Abstract
Small wild cats (SWC) are naturally cryptic species. The current study presents occurrence information and capture-rates on four SWC species found in the Brazilian Pantanal. The most commonly recorded SWC by camera trap was Leopardus pardalis. Leopardus colocolo and Puma yagouaroundi were relatively rare, while Leopardus guttulus was not recorded in any survey year. We interpret our findings based on the potential competitive influences of L. pardalis and practical implications of camera trap survey design. We recommend that future studies should design camera trap grids with spacing appropriate for SWC to more directly address questions on local population status and interspecific interactions.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank the ranch employees of Fazenda São Bento (MS, Brazil) and Fazenda Jofre Velho (MT, Brazil) who assisted in the field activities. We thank Fabio Nascimento for kindly providing the photo of Leopardus guttulus from the collection of the Emilio Goeldi Museum (Belém, Brazil).
Author contribution: All the authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission.
Research funding: None declared.
Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest regarding this article.
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