Back to Back Cats

Our one remote camera came up with these nice images of an ocelot and a puma walking a trail in the Gallon Jug Estate.  It's wonderful to see these cats as they go about their nightly business and know that the Gallon Jug Estate harbors so many of these magnificent animals.  That makes another reason why our area is unique!

More Cats! Continued (2)

Something about the Chan Chich signs was interesting. Now this young puma notices the photographer.

More Cats!

Last week, the morning of January 26 to be exact, two members of the Chan Chich staff had an amazing experience. Guide Emil was out on the trails and encountered a family of pumas -- 2 youngsters with mom. He called Lodge manager Jason who rushed out with his camera ... and captured some amazing shots.

Here the 2 youngsters are investigating the Bajo and Lodge trail signs close to Chan Chich. Note the dappled spot pattern showing they haven't quite grown out of their juvenile pelage. They were in no hurry to leave as subsequent images will show ...

Puma by the frog pond

We've had some really hot weather lately here in Gallon Jug Estate. The data on this image shows it is 77 degrees (F) on a full moon night, and this puma is taking advantage of it. He or she is out and about, passing by the seasonal frog pond (see 5/28/2010 post). Not much detail can be seen on this individual, other than it appears sleek and healthy.

A Belizean "Bobcat"

In all my years of camera trapping, I have never seen anything like this: a Belizean "bobcat!" Of course we don't really have bobcats in Belize, but you can hardly blame me for doing a double take when I examined these photos. The image above is actually (a crop of) one of three frames taken of a male puma (Puma concolor) missing the majority of his tail. What happened to the poor guy???

We'll never know, but I imagine he is somewhat handicapped. Pumas are swift runners that chase down their prey -- the long tail acts as a sort of rudder to balance them on tight turns. That said, this fellow looks as though he is in pretty good shape and actually appears to have a full belly.

This image was taken on the 7 April about 3PM on the Punta de Cacao Road, about 10 km from the Gallon Jug Farm. Recalling earlier comments about it being hard to distinguish pumas from one another, this fellow certainly stands alone!

Puma on the prowl

This is a robust looking male puma (Puma concolor) on the Hillbank road where I've been running a camera trap near the lower escarpment. The location is about 5 km east of Gallon Jug farm and another approximately 10 km from Chan Chich Lodge. As I've mentioned before, it is difficult to tell individual pumas apart since their coat patterns aren't uniquely marked. Sometimes you can tell from scars or the amount of black on the tail tip. It is certainly possible, even likely, that this is the same male that was photo-captured at the Horse Trail intersection which is close to Gallon Jug Farm. Given that big cats, especially males, have big territories, it is entirely possible he visits Chan Chich Lodge from time to time.

Pumas or jaguars?

So do we have more pumas or jaguars here at Gallon Jug/Chan Chich? This is a question I've been asking myself recently. Pumas seem to be the most frequently photographed cat now, even more so than ocelots. And they seem to be photographed more frequently in low light situations that trigger the infra-red mode.

It would be easier to make a statement about puma numbers if individuals could be distinguished with any confidence, the way spotted cats can. My gut feeling is that the puma population has exploded, along with the white-tailed deer population in Gallon Jug near the farm.

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) thrive in the edge areas, between the farm and the forest. Pumas specialize in hunting deer while jaguars are more specialized for peccary. White-tailed deer are visible any time of day or night in Gallon Jug and often along the road edges at Chan Chich. And as many readers can attest, they've become pests in many places in north America, with no pumas or other predators to reduce their numbers.

Puma with botfly?

Finally, an image from MY camera, or at least the one Ben has loaned me. This is one (of three) images of a male puma, exiting the Horse Trail (so called because it is a popular riding route) near Gallon Jug farm. In the subsequent images, the puma takes a hard left and evidently continues on the Hillbank road.

When I get a new image, I scan it carefully to see what can be learned about the animal. In this case we have an adult male who looks, overall, to be in good condition. By zooming in, I can see that his left ear has a sore spot with some hair worn away -- I'm guessing it is likely a a botfly larva (Dermatobia hominis, aka "beefworm" in Belize). Pumas seem more prone to botfly infestation than jaguars. On the other hand, a botfly bump is probably more visible on the plain coat of the puma than a spotted cat.

Now you are wondering about botflies. If you have a strong stomach, check out details of its life history -- and extraction -- in this video.

Prepare to be grossed out!

By a Whisker

Mid-January 2010 -- this puma is clearly aware of the camera. It'd be great to be able to tell individual pumas apart, but it is tough without the spotted coat pattern of the jaguar, ocelot, or margay. The notches in the ears and the slight bump in the tail might be defining characteristics ... if the animal is positioned in such a way that they are actually visible in the photo.

Recently I was talking with someone at Chan Chich Lodge who travels between Central America and Africa frequently. She reminded me that for lions in Africa, researchers are photographing their faces and then matching individuals based on the unique whisker pattern on the muzzle. Very ingenious. The great thing about lions is that they are pretty cooperative when they are lolling around in the open savanna. With a long lens and some patience, they can be pretty easily photographed.

You don't come upon a lolling puma too often. And they are much more solitary and secretive. In this photo, you can see the whiskers ... but not a definitive pattern.

Another Big Cat and Little Ones Too

Jaguars are not the only big cats found in Belize. The puma (Puma concolor) makes its home here too and in fact, has an enormous range stretching from the tip of South America north into Canada. This is the same animal that those of you in North America might know as "cougar," "mountain lion," or "panther." It's a very adaptable cat that does well in many types of habitats, including here, on the Sylvester Village road near Chan Chich. There are many other locations on the property where it has been frequently seen. Pumas seem to be bolder and far less secretive than jaguars; at least that has been our experience in Gallon Jug/Chan Chich. This photo series was taken in May 2009 on Ben's camera trap. Wonder how big those cubs are today?

A Passing Puma

I had hoped to share some really great photos today, from the camera trap we set up a week ago on the Hillbank Rd. I was all but certain we'd have a puma ... since as we drove up to the site, a big puma was just strolling past the camera!

BUT when I downloaded the photos, there were no wildlife photos ... evidently we'd had the camera trap set too "low" to take into the account the crowned road bed it was aimed at. There were plenty of photos of Bruce and I setting it up however. But no puma photo.

Still, it was a pretty interesting experience. We were able to drive fairly close to the puma, a big adult with a kink on the end of its tail, that was all but unconcerned about us. It did saunter into the bush ... and then ambled out again, about 100' ahead of us.

When it turned to look at us, I did manage to snap the photo above. Not a great photo -- blurred due to motion and low light -- but at least it proves we saw the puma, even if the camera trap couldn't pick it up. Guess we will be making some adjustments and give it another week in that location!