Posts

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Trait Variation Facilitates Urbanization

Our new paper in Ecology, led by Kate Weiss, explores how the variation in traits helps some mammals better exploit urban environments: https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ecy.4055

We used data from nearly 1,500 camera trap sites across the U.S. to test whether variation in traits like body size, diet, and reproduction helps mammals adapt to cities. We found that demographic traits—especially litter size—were the strongest predictors of urban success, while other traits mattered differently across groups like carnivores, rodents, and ungulates. These results show that trait variation plays a key role in which species can thrive in cities, with important implications for managing urban wildlife and promoting coexistence with people.

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Hyena-Tiger-Leopard-Jackal Competition

Our new paper on competition among large carnivores in India has been published: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13364-022-00663-1

We studied how striped hyenas compete with tigers, leopards, and golden jackals for carrion in Rajasthan, India, using camera traps. We found that tigers dominated carcasses, greatly limiting the feeding opportunities of hyenas and other scavengers. Leopards and hyenas coexisted with little conflict, but jackals and hyenas strongly reduced each other’s feeding efficiency. Our results show how traits like body size and social foraging shape competition at carcasses and directly affect the energy animals gain from scavenging.

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Using video camera collars to understand bear diet

Our new article explores using video cameras in bear collars to understand nuances of their diet: https://academic.oup.com/jmammal/article/104/1/184/6847075

We used video cameras mounted on collars we placed on Asian black bears to compare video footage of their foraging with traditional fecal analysis. We found that video provided unique insights—such as detecting leaves or mammal prey that are hard to identify in feces—while fecal analysis still captured items that were quickly or rarely eaten. Together, these methods give a more complete picture of bear diets, showing that video collars are a valuable new tool for studying individual differences in feeding behavior.

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Cannibalism in Bears

We published a new article about cannibalism in bears across the globe: https://bioone.org/journals/ursus/volume-2022/issue-33e10/URSUS-D-20-00031.2/Cannibalism-in-bears/10.2192/URSUS-D-20-00031.2.short

We reviewed nearly 200 documented cases of cannibalism in bears and found it occurs in only four of the eight species, with polar bears making up more than half the reports. Most cases were tied to infanticide or fights between males, showing that cannibalism is often opportunistic rather than a specialized survival strategy.

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Oldest Puma Ever?

Our newest puma on the Santa Cruz Puma Project, 126m, may be the oldest puma we have ever caught.

126m

One method of aging pumas is to look at tooth wear. White, sharp teeth are an indication of youth, with teeth becoming worn down and yellowing with age. But we have never seen a puma with teeth this worn down.

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Grad Student Position Available

We are looking for a graduate student to join our lab in Fall of 2022. The student will develop and implement a statewide camera trap network to assess the population trends in the carnivore community in Illinois. This position includes a 50% research assistantship (~approximately 25k a year) and covers full tuition through the Natural Resources and Environmental Science (NRES) Department.

Full details: Camera Trap Job Posting

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New Puma 123F

Last night we caught a new puma, a young female in great condition. For the project, we named her 123F, indicating she is the 123rd individual we have captured for the project.