Margay – Internatnal Society for Endangered Cats (ISEC) Canada

Contents:

• MARGAY
• MARGAY FACTS
• MARGAY
• MARGAY (TREE OCELOT)
• LEARN HOW TO PRONOUNCE MARGAY
• MARGAY – T WH GEO EY
• MARGAY (LEOPARD WIEDII) THE SOUTHERNMOST ATLANTIC FORT: DENSY AND ACTIVY PATTERNS UNR DIFFERENT LEVELS OF ANTHROPOGENIC DISTURBANCE
• PLANAR INTROS CLARY MARGAY II
• BIG CAT 411: ALL ABOUT THE MARGAY
• WHAT IS A MARGAY CAT?

MARGAY

Precisely, the origal distributn of margays ranged om the Tehuantepec tuary, through Chiapas and the Yutan pensula Mexi, Central Ameri, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Pe, Ecuador, Bolivia, to southern South Ameri, Brazil, northern Uguay, north-eastern Argenta and Paraguay.

MARGAY FACTS

Speci DataClass: MammaliaOrr: CarnivoraFay: FelidaeScientific Name: Leopard wiediiIUCN Red List stat: Near ThreatenedIUCN Speci Range Map DcriptnA mid-sized t wh beige fur, black and gold rosett and dark strip down the back, at first glance the Margay uld be nfed wh the ocelot. 5 metr vertilly and hang by their hd feet to manipulate objects wh their ont agily of Margays enabl them to prey on small mammals that would otherwise be hard to tch their arboreal habat, such as small primat and squirrels.

MARGAY

Rearchers Brazil found Margays feedg on bats ught mist s and there are also reports om field rearchers and Amazonian habants of Margays attractg pied tamar prey by mimickg the lls of tamar adaptatns of the Margay to their fort habat is such that they are badly affected by their ntractg rang due to fortatn and land nversn as they refe to cross open areas wh no ver.

HabatMargays are found almost exclively fort habats which vary om humid tropil evergreen and ciduo forts to montane and cloud forts, ntuo stretch of woodland to small swamp agments surround by savanna, and even ffee and a plantatns when there is sufficient tree ver, though they are ls tolerant of human settlement than other are very few rerd stanc of Margay activy durg the day when they n be found rtg tre seven to ten metr above the ground (possibly as protectn om ocelots).

MARGAY (TREE OCELOT)

In Brazil, due to habat agmentatn, populatns the Atlantic Fort are more threatened than those the to s betiful thick, soft fur, Margay was one of the most heavily exploed ts for the fur tra until tra rtrictns the late 1980s. However, illegal huntg is still a threat some areas for tra the pet and fur dtri and retaliatory killg when animals are found attackg Margay also suffers unr the ‘ocelot effect’: they tend to be rare areas where their range overlaps wh ocelot.

ClassifitnClass: MammaliaOrr: CarnivoraFay: FelidaeGen: LeopardSpeci: Leopard wiedii (margay)Margay (Leopard wiedii), siarly to the cloud leopard, spends whole days on have been 10 subspeci classed wh the speci:Leopard wiedii amazonic – wtern Brazil, central Pe, Colombia and VenezuelaLeopard wiedii boliviae – BoliviaLeopard wiedii operi – northern MexiLeopard wiedii glcul – central MexiLeopard wiedii oaxacensis – southern MexiLeopard wiedii niraguae – Honduras, Niragua, Costa RiLeopard wiedii yutanic – YutanLeopard wiedii pirrensis – Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, PeLeopard wiedii salvi – Chiapas, Guatemala, El SalvadorLeopard wiedii wiedii – eastern and central Brazil, Paraguay, Uguay, northern ArgentaMargay (Leopard wiedii). ?CharacteristicsAppearanceThe margay is often nfed wh s close relative – the ocelot (Leopard pardalis), bee the pattern and loratn of their ats are very siar: the fur is vered wh irregular, long spots and markgs wh black edg, the “background” is light brown, sometim yellowish, or even orangish. It’s one of two t speci that have flexible ankl that help climb up and down a tree (the cloud leopard is the other speci) observg a domtic t climbg down a tree, we n see that s tail is directed towards the ground, and the margay climbs down wh s head first; the t is also characterized by s imprsive, as for a t, agily – s ankl n rotate by 180 gre, so the t n grasp branch wh both the hd and fore (Leopard wiedii) and huntgFor the margay is mostly nocturnal and ’s difficult to observe, the majory of rmatn about s diet om the sampl of fec and stomach ntents.

