Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Abundance/Density Case Study: Jaguars in the Americas

  • Chapter
Camera Traps in Animal Ecology

Abstract

Since camera traps were first used to estimate the density of tiger Panthera tigris populations in India (Karanth 1995; see also Karanth et al. this volume), this methodology has been widely used to study a variety of species: leopards Panthera pardus (Henschel and Ray 2003; Karanth et al. this volume; Kostyria et al. 2003), snow leopards Panthera uncia (Jackson et al. 2006), pumas Puma concolor (Kelly et al. 2008), ocelots Leopardus pardalis (Di Bitetti et al. 2006, 2008; Dillon and Kelly 2007, 2008; Maffei et al. 2005; Trolle and Kéry 2003, 2005), and Geoffroy’s cats Oncifelis geoffroyi (Cuéllar et al. 2006; Pereira et al. 2006). However, jaguars Panthera onca have probably received the most attention with respect to using camera traps to estimate the abundance and density of populations that cover the species’ entire Neotropical range (Cullen et al. 2005; Kelly 2003; Maffei et al. 2004b; Miller and Miller 2005; Silver et al. 2004; Soisalo and Cavalcanti 2006). To date, at least 83 different camera trapping efforts have been carried out to survey jaguars, from southern Arizona in the north to northern Argentina in the south. In this chapter, we describe the details of this methodology – summarizing information on survey design and methodologies, results, data manipulation and analyses – and discuss how future surveys can be refined to allow for more robust inferences.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 149.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 279.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Amit, R. R. 2007. Densidad de jaguares (Panthera onca), en el Sector San Cristóbal del Área de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Undergraduate thesis. Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica

    Google Scholar 

  • Arispe, R., D. I. Rumiz, and C. Venegas. 2005. Segundo censo de jaguares (Panthera onca) y otros mamíferos con trampas cámara en la Estancia San Miguelito. Technical Report #144, Wildlife Conservation Society, Santa Cruz, Bolivia

    Google Scholar 

  • Arispe, R., C. Venegas, D. I. Rumiz, and A. J. Noss. 2006. Estudio de mamíferos con trampas cámara en estancias ganaderas al sur de Roboré. Technical Report #166, Wildlife Conservation Society, Santa Cruz, Bolivia

    Google Scholar 

  • Arispe, R., D. I. Rumiz, and C. Venegas. 2007. Censo de jaguares (Panthera onca) y otros mamíferos con trampas-cámara en la Concesión Forestal El Encanto (23 de septiembre–20 de noviembre). Technical Report #173, Wildlife Conservation Society, Santa Cruz, Bolivia

    Google Scholar 

  • Astete, S. E. 2008. Ecología da onça pintada nos Parques Nacionais Serra da Capivara e Serra das Confusões, Piauí. M.S. thesis. Universidade da Brasília, Brasilia, Brazil

    Google Scholar 

  • Borchers, D. L. and M. G. Efford. 2008. Spatially explicit maximum likelihood methods for capture–recapture studies. Biometrics 64:377–385

    Google Scholar 

  • Bustamante, A. 2008. Densidad y uso de hábitat por los felinos en la parte sureste del área de amortiguamiento del Parque Nacional Corcovado, Península del Osa, Costa Rica. M.S. thesis, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica

    Google Scholar 

  • Carbone, C., S. Christie, K. Conforti, T. Coulson, N. Franklin, J. R. Ginsberg, M. Griffiths, J. Holden, K. Kawanishi, M. Kinnaird, R. Laidlaw, A. Lynam, D. W. Macdonald, D. Martyr, C. McDougal, L. Nath, T. O’Brien, J. Seidensticker, D. J. L. Smith, M. Sunquist, R. Tilson, and W. N. Wan Shahruddin. 2001. The use of photographic rates to estimate densities of tigers and other cryptic animals. Animal Conservation 4:75–79

