Jaguars and Pumas Eat More Monkeys in Damaged Forests

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

Many people wonder, do Jaguars eat monkeys? do pumas eat monkeys. The answer is – generally they aren’t first choice on the menu. Because primates like spider monkeys and howler monkeys are, after all, hard to catch. Furthermore, adaptable primates live in large trees and rarely coming down to the ground. Jaguar and puma have varied diets and will normally hunt the species that are most common where they live, such as deer, peccary (a type of wild pig) and armadillo.

Researchers found that in Mexico’s fragmented forests, apex predators like jaguars and pumas eat monkeys because their traditional prey animals are becoming rarer and rarer. What’s the root cause of this imbalance? damaged forests and large-scale ecocide for palm oil, soy, mining, and meat.

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Written by Aralisa Shedden, Postdoctoral Researcher in Conservation, Bournemouth University. Originally published as ‘Big cats eat more monkeys in a damaged tropical forest – and this could threaten their survival’. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Where forest clearance happens in Mexican forests, jaguars and pumas struggle to adapt to different food preferences.

Other studies have already found that when there is less of their usual prey around, big cats turn to alternatives. The changes in jaguar and puma diets that my colleagues and I recorded may indicate that the populations of these normal prey are shrinking, or that something in the environment has changed to make catching and eating primates easier.

A change in big cat diet could put Mexico’s primates at risk

This change in the diet of large cats could make the disappearance of primate populations in tropical forests like this one in southern Mexico more likely. This would, in turn, make the disappearance of large cats themselves more likely due to a lack of food, threatening the stability of an entire ecosystem.

Fragmented forests mean pumas are forced to eat monkeys

When forests are cut down or altered by loggers and hunters, primates are particularly affected, as many species depend on tall trees for food, shelter and to chart paths through the forest. Globally, more than 60% of primate species are threatened with extinction.

Protecting Mexico’s forests means protecting pumas and jaguars

These changes to forests have also put large predators at risk. Understanding what is happening in these areas can inform more effective conservation measures, which may prevent species from disappearing.

The Uxpanapa valley in southeastern Mexico is one of the last relicts of tall evergreen forest in the country, and is classified as one of the most biodiverse areas in both Mexico and the world. It is home to jaguar, puma and many other species, including two endangered primates: howler and spider monkeys.

I led a research team that studied the distribution of primates in the Uxpanapa Valley for the first time. We recorded the number of primates and where they were found, as well as the type of forest they preferred.

Scat analysis helps to confirm that jaguars eat monkeys

Another team looked for large cats with the help of a dog which could detect their faeces, otherwise known as scat. Scat was collected to obtain DNA and determine the species that left it, whether it had any parasites, and what its diet was like. The team found out what prey these large cats were eating by using microscopes to study the hairs left in each scat. Special identification guides can link each kind of animal to its hair – each has a particular colour, pattern and shape.

Understanding apex predators unlocks ecosystems

Large carnivores maintain biodiversity and the functioning of an ecosystem by controlling populations of certain species – for example, herbivores that might otherwise harm trees or prevent forests regrowing. The presence of such predators can indicate an ecosystem’s health. Knowing what top predators are eating can tell us even more about how an ecosystem is functioning.

Jaguars and pumas are eating spider monkeys

When we combined the data and information we collected, we began to understand that something out of the ordinary was happening.

Thirty five percent of the time, primates remains were found in jaguar and puma scats. Primate remains were also more likely to be found in scats collected from areas with less forest. Spider monkey remains, for example, were more likely to be found in scats collected in areas with more villages, and in forest that was regrowing after being disturbed.

More villages means more hunting of the big cat’s traditional prey

A possible explanation is that where there are more villages, it is likely that there is more hunting and tree-cutting taking place. Where there is more hunting, the prey that jaguar and puma usually prefer might not be as plentiful. And regrowing forests do not offer primates the same protection as tall, untouched forests. These two factors may explain why pumas and jaguars are eating spider monkeys more often here.

Spider monkeys and howler monkeys easier to find in fragmented forests

Jaguar and puma will usually eat the prey that is more abundant. If their preferred prey is scarce, they will hunt the species they encounter most. Similarly, researchers discovered that in regions with fragmented forests, more dead howler monkeys were found.

The deeper cause: overhunting of prey species and habitat loss

Less tree cover and overhunting of other prey (combined with general habitat loss) could explain the high rates of primate predation we discovered. Nevertheless, we need to continue monitoring these sites to fully understand these changes in large cat diets. In conclusion, the results show why protecting Mexico’s tall forests is critical for forest-dependent species.

Written by Aralisa Shedden, Postdoctoral Researcher in Conservation, Bournemouth University. Originally published as ‘Big cats eat more monkeys in a damaged tropical forest – and this could threaten their survival’. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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