7-20 lb)Lifpan: to 24 years ptivyMargay (Leopard wiedii) (Leopard wiedii) – tertg factsThe Lat name of the speci refers to Prce Maxiian of Wied-Nwied – a German traveler, naturalist and ethnologist om the turn of the 18th and 19th centuri. Fossils of a margay or a siar t were found Florida and Geia geologil formatns veloped the Pleistocene, which suggts that the animal habed a much larger area than tail nstut 70% of the whole body length of the margay. 7 meters (12 ft) was often observed that the margay held a branch only wh one paw and hang om a tree such a is a high rate of mortaly among ktens (about 50%), and there are also problems wh reproductn ptivy bee of the crease populatn of the ts, which leads to a varied gene pool, and this mak the troductn of new populatns to the natural environment very margay is on the verge of extctn bee is often the prey of poachers who see profs om s betiful fur.

LEARN HOW TO PRONOUNCE MARGAY

We nclud that the margay is mostly nocturnal, and while s nsi are posively fluenced by fort ver and negatively fluenced by human disturbance, the activy pattern of the speci do not seem to change across landsp wh distct levels of human modifitn.

In ntrast to nsy timat, a much greater number of studi has scribed activy patterns of margay across s range, suggtg that, overall, the speci is nocturnal [6, 8, 17, 30, 31, 36–39], though some areas may show a themeral pattern [40] first cycle of the Brazilian Natnal Actn Plan for the Conservatn of Small Cats (CENAP/ICMB) fed seven specific objectiv, one of which is to asss how different natural and anthropogenic procs fluence the populatns of small felids [41]. To addrs this objective, here we aimed to timate populatn nsy of margays g spatial pture-repture mols, and to scribe s activy patterns across a range of areas wh different levels of human disturbance the southernmost lim of the Atlantic Fort. Ultimately, we aim to generate basele rmatn for the fn of management actns towards margay nservatn at the southern extreme of s distributn, where may be particularly sensive to populatn fluctuatns [28, 29] and is tegorized as “Vulnerable” [43, 44].

MARGAY – T WH GEO EY

Here we follow the gradient om the most disturbed area to the most prerved one: BPWR, TEUT, PFNF, SGNP, PROMATA, samplgWe llected margay rerds between 2017 and 2019, durg summer and sprg, averagg 60-samplg days (56 to 62 days) per area, to assume closed margay populatns [60]. Densy and tectn variatBased on the lerature and prev knowledge on margay’s blogy, we fed a set of environmental variat, cludg anthropogenic-related on, as predictor variabl for the speci’ spatial sle, nsy and rate of tectns.

We exclud highly llear predictors g the variance flatn factor (VIF), excludg variabl wh VIF > 6 [62](S1 Table) 1Selected variat and rpective predicted effects on spatial-sle, nsy and rate of tectn of the margay t. Covariate (uns)CoDcriptn/ SourcePredictnDensyVegetatn ver (1km2)ndviNormalized Difference Vegetatn Inx Valu range om 0 (non-fort) to 1 (nse fort ver) MODIS Product generated by the Land Procs Distributed Active Center (LP-DAAC)[63]Densy will be higher areas wh higher vegetatn verDistance to water (1km2)diswaterEuclian distance raster created ArcGis based on shapefile of water bodi of the Regnal Executive Organizatn for Environmental Protectn [64] Valu range om 0 to 10kmDensy will be higher closer to natural water bodiHuman populatn nsy (1km2)popnsEstimate of human populatn nsy (rangg om 0 to 10000 people per square kilometer) Socenomic Data and Applitns Center; Gridd Populatn of the World, Versn 4 (GPWv4) for2015 [65]Densy will crease wh creasg human nsiDistance to roads (1km2)disroadsEuclian distance raster created ArcGis based on shapefile of roads of the Regnal Executive Organizatn for Environmental Protectn[64]; missg roads clud manually through own observatns Valu range om 0 to 10kmDensy will be higher as one mov further om roads (paved or unpaved roads)Rate of DetectnSmall mammals (per hour)smamNumber of pennt tectns (>1 h apart) of small mammals (small ronts and marsupials) per se-by-ocsnRate of tectn will crease wh the prence of small mammals, potential prey of the speciSmall birds (per hour)sbirdsNumber of pennt tectns (>1 h apart) of small birds (Passeriform) per se-by-ocsnRate of tectn will crease wh the prence of small birds, potential prey of the speciOcelot (per hour)ocelotNumber of pennt tectns (>1 h apart) of ocelots (Leopard pardalis) per se-by-ocsnRate of tectn will crease wh the prence of ocelot, potential petor or traguild predatorDogs (per hour)dogsNumber of pennt tectns (>1 h apart) of dogs (Canis faiaris) per se-by-ocsnRate of tectn will crease wh the prence of dogs, potential predators of margayCats (per hour)tsNumber of pennt tectns (>1 h apart) of domtic ts (Felis t) per se-by-ocsnRate of tectn will crease wh the prence of ts, potential petors of margayTrigger time (sends)triggerTrigger speed of each mera-trap brand/mol, and time lay necsary for the mera to shoot a picture once an animal has terpted the ared beam wh the mera’s tectn zone (om the manual stctns) aMor rponse time will crease the rate of tectn of margayPIR tectn range (meters)pirPassive Ina-Red (PIR) distance tectn range of each mera-trap brand/mol (om the manual stctns) aHigher PIR tectn range valu, i. E., larger tectn zone will crease the rate of tectn of margaySpatial-sleSexsexSex of the dividual (female, male or untermed)[66]Spatial e will differ between the sexSsnsbssnData om groups which n be sampled different spatial or temporal pennt studi, the data groups are lled "ssns"[66].

