SHORT COMMUNICATION Jaguar (Panthera onca) hunting activity: effects of prey distribution and availability

Geographic variation in behaviour of individuals within a species is well known (Foster & Endler 1999), both across ranges (Iriarte et al. 1990) and locally (Hertz & Huey 1981). For predators, variation in prey use within a given site is often seasonal (Brillhart & Kaufman 1995), and related to changes in relative abundance and/or vulnerability of various prey (Kunkel et al. 2004). Behavioural diversity also occurs because prey behaviours vary and predators change foraging tactics, even on a daily basis (Ropert-Coudert et al. 2002). The jaguar (Panthera onca Linnaeus) has a wide distribution and varying food habits; it is a somewhat opportunistic predator that has been reported to prey on more than 85 species across its geographic distribution (Weckel et al. 2006). Its diet, especially in rain forests, apparently varies with ease of capture and density of prey (Rabinowitz & Nottingham 1986, Seymour 1989), though mediumand large-sized prey consistently comprise a large portion of its diet (Gonzalez & Miller 2002). Competition with puma (Puma concolor Linnaeus) also may affect jaguar prey selection and foraging behaviour (Novack et al. 2005), and trophic diversity may vary with season (Chinchilla 1997). Jaguar movements (Pontes & Chivers 2007) and activity patterns (Hoogesteijn & Mondolfi 1993) reflect prey species availability. Corcovado National Park (CNP), Costa Rica, supports a relatively high-density jaguar population (∼7 per 100 km2, Salom-Perez et al. 2007). Previous