Jill's Pick from Around the World: Does sex matter in wildlife habitat preferences?
Jaguar (Panthera onca)
Photo credit: Marcus Obal
When it comes to the habitat preferences for certain species of wildlife, sex does matter. As a new study on jaguars in the Maya Forest of the Yucatan Peninsula shows, habitat models that do not discriminate between the preferences of males and females could give misleading information with bad consequences for conservation efforts.
Researchers captured 3 male and 3 female jaguars and attached GPS collars to track their movements. While both males and females preferred tall forest, females also preferred short forest, which males avoided. Meanwhile females avoided human disturbance such as agricultural land and roads, while males displayed no avoidance of roads and periodically ventured into low-intensity agricultural areas.
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Posted by WILDNEWJERSEY at 6/17/2010 1:00 PM 
Categories: Jill's Pick from Around the World
Tags: habitat preference jaguars gps Yucatan Peninsula Maya Forest conservation
Categories: Jill's Pick from Around the World
Tags: habitat preference jaguars gps Yucatan Peninsula Maya Forest conservation
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