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carbone, C., S. Christie, K. Conforti, T. Coulson, N. Franklin, J. R. Ginsberg, M. Griffiths, J. Holden, M. Kinnaird, R. Laidlaw, A. Lynam, D. W. MacDonald, D. Martyr, C. McDougal, L. Nath, T. O’Brien, J. Seidensticker, J. L. D. Smith, R. Tilson, and W. N. Wan Shahruddin. 2002. The use of photographic rates to estimate densities of cryptic mammals: response to Jennelle et al. Animal Conservation 5(2):121–124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carrillo, E., R. Salom-Pérez, J. Saénz, and C. Saénz. 2007. Análisis de distribución de poblaciones de mono araña, felinos grandes y sus presas en la Península de Osa como una herramienta para definir áreas prioritarias de conservación. Final Report presented to INBio. Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad-Coalición Técnica del Corredor Osa, Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund-Conservation International, Wildlife Conservation Society & Instituto Internacional en Conservación y Manejo de Vida Silvestre, San José, Costa Rica

    Google Scholar 

  • Ceballos, G., C. Chávez, A. Rivera, C. Manterola, and B. Wall. 2002. Tamaño poblacional y conservación del jaguar en la Reserva de la Biosfera Calakmul, Campeche, México. Pages 403–417 in R. A. Medellín, C. Equihua, C. L. B. Chetkiewicz, P. G. Crawshaw, Jr., A. Rabinowitz, K. H. Redford, J. G. Robinson, E. W. Sanderson, and A. B. Taber, editors. El jaguar en el nuevo milenio. Fondo de Cultura Económica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Wildlife Conservation Society, Mexico City, Mexico

    Google Scholar 

  • Chávez, C., G. Ceballos, R. Medellín, and H. Zarza. 2006. Primer censo nacional del jaguar. Pages 133–141 in Conservación y manejo del jaguar en México: estudios de caso y perspectivas. G. Ceballos, C. Chávez, R. List, and H. Zarza, editors. Comisión nacional para el conocimiento y uso de la biodiversidad, World Wildlife Fund, Telcel, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico

    Google Scholar 

  • Crawshaw, P. G., Jr. 1995. Comparative ecology of the ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) and jaguar (Panthera onca) in a protected subtropical forest in Brazil and Argentina. Ph.D. dissertation. University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

    Google Scholar 

  • Crawshaw, P. G., Jr. and H. B. Quigley. 1991. Jaguar spacing, activity and habitat use in a seasonally flooded environment in Brazil. Journal of Zoology, London 223:357–370

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cuéllar, E., T. Dosapei, R. Peña, and A. J. Noss. 2003. Jaguar and other mammal camera trap survey Ravelo II, Ravelo field camp (19° 17′ 44″S, 60° 37′ 10″W), Kaa-Iya del Gran Chaco National Park, 18 September–18 November 2003. Technical Report #103. Wildlife Conservation Society, Santa Cruz, Bolivia

    Google Scholar 

  • Cuéllar, E., J. Segundo, G. Castro, and A. J. Noss. 2004. Jaguar and other mammal camera trap survey Guanaco II, Guanaco field camp (20° 03′ 03″S, 62° 26′ 04″W), Kaa-Iya del Gran Chaco National Park, 18 August–18 October 2004. Technical Report #108. Wildlife Conservation Society, Santa Cruz, Bolivia

    Google Scholar 

  • Cuéllar, E., L. Maffei, R. Arispe, and A. J. Noss. 2006. Geoffroy’s cats at the northern limit of their range: activity patterns and density estimates from camera trapping in Bolivian dry forests. Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment 41(3):169–178

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cullen, L. Jr., D. Sana, K. C. Abreu, and A. F. D. Nava. 2005. Jaguars as landscape detectives for the upper Paraná river corridor, Brazil. Natureza e Conservação 3(1):124–146

    Google Scholar 

  • Denapole, L. 2007. Jaguar (Panthera onca), puma (Puma concolor) y presas en el Chaco Seco, Santiago del Estero, República Argentina. M.S. thesis. Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica

    Google Scholar 

  • Di Bitetti, M. S., A. Paviolo, and C. D. de Angelo. 2006. Density, habitat use and activity patterns of ocelots (Leopardus pardalis) in the Atlantic Forest of Misiones, Argentina. Journal of Zoology, London 270:153–163

    Google Scholar 

  • Di Bitetti, M. S., A. Paviolo, C. D. de Angelo, and Y. E. di Blanco. 2008. Local and continental correlates of the abundance of a neotropical cat, the ocelot (Leopardus pardalis). Journal of Tropical Ecology 24:189–200

