The dominant mesopredator and savanna formations shape the distribution of the rare northern tiger cat (Leopardus tigrinus) in the Amazon

Understanding the distribution patterns of threatened species is central to conservation. The Amazonian distribution of the northern tiger cat (N-tiger cat, Leopardus tigrinus ) and its interspecific relationship with the ocelot, its potential intraguild killer, are intriguing. Here, we combined pre...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scientific reports 2022-11, Vol.12 (1), p.18697-18697, Article 18697
Main Authors: de Oliveira, Tadeu G., Fox-Rosales, Lester A., Paemelaere, Evi A. D., de Barros Ferraz, Katia Maria Paschoaletto Micchi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
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Animals
Cats
Distribution patterns
Ecosystem
Endangered Species
Geographical distribution
Grassland
Humanities and Social Sciences
Leopardus tigrinus
Marsupialia
multidisciplinary
Savannahs
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Threatened species
Tigers
Vegetation cover
Wildcats
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Summary:Understanding the distribution patterns of threatened species is central to conservation. The Amazonian distribution of the northern tiger cat (N-tiger cat, Leopardus tigrinus ) and its interspecific relationship with the ocelot, its potential intraguild killer, are intriguing. Here, we combined presence/absence records with species distribution models (SDMs) to determine N-tiger cat occurrence in the Amazon. We also modeled ocelot density from 46 published estimates. The N-tiger cat’s presence in the Amazon was negatively influenced by ocelot density and net primary productivity and positively influenced by savannas and precipitation in the driest month. The best-fitting model predicted highly patchy N-tiger cat occurrence over an area of 236,238.67 km 2 , almost exclusively in savanna enclaves. Additionally, 312,348 camera trap-days at 49 sites in the Amazon revealed no N-tiger cats. The ocelot densities were significantly higher in areas with denser vegetation cover and warmer habitats, with predicted densities ≥ 0.6 ind/km 2 throughout most of the biome. The lowest ocelot densities (≤ 0.06 ind/km 2 ) were observed along the predicted range of N-tiger cats. Our findings highlight that the N-tiger cat’s presence in the Amazon is restricted to savannas and highly influenced by ocelot density, emphasizing the importance of including species interactions in SDMs.
ISSN:2045-2322
2045-2322
DOI:10.1038/s41598-022-21412-z