Revista U.D.C.A Actualidad & Divulgación Científica (Jan 2008)
PRIMEROS DATOS SOBRE LOS HÁBITOS ALIMENTARIOS DEL TIGRILLO, Leopardus pardalis, EN UN BOSQUE ANDINO DE COLOMBIA FIRST DATA ON THE FOOD HABITS OF THE OCELOT, Leopardus pardalis, IN A COLOMBIAN ANDEAN FOREST
Abstract
El estudio de siete muestras fecales de tigrillo, Leopardus pardalis, encontradas en un bosque andino colombiano, entre 2200 y 2900m de altitud, permitió obtener una visión preliminar de los hábitos alimentarios de este felino. Leopardus pardalis consumió principalmente mamíferos, ˜90% de las presas y también aves. Entre los mamíferos, los de 400 g representaron ˜52% y ˜38% de las presas, respectivamente. La frecuencia relativa de presas de A preliminary analysis of the feeding habits of the ocelot, Leopardus pardalis, was made based on the examination of seven fecal samples found in a Colombian Andean forest, between 2200 and 2900m of altitude. The ocelot fed mainly on mammals, ˜90% of prey, and also ate birds. Among mammals, those weighing 400g represented ˜52% and 38% of the prey, respectively. The relative frequency of < 400g prey is high when compared with the results from other studies. This might be due to the extinction of larger predators from the study site, which consequently allowed the ocelot to widen its range of prey sizes when it became the largest predator of the forest
