Serosurvey of mountain lions in southern Arizona

An understanding of the prevalence of diseases in free-ranging populations of felids is limited, and there is even less known about the overall health and diseases of wild felids that inhabit or utilize urban areas. We collected serum samples from 9 radiocollared mountain lions (Puma concolor) in the mountains surrounding Tucson, Arizona, USA, from August 2005 to August 2008. We tested serum samples for evidence of exposure to 10 feline viruses: Feline Calicivirus (FCV), Feline Herpesvirus, Feline Enteric Coronavirus, Feline Syncytial Virus-Feline Foamy Virus, Feline Infectious Peritonitis, Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline Panleukopenia Virus (FPLV), Feline Leukemia Virus, Canine Distemper Virus (CDV), and Toxoplasma gondii. The highest prevalences of exposure were: T. gondii (8/9), FPLV (7/9), and FCV (6/9). One male was seropositive for CDV, T. gondii, and FPLV. Mountain lions inhabiting smaller fragmented landscapes and urban areas have more contact with other felids and domesticated animals. Frequent contact among mountain lions, other felids, and domesticated animals can lead to higher risk of exposure and facilitate the spread of the disease from animal to animal. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.

Potential effects of the United States-Mexico border fence on wildlife

Security infrastructure along international boundaries threatens to degrade connectivity for wildlife. To explore potential effects of a fence under construction along the U.S.-Mexico border on wildlife, we assessed movement behavior of two species with different life histories whose regional persistence may depend on transboundary movements. We used radiotelemetry to assess how vegetation and landscape structure affect flight and natal dispersal behaviors of Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls (Glaucidium brasilianum), and satellite telemetry, gene-flow estimates, and least-cost path models to assess movement behavior and interpopulation connectivity of desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis mexicana). Flight height of Pygmy-Owls averaged only 1.4 m (SE 0.1) above ground, and only 23% of flights exceeded 4 m. Juvenile Pygmy-Owls dispersed at slower speeds, changed direction more, and had lower colonization success in landscapes with larger vegetation openings or higher levels of disturbance (p < or = 0.047), which suggests large vegetation gaps coupled with tall fences may limit transboundary movements. Female bighorn sheep crossed valleys up to 4.9 km wide, and microsatellite analyses