MARGAY (LEOPARD WIEDII) THE SOUTHERNMOST ATLANTIC FORT: DENSY AND ACTIVY PATTERNS UNR DIFFERENT LEVELS OF ANTHROPOGENIC DISTURBANCE

We ed the samplg areas as our ssnsThe nsy will differ between the areasDensy molgWe intified dividual margays om the vios based on their unique spot patterns (Fig 2) and termed the sex of each dividual, whenever possible, through the visualizatn of prence/absence of male gonads.

PLANAR INTROS CLARY MARGAY II

Individual intifitn is based on the unique at pattern on the ont right leg and neck (whe circle) samplg area was nsired as harborg a distct margay populatn, th each one reprents an pennt “ssn” for the analys. Note the water ordat removed A and ed a three-step approach for mollg margay nsi: 1) first we analysed the space ed by the dividuals, ftg the σ parameter mols wh variat, such as the sex (female or male) and the ssn.

In the mols we set the D and p parameters as nstants: D~1; p~1, σ [variate]; 2) the send step we vtigated potential effects of variat the rate of tectn (p) of margay, cludg sex, ssn, and nstant or time-varyg trap-level variat [66].

We applied the same approach to all other speci expected to affect the activy pattern of the margay, cludg possible prey ems (small mammals and small birds), a possible wild petor (the ocelot), and exotic/domtic speci such as domtic dog, t, ttle and tted the uniformy the activy pattern over the 24 hours of the day for margay, small mammals, and small birds g Rao’s Spacg Tt and we applied Watson’s Two-Sample Tt of Homogeney to pare the pairwise distributn of activy of g the package circular 0. If the sample group had homogeney, we ed rerds of the group om all areas together and applied Rao’s Spacg tt to measure the uniformy of activy over 24 hours for the entire regn of southernmost Atlantic pared the activy of margay wh that of the other speci by timatg the efficient of overlap (Δ) per area. 770) 2Candidate set mols evaluatg the role of variat on the spatial sle (σ) of the margay (AICc: Akaike Informatn Creria for small sample siz; ΔAICc: Difference between AICc of each mol and the mol wh the lowt AICc; w: Weight).

BIG CAT 411: ALL ABOUT THE MARGAY

01Table 3Candidate set mols evaluatg the role of variat on rate of tectn (p0) of margay (σ: Spatial sle, AICc: Akaike Informatn Creria for small sample siz; ΔAICc: Difference between AICc of each mol and the mol wh the lowt AICc; w: Weight). 00From the ne ndidate mols the third mollg step, the top mol clud only vegetatn ver as variate for the nsy of the margay, wh 33% of the weight of all mols (Table 4), wh a margally posive fluence on the nsy (β = 5. 5 dividuals/100km2 PFNF (Figs ​6 and ​7) of the vegetatn ver (NDVI) on margay’s nsy timat (d/km2) the sampled nsy timat the four sampled areas for which timatn was possible (dividuals per 100 km2) ssn rrponds to a samplg area: 1) Banhado dos Paches Wildlife Refuge (BPWR), 2) Pró-Mata Center for Rearch and Conservatn of Nature (PROMATA), 3) Ttônia (TEUT), 4) Passo Fundo Natnal Fort (PFNF).

