Above: A portrait of a Eurasian lynx, Europe’s largest felid (Photo by Miha Krofel) Written by Miha Krofel and Max Allen Animals live in an invisible world of scent that is often undetectable to humans. This is most apparent to many of us as we walk our dogs and watch as they interact with…
Above: A portrait of a Sunda clouded leopard (Photo by Max Allen) Sunda clouded leopards (Neofelis diardi) are part of the Panthera lineage of felids that includes African lions (Panthera leo), tigers (Panthera tigris), and jaguars (Panthera onca). These are among the most charismatic wildlife species, but Sunda clouded leopards are the least understood…
Above: A puma pausing in the wildlands of California (Photo courtesy of Jason Klassi/ExpeditionEarth.org) Apex carnivores are well known for their effects on ecosystems, which include keeping prey populations balanced and limiting the spread of disease. Another important effect apex carnivores have is structuring their ecological communities. For example both prey and smaller carnivores…
Above: A male puma growling (photo by Max Allen) Communication is an important component of animal behavior, but is difficult to study in the wild. This is especially true for cryptic wildlife species, such as carnivores, that are difficult to observe. Recent advances in the technology of motion-triggered video cameras now enable researchers to…
Sunda clouded leopards (Neofelis diardi) are a threatened species that is shrouded in mystery. Most solitary felids are renowned for being mysterious and difficult to see, but Sunda clouded leopards take this to an extreme. It is for this reason that little is known about their ecology, prey, or habits. In fact, although radio-tracking collars…
By Laurel Serieys, Joleen Broadfield, and Max Allen A portrait of a caracal from our study area in Cape Town (Photo by Urban Caracal Project) In running the Urban Caracal Project there have been a number of learning opportunities. One of our most important insights is that by prioritizing public outreach we have built a…
The Urban Caracal Project on the Cape Peninsula in South Africa recently captured and GPS-collared its 25th caracal in its quest to understand how these mid-sized African carnivores make their living in urban environments. The newest caracal was a male nicknamed “Titan” for his impressive size. At 16kg, he weighs 25% more than the mean…
Pumas are cryptic carnivores that are among the most difficult animals to observe in the wild. Studying these cryptic animals is often challenging, and it is especially hard to study courtship between males and females. One aspect of my research revolves around using motion-triggered cameras to understand how carnivores, including pumas, communicate. As such, I…
Pumas and black bears are the two large carnivores found throughout California. Both species kill deer and other ungulates and as a result they often compete with each other. In Mendocino National Forest, where I completed my PhD project, black-tailed deer, including adults and fawns, make up the vast majority of puma diets. In contrast…
I currently work on the Santa Cruz Puma Project in California, studying pumas that live in the highly fragmented and human-dominated Santa Cruz Mountains. Pumas who live here must navigate through a landscape that is a mosaic of different levels of human activity and housing density alongside open spaces, entailing risk during run-ins with humans….
