Mountain Lion Predation of Translocated Desert Bighorn Sheep in Arizona

Abstract Recent records of mountain lions Puma concolor and concurrent declines in desert bighorn sheep Ovis canadensis mexicana on Kofa National Wildlife Refuge in Arizona, United States, have prompted investigations to estimate the number of mountain lions occurring there. We performed noninvasive genetic analyses and identified species, individuals, and sex from scat samples collected from the Kofa and Castle Dome Mountains. From 105 scats collected, we identified a minimum of 11 individual mountain lions. These individuals consisted of six males, two females and three of unknown sex. Three of the 11 mountain lions were identified multiple times over the study period. These estimates supplement previously recorded information on mountain lions in an area where they were historically considered only transient. We demonstrate that noninvasive genetic techniques, especially when used in conjunction with camera-trap and radiocollaring methods, can provide additional and reliable information to wildlife managers, particularly on secretive species like the mountain lion.

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And Then There Were None: The Demise of Desert Bighorn Sheep in the Pusch Ridge Wilderness. By Paul R. Krausman; Foreword by William W. Shaw; illustrated by Bethann Garramon Merkle. Albuquerque (New Mexico): University of New Mexico Press. $65.00. xvi + 229 p.; ill.; index. ISBN: 9780826357854 (hc); 9780826357861 (eb). 2017.

The Quarterly Review of Biology ◽

10.1086/698058 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 93 (2) ◽

pp. 148-149

Author(s):

Marco Festa-Bianchet

Keyword(s):

New Mexico ◽

Bighorn Sheep ◽

Desert Bighorn Sheep ◽

University Of New Mexico

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CHARACTERIZATION OF AN ANAPLASMA OVIS ISOLATE FROM DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Journal of Wildlife Diseases ◽

10.7589/0090-3558-29.4.540 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 29 (4) ◽

pp. 540-546 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Will Goff ◽

David Stiller ◽

David Jessup ◽

Peter Msolla ◽

Walter Boyce ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Southern California ◽

Bighorn Sheep ◽

Desert Bighorn Sheep ◽

Anaplasma Ovis

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Diel Activity of Female Desert Bighorn Sheep in Western Arizona

Journal of Wildlife Management ◽

10.2307/3801345 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 53 (1) ◽

pp. 264 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Jay A. Alderman ◽

Paul R. Krausman ◽

Bruce D. Leopold

Keyword(s):

Bighorn Sheep ◽

Diel Activity ◽

Desert Bighorn Sheep

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Evaluation of Factors Potentially Influencing a Desert Bighorn Sheep Population

Wildlife Monographs ◽

10.2193/0084-0173(2006)164[1:eofpia]2.0.co;2 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 164 ◽

pp. 1-36 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

TED McKINNEY ◽

THORRY W. SMITH ◽

JAMES C. deVOS

Keyword(s):

Bighorn Sheep ◽

Desert Bighorn Sheep ◽

Sheep Population

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Desert Bighorn Sheep: Changes in Genetic Variation Over Time and the Impact of Merging Populations

Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management ◽

10.3996/082013-jfwm-055 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 3-13 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Philip W. Hedrick ◽

John D. Wehausen

Keyword(s):

Genetic Variation ◽

New Mexico ◽

Monitoring And Evaluation ◽

Bighorn Sheep ◽

Ovis Canadensis ◽

Mexican Population ◽

Desert Bighorn Sheep ◽

Two Generations ◽

The Impact ◽

Over Time

Abstract Founder effects, genetic bottlenecks, and genetic drift in general can lead to low levels of genetic diversity, which can influence the persistence of populations. We examine genetic variation in two populations of desert bighorn sheep Ovis canadensis from New Mexico and Mexico to measure change over time and evaluate the impact of introducing individuals from one population into the other. Over about three generations, the amount of genetic variation in the New Mexico population increased. In contrast, over about two generations the amount of genetic variation in the Mexican population decreased by a great extent compared with an estimate from another Mexican population from which it is primarily descended. The potential reasons for these changes are discussed. In addition, although both populations have low genetic variation, introduction of Mexican rams into the New Mexico population might increase the amount of genetic variation in the New Mexico population. Overall, it appears that management to increase genetic variation might require substantial detailed monitoring and evaluation of ancestry from the different sources and fitness components.

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