WHAT IS A MARGAY CAT?

16 4Candidate mols evaluatg the role of variat on margay nsy (D) (σ: Spatial sle, AICc: Akaike Informatn Creria for small sample siz; ΔAICc: Difference between AICc of each mol and the mol wh the lowt AICc; w: Weight).

Bee there were no signifint differenc margay and small mammal activy patterns between the sampled areas (Table 5), we merged the rerds for each taxon to tted for uniformy the activy pattern over the 24 hours of the day.

The activy pattern of small birds was dissiar between the sampled areas (Table 5), so activy overlap between margay and small birds was tted separately for each area; temporal efficient overlap between margay and small birds ranged om 0. The dotted grey l reprent sunset and sunrise tim durg the sampled perd each area (S3 Table) 5Estimat of Watson’s Two-Sample Tt of Homogeney of margay and s potential prey; timat (P-valu)’s Two-SampleTtBPWFPROMATATEUTPFNFMargayBPWF.

Our study reprents the first large-sle evaluatn of nsy and activy patterns of the margay for the southernmost lim of the Atlantic Fort and may be ed as mol for other studi seekg the management and nservatn of small Undoubtedly a fort tIn the southern lim of the Brazilian Atlantic Fort, the margay seems to occur at higher nsi areas wh higher vegetatn ver, as hypothized, probably rultg om the known arboreal hab of the speci [20, 23]. Reported fluence of roads and human occupatn on jaguar female e of space [86] may perhaps expla our rults wh the hight nsi of margay occurred PROMATA, the largt privately protected area of R Gran do Sul, and where ocelots seem to be rare (unpublished data; (S2 Table). The existence of high margay nsi dit that, unls a landspe is profoundly modified, active management practic towards fort regeneratn should allow the persistence of a signifint number of dividuals smaller agments, most likely bee arboreal shelters and prey exist sufficient numbers to rce traspecific petn [88, 89].

1, 409 ln habants) [59], evably sufferg om the expected associated impacts: illegal huntg, water draage, and tensive agricultural schem, particularly rice productn [91] and PFNF prented termediate nsi suggtg siar rpons of margay populatns the two areas. The timated margay nsy here is higher than that timated for other neotropil ts, cludg the southern tiger t (Leopard guttul) and the jaguandi (Herpailus yagouaroundi) (8 dividuals/100km2 and 4 dividuals/100km2, rpectively [92], though the studi ed different methods for timatg populatn nsi) were unable to timate nsi for TUSP and SGNP, due to the small number of rerds obtaed for the areas. In SGNP, we spect that the somewhat tensive prence of exotic/domtic fna wh the park (ttle, boars and buffalos), as several areas are still ongog private expropriatn, uld expla the low number of margay rerds [24].

Addnally, the area is a mosaic of fort and open fields and, wh our sampled s, is that wh the largt proportn of grassland habats, which may expla the srce number of rerds of the margay, posively fluenced by vegetatn ver and seemgly our knowledge there is no published rmatn on nsy patterns of the margay the Atlantic Fort. The termediate valu of nsy were found areas wh morate human land e and rced natural vegetatn ver [59], suggtg that nservatn strategi focg on ls priste or small fort agments may have posive effects on the nsy of margays across s distributn range. This pattern probably -evolved as a rponse to the activy pattern of their preferential prey—small mammals [80]—but may have also been tensified the last centuri, by human disturbance [15], cludg huntg prsure and the prence of antagonists—potential predators such as domtic dogs or simply antagonists the sense of profound habat modifiers such as wild boars [79, 96, 97] mammals are regnized as the most important dietary em of margays [40, 98, 99].

However, small birds, also an important em diet of margay [40, 80], are mostly diurnal, suggtg that if eaten our sampled areas, they are probably preyed upon while rtg [100] activy did not overlap signifintly wh that of the margay, and that is a pattern already scribed for southeast remnants of the Brazilian Atlantic Fort [40]. Apart om temporal segregatn, segregatn by vertil stratifitn between the ocelot and the margay still needs to be tted, as this has been suggted as the factor behd the higher activy overlap between the two speci the Argente Atlantic Fort [17]. Potential impacts of both speci on margay populatns are th probably related to chang the landspe [112–116], pecially by the wild boar, known for tense nt predatn and stctn of native wildlife habats [96, 117–119].