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dice, L. R. 1938. Some census methods for mammals. Journal of Wildlife Management 2:119–120

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dillon, A. and M. J. Kelly. 2007. Ocelot Leopardus pardalis in Belize: the impact of trap spacing and distance moved on density estimates. Oryx 41:469–477

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dillon, A. and M. J. Kelly. 2008. Ocelot home range, overlap, and density using camera trapping and radio telemetry. Journal of Zoology 275(4):391–398

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Efford, M. G., D. K. Dawson, and C. S. Robbins. 2004. DENSITY: software for analysing capture–recapture data from passive detector arrays. Animal Biodiversity and Conservation 27:217–228

    Google Scholar 

  • García, A. R., R. B. McNab, J. S. Shoender, J. Radachowsky, J. Moreira, C. Estrada, V. Méndez, D. Juárez, T. Dubón, M. Córdova, F. Córdova, F. Oliva, G. Tut, K. Tut, E. González, E. Muñoz, L. Morales, and L. Flores. 2006. Los jaguares del corazón del Parque Nacional Tikal, Petén, Guatemala. Asociación Balám and Wildlife Conservation Society, Flores, Petén, Guatemala

    Google Scholar 

  • Harmsen, B. J., R. J. Foster, S. C. Silver, L. E. T. Ostro, and C. P. Doncaster. 2010. The ecology of jaguars in the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, Belize. Pages 403–416 in D. Macdonald, editor. The biology and conservation of wild felids. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Henschel, P. and J. Ray. 2003. Leopards in African rainforests: survey and monitoring techniques. WCS Global Carnivore Program. Wildlife Conservation Society, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, R. M., J. D. Roe, R. Wangchuk, and D. O. Hunter. 2006. Estimating snow leopard population abundance using photography and capture–recapture techniques. Wildlife Society Bulletin 34(3):772–781

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jennelle, C. S., M. C. Runge, and D. I. MacKenzie. 2002. The use of photographic rates to estimate densities of tigers and other mammals: a comment on misleading conclusions. Animal Conservation 5(2):119–120

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karanth, K. U. 1995. Estimating tiger Panthera tigris populations from camera-trap data using capture–recapture models. Biological Conservation 71:333–36

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karanth, K. U. and J. D. Nichols. 1998. Estimation of tiger densities in India using photographic captures and recaptures. Ecology 79(8):2852–2862

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karanth, K. U. and J. D. Nichols, editors. 2002. Monitoring tigers and their prey: a manual for researchers, managers and conservationists in tropical Asia. Centre for Wildlife Studies, Bangalore, India

    Google Scholar 

  • Karanth, K. U., J. D. Nichols, N. S. Kumar, W. A. Link, and J. E. Hines. 2004. Tigers and their prey: predicting carnivore densities from prey abundance. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) 101(14):4854–4858

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Karanth, K. U., J. D. Nichols, N. S. Kumar, and J. E. Hines. 2006. Assessing tiger population dynamics using photographic capture-recapture sampling. Ecology 87(11):2925–2937

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kelly, M. J. 2003. Jaguar monitoring in the Chiquibul Forest, Belize. Caribbean Geography 13(1):19–32

    Google Scholar 

  • Kelly, M. J., A. J. Noss, M. S. di Bitetti, L. Maffei, R. Arispe, A. Paviolo, C. D. de Angelo, and Y. E. di Blanco. 2008. Estimating puma densities from camera trapping across three study sites: Bolivia, Argentina, Belize. Journal of Mammalogy 89(2):408–418

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kostyria, A. V., A. S. Skorodelov, D. G. Miquelle, V. V. Aramilev, and D. McCullough. 2003. Results of camera trap survey of far eastern leopard population in southwest Primorski Krai, winter 2002–2003. Wildlife Conservation Society and Institute for Sustainable Natural Resource Use, Vladivostok, Russia

    Google Scholar 

  • MacKenzie, D. I. 2005. What are the issues with presence-absence data for wildlife managers? Journal of Wildlife Management 69:849–860

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacKenzie, D. I. and W. L. Kendall. 2002. How should detection probability be incorporated into estimates of relative abundance? Ecology 83:2387–2393

