the presence of cougars in the study area. Cougars used vegetation and paths in different proportions as the availability of these resources. The years with more changes (P < 0.05) were 2008 and 2011. This predator was active throughout the day, but changed its activity patterns over the years. The cougar was spatio-temporally associated with six mammals and two big terrestrial birds: Pecari tajacu (∆ = 0.52), Meleagris ocellata (∆ = 0.55), Crax rubra (∆ = 0.58), Didelphis sp. (∆ = 0.64), Mazama temama (∆ = 0.66), Leopardus pardalis (∆ = 0.68), Dasypus novemcinctus (∆ = 0.73) and Panthera onca (∆ = 0.87). After testing 90 GLM models, the model with a lower AIC value described the activity patterns of prey and co-predators. The vegetation and water in the reserve were important variables for the cougar. However the variables that determined and modified the presence of the species were activity patterns of co-predators and the potential preys. The factors that negatively affected the presence of the species were fire, human presence, and habitat displacement to less favorable habitats to avoid jaguar. Rev. Biol. Trop. 66(1): 78-90. Epub 2018 March 01.Key words: acahual, activity patterns, associated species, cougar, environmental variables, fair, human effect, tropical semideciduous forests.Carnivore decline and local extinctions are tragic, and they can produce effects that reverberate across entire ecosystems (Hunter, 2011). To know the environmental variables that affect the ecological role of wildlife is a clue about factors influencing carnivore population size and dynamics, and the role of resource limitation (a bottom-up process; Laundre & Hernández, 2010). For conservation purposes, it is essential to determine how species respond to habitat disturbance; for example, fire has a strong influence on forest structure; it has been associated with the simplification of forest structure (Collins, 2012) and animal communities can be affected by fire via direct mortality, or indirectly through the alteration of habitat r...

The study was carried out in a median stature tropical forest in the north of Quintana Roo during 2008, 2010-2012, using camera traps to record activity and habitat use by jaguar and other vertebrates. Spatial and temporal variations in habitat use, activity patterns, and species associations were analyzed using a chi-squared test (x 2 ). Generalized linear models (GLM) were used to determine which variables influenced the presence of jaguars in the study area. Jaguars were most frequently recorded in acahual (80%) and on roads (66.9%). There were significant differences between years, with selection for particular habitat and trail types in 2008 and 2011 (all χ 2 p <0.001). Jaguars were mainly crepuscular-nocturnal (68.5% records). They showed spatial associations with Meleagris ocellata, Dasypus novemncinctus, Mazama temama, Nasua narica, Odocoileus virginianus, Leopardus pardalis, Didelphis spp., and Pecari tajacu. Generalized linear models based on prey, co-predators, and human activity gave the best fit with jaguar occurrence. The felids responded to environmental changes (hurricanes and fires) by modifying their spatial and temporal use of resources. ResumenEl estudio se realizó en una selva tropical mediana del norte de Quintana Roo, México, durante 2008, 2010-2012. Se empleó la técnica de trampeo fotográfico. Las variables ambientales, los patrones de actividad y las asociaciones de especies se analizaron espacial y temporalmente mediante una prueba de ji cuadrada (x 2 ). Los modelos lineares generalizados (MLG) se usaron para determinar qué variables influyen en la presencia del jaguar en el área de estudio. El jaguar se registró con mayor frecuencia en acahuales (80%) y en caminos anchos (66.9%). Hubo diferencias significativas entre los años, con la selección de hábitat y tipos de senderos en 2008 y 2011 (x 2 p <0.001). El jaguar fue principalmente crepuscular-nocturno (68.5%). Se muestran asociaciones espaciales con Dasypus novemncinctus, Didelphis spp., Leopardus pardalis, Mazama temama, Meleagris ocellata, Nasua narica, Odocoileus virginianus y Pecari tajacu. El MLG que incluye presas potenciales, codepredadores y humanos, es el que mejor explica la presencia del jaguar en el área de estudio. Se observó una respuesta a los cambios ambientales (huracanes e incendios), estos modifican el uso espacial y temporal de los recursos.