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacKenzie, D. I., J. D. Nichols, J. E. Hines, M. G. Knutson, and A. B. Franklin. 2003. Estimating site occupancy, colonization, and local extinction when a species is detected imperfectly. Ecology 84:2200–2207

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacKenzie, D. I., J. D. Nichols, A. Royle, K. H. Pollock, L. L. Bailey, and J. E. Hines. 2006. Occupancy estimation and modeling: inferring patterns and dynamics of species occurrence. Academic, Boston, MA

    Google Scholar 

  • Maffei, L. 2005. Estudios con trampas cámaras en el Área Protegida San Matias. Technical Report #162. Wildlife Conservation Society, Santa Cruz, Bolivia

    Google Scholar 

  • Maffei, L. and A. J. Noss. 2008. How small is too small? Camera trap survey areas and density estimates for ocelots in the Bolivian Chaco. Biotropica 40(1):71–75

    Google Scholar 

  • Maffei, L., J. Barrientos, F. Mendoza, E. Ity, and A. J. Noss. 2003. Jaguar and other mammal camera trap survey Cerro II, Cerro Cortado field camp (19° 31′ 36″S, 61° 18′ 36″W), Kaa-Iya del Gran Chaco National Park, 28 November 2002–28 January 2003. Technical Report #85. Kaa-Iya Project (Capitanía de Alto y Bajo Isoso, Wildlife Conservation Society), Santa Cruz, Bolivia

    Google Scholar 

  • Maffei, L., B. Julio, R. Paredes, A. Posiño, and A. J. Noss. 2004a. Estudios con trampas-cámara en el campamento Tucavaca III (18° 30.97′ S, 60° 48.62′ W), Parque Nacional Kaa-Iya del Gran Chaco, 28 de marzo-28 de mayo de 2004. Technical Report #129. Wildlife Conservation Society, Santa Cruz, Bolivia

    Google Scholar 

  • Maffei, L., E. Cuéllar, and A. Noss. 2004b. One thousand jaguars (Panthera onca) in Bolivia’s Chaco? Camera trapping in the Kaa-Iya National Park. Journal of Zoology, London 262:295–304

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maffei, L., A. J. Noss, E. Cuéllar, and D. I. Rumiz. 2005. Ocelot (Felis pardalis) population densities, activity, and ranging behaviour in the dry forests of eastern Bolivia: data from camera trapping. Journal of Tropical Ecology 21(3):349–353

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McBride, R., L. Zavala, and E. Buongermini. 2004. Proyecto Jaguareté. Informe Técnico 2002–2004. Faro Moro Eco Research – Conservation Force, Secretaría del Ambiente, Asunción, Paraguay

    Google Scholar 

  • McBride, R., L. Zavala, and E. Buongermini. 2005. Proyecto Jaguareté. Informe Técnico 2005. Faro Moro Eco Research – Conservation Force, Secretaría del Ambiente, Asunción, Paraguay

    Google Scholar 

  • McCain, E. B. and J. L. Childs. 2008. Evidence of resident jaguars (Panthera onca) in the southwestern United States and the implications for conservation. Journal of Mammalogy 89(1):1–10

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McNab, R. B., J. Moreira, R. García, G. Ponce, V. Méndez, M. Córdova, F. Córdova, G. Ical, I. García, A. Vanegas, E. Zepeda, H. Tut, and R. Monzón. 2008. Densidad de jaguares en la Concesión Comunitaria de Carmelita y Asociación Forestal Integral San Andrés Petén, Reserva de la Biosfera Maya. Technical Report. Wildlife Conservation Society-Guatemala, Flores, Guatemala

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, C. M. 2005. Jaguar density in Gallon Jug Estate, Belize. Unpublished report. Wildlife Conservation Society, Gallon Jug, Belize

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, C. M. 2006. Jaguar density in Fireburn, Belize. Unpublished report. Wildlife Conservation Society, Gallon Jug, Belize

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, C. M. and B. Miller. 2005. Jaguar density in La Selva Maya. Unpublished report. Wildlife Conservation Society, Gallon Jug, Belize

    Google Scholar 

  • Montaño, R. R., L. Maffei, and A. J. Noss. 2007. Segundo muestreo con trampas cámaras de jaguares y otros mamíferos en el Campamento Palmar de las Islas y Ravelo (Diciembre 2006–Marzo 2007). Technical Report #185. Wildlife Conservation Society, Santa Cruz, Bolivia

    Google Scholar 

  • Moreira, J., R. B. McNab, D. Thornton, R. García, V. Méndez, A. Vanegas, G. Ical, E. Zepeda, R. Senturión, I. García, J. Cruz, G. Asij, G. Ponce, J. Radachowsky, and M. Córdova. 2007. The comparative abundance of jaguars in La Gloria-El Lechugal, Multiple Use Zone, Maya Biosphere Reserve, Guatemala. Wildlife Conservation Society, Flores, Guatemala

    Google Scholar 

  • Moreno, R. 2006. Parámetros poblaciones y aspectos ecológicos de los felinos y sus presas en Cana, Parque Nacional Darien, Panamá. M.S. thesis. Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica

    Google Scholar 

  • Núñez, R., B. Miller, and F. Lindzey. 2002. Ecología del jaguar en la Reserva de la Biosfera Chamela-Cuixmala, Jalisco, México. Pages 107–126 in R. A. Medellín, C. Equihua, C. L. B. Chetkiewicz, P. G. Crawshaw, Jr., A. Rabinowitz, K. H. Redford, J. G. Robinson, E. W. Sanderson, and A. B. Taber, editors. El jaguar en el nuevo milenio. Fondo de Cultura Económica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Wildlife Conservation Society, Mexico City, Mexico

    Google Scholar 

  • Otis, D. L., K. P. Burnham, G. C. White, and D. R. Anderson. 1978. Statistical inference from capture data on closed populations. Wildlife Monographs 62:1–135

    Google Scholar 

  • Parmenter, R. R., T. L. Yates, D. R. Anderson, K. P. Burnham, J. L. Dunnum, A. B. Franklin, M. T. Friggens, B. C. Lubow, M. Miller, G. S. Olson, C. A. Parmenter, J. Pollard, E. Rexstad, T. M. Shenk, T. R. Stanley, and G. C. White. 2003. Small-mammal density estimation: A field comparison of grid-based vs. web-based density estimators. Ecological Monographs 73:1–26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paviolo, A., C. de Angelo, Y. di Blanco, C. Ferrari, M. di Bitetti, C. B. Kasper, F. Mazim, J. B. G. Soares, and T. G. de Oliveira. 2006. Crossing the border: the need of transboundary efforts between Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay to preserve the southernmost jaguar (Panthera onca) population in the world. Cat News 45:12–14

    Google Scholar 

  • Paviolo, A. J., C. D. de Angelo, Y. E. di Blanco, and M. S. di Bitetti. 2008. Jaguar population decline in the Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest of Argentina and Brazil. Oryx 42(4):554–561

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Payan, C. E. 2008. The impact of indigenous hunting in jaguar, ocelot and prey populations inside and outside a national park in Colombian Amazonia. PhD dissertation, University College London and Insitute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Pereira, J., M. di Bitetti, N. Fracassi, A. Paviolo, and C. de Angelo. 2006. Densidad y patrón de actividad del gato montés (Oncifelis geoffroyi) en un arbustal semidesértico de Argentina central. I Congreso Sudamericano de Mastozoología. 5–8 October 2006. Ciudad de Gramado, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

    Google Scholar 

  • Polisar, J. 2006. Jaguares, presas y gente en Territorios Indígenas Mayangna Sauni Bu, Reserva Biosfera BOSAWAS. The Nature Conservancy, United States Agency for International Development, Managua, Nicaragua

    Google Scholar 

  • Rabinowitz, A. R. and B. G. Nottingham Jr. 1986. Ecology and behaviour of the jaguar (Panthera onca) in Belize, Central America. Journal of Zoology, London (A) 210:149–159

    Google Scholar 

  • Romero-Muñoz, A. 2008. Densidad, patrones de actividad y comportamiento espacial de felinos en dos sitios del Gran Chaco con diferente presión de ganadería. Undergraduate thesis. Universidad Mayor de San Simon, Cochabamba, Bolivia

    Google Scholar 

  • Romero-Muñoz, A., A. J. Noss, L. Maffei, and R. M. Montaño. 2007. Binational jaguar confirmed by camera-traps in the American Gran Chaco. Cat News 46:24–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosas-Rosas, O. C. 2006. Ecological status and conservation of jaguars in northeastern Sonora, Mexico. Ph.D. dissertation. New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico

    Google Scholar 

  • Rowcliffe, J. M., J. Field, S. T. Turvey, and C. Carbone. 2008. Estimating animal density using camera traps without the need for individual recognition. Journal of Applied Ecology 45(4):1228–1236

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Royle, J. A., J. D. Nichols, K. U. Karanth, and A. M. Gopalaswamy. 2009. A hierarchical model for estimating density in camera-trap studies. Journal of Applied Ecology 46(1):118–127

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rumiz, D. I., R. Arispe, A. J. Noss, and K. Rivero. 2003. Survey of jaguars (Panthera onca) and other mammals using camera traps in the San Miguelito Ranch, Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Technical Report #143. Wildlife Conservation Society, Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado, Santa Cruz, Bolivia

    Google Scholar 

  • Salom-Pérez, R., E. Carrillo, J. C. Sáenz, and J. M. Mora. 2007. Critical condition of the jaguar Panthera onca in Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica. Oryx 41(1):1–7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sanderson, E. W., K. H. Redford, C.-L. B. Chetkiewicz, R. A. Medellin, A. R. Rabinowitz, J. G. Robinson, and A. B. Taber. 2002. Planning to save a species: the jaguar as a model. Conservation Biology 16(1):58–72

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scognamillo, D. I., E. Maxit, M. Sunquist, and L. Farrell. 2002. Ecología del jaguar y el problema de la depredación de ganado en un hato de los llanos venezolanos. Pages 139–150 in R. A. Medellín, C. Equihua, C. L. B. Chetkiewicz, P. G. Crawshaw, Jr., A. Rabinowitz, K. H. Redford, J. G. Robinson, E. W. Sanderson, and A. B. Taber, editors. El jaguar en el nuevo milenio. Fondo de Cultura Económica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Wildlife Conservation Society, Mexico City, Mexico

    Google Scholar 

  • Scognamillo, D. I., E. Maxit, M. Sunquist, and J. Polisar. 2003. Coexistence of jaguar (Panthera onca) and puma (Puma concolor) in a mosaic landscape in the Venezuelan llanos. Journal of Zoology, London 259:269–279

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Silveira. L. 2004. Ecologia comparada e conservação da onça-pintada (Panthera onca) e onça-parda (Puma concolor) no Cerrado e Pantanal. PhD dissertation, University of Brasília, Brazil

    Google Scholar 

  • Silveira, L., A. T. A. Jácomo, S. Astete, R. Sollmann, N. M. Tôrres, M. M. Furtado, and J. Marinho-Filho. 2009. Jaguar density in the Caatinga of northeastern Brazil. Oryx

    Google Scholar 

  • Silver, S. 2004. Assessing jaguar abundance using remotely triggered cameras. Wildlife Conservation Society, New York. http://savingwildplaces.com/media/file/SilverJaguarCamera-TrappingProtocol.pdf

  • Silver, S. C., L. E. T. Ostro, L. K. Marsh, L. Maffei, A. J. Noss, and M. Kelly. 2004. The use of camera traps for estimating jaguar (Panthera onca) abundance and density using capture/recapture analysis. Oryx 28(2):148–154

    Google Scholar 

  • Soisalo, M. K. and S. M. C. Cavalcanti. 2006. Estimating the density of a jaguar population in the Brazilian Pantanal using camera-traps and capture–recapture sampling in combination with GPS radio-telemetry. Biological Conservation 129:487–496

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sunquist, M., K. U. Karanth, and F. Sunquist. 1999. Ecology, behavior and resilience of the tiger and its conservation needs. Pages 5–18 in J. Seidensticker, S. Christie, and P. Jackson, editors. Riding the tiger: tiger conservation in human-dominated landscapes. The Zoological Society of London, Cambridge University Press, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Trolle, M. and M. Kéry. 2003. Density estimation of ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) in the Brazilian Pantanal using capture-recapture analysis of camera-trapping data. Journal of Mammalogy 66:13–21

    Google Scholar 

  • Trolle, M. and M. Kéry. 2005. Camera-trap study of ocelot and other secretive mammals in the northern Pantanal. Mammalia 69(3–4):405–412

    Google Scholar 

  • Trolle, M., M. C. Bissaro, and H. M. Prado. 2007. Mammal survey at a ranch of the Brazilian Cerrado. Biodiversity and Conservation 16:1205–1211

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wallace, R. B., H. Gómez, G. Ayala, and F. Espinoza. 2003. Camera trapping for jaguar (Panthera onca) in the Tuichi valley, Bolivia. Mastozoología Neotropical 10(1):133–139

    Google Scholar 

  • White, G. C., D. R. Anderson, K. P. Burnham, and D. L. Otis. 1982. Capture–recapture and removal methods for sampling closed populations. Los Alamos National Laboratory LA-8787-NERP, Los Alamos, New Mexico

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, K. R. and D. R. Anderson. 1985. Evaluation of two density estimators of small mammal population size. Journal of Mammalogy 66:13–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zeller, K. 2007. Jaguars in the new millennium data base update: the state of the jaguar in 2006. Wildlife Conservation Society-Jaguar Conservation Program, New York

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We especially thank Alan Rabinowitz for his inspiration, leadership, and vision in consolidating range-wide efforts to study and conserve jaguars. Through the decade-long Jaguar Conservation Program of the Wildlife Conservation Society and most recently as the originator of the Jaguar Corridor with Panthera, he introduced us to the methodology, and provided technical and financial support to many of the surveys reported here. We are enormously grateful to all the researchers who generously provided information from their own work and sites: A. Paviolo, M. di Bitetti, C.D. de Angelo, Y.E. di Blanco, L. Denapole, L. Ostro, C. Miller, B. Miller, R. Arispe, E. Cuéllar, C. Venegas, D. Rumiz, R. Peña, T. Dosapey, R. Montaño, A. Romero-Muñoz, J. Barrientos. E. Ity, J. Ity, F. Mendoza, J. Segundo, G. Segundo, R. Wallace, G. Ayala, M. Trolle, T.G. de Oliveira, L. Silveira, N.M. Negroes, A.T. de Almeida Jácomo, E. Payan, E. Carrillo, R. Amit, S. Espinosa, R. McNab, R. García, H. Portillo, O. Rosas-Rosas, J. Polisar, R. Moreno, S. Astete, V. Quiroga, M. Tobler and S. Carrillo-Percastegui. Kathy Zeller graciously produced the map in Fig. 8.1. We thank all the supporters and partners (conservation organizations, local and national governments, the private sector, individuals), too numerous to name one by one, who made research possible across so many sites in so many countries. The on-going collaboration reflected here is essential for efforts on behalf of the jaguar to succeed.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Jaguar Conservation Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, New York, USA

    Leonardo Maffei

  2. Latin America and Caribbean Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, New York, USA

    Andrew J. Noss

  3. Queens Zoo and Jaguar Conservation Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, New York, USA

    Scott C. Silver

  4. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA

    Marcella J. Kelly

Authors
  1. Leonardo Maffei
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Andrew J. Noss
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Scott C. Silver
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Marcella J. Kelly
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Leonardo Maffei .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center–Beltsville Lab, U.S. Geological Survey, 10300 Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, Maryland, 20705, USA

    Allan F. O’Connell Ph.D. (Research Wildlife Biologist) (Research Wildlife Biologist)

  2. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 12100 Beech Forest Road, Laurel, Maryland, 20708, USA

    James D. Nichols Ph.D. (Senior Scientist) (Senior Scientist)

  3. Centre for Wildlife Studies, Wildlife Conservation Society, 26-2, Aga Abbas Ali Road (Apt: 403), Bangalore, Karnataka, 560042, India

    K. Ullas Karanth Ph.D. (Senior Conservation Scientist) (Senior Conservation Scientist)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2011 Springer

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Maffei, L., Noss, A.J., Silver, S.C., Kelly, M.J. (2011). Abundance/Density Case Study: Jaguars in the Americas. In: O’Connell, A.F., Nichols, J.D., Karanth, K.U. (eds) Camera Traps in Animal Ecology. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-99495-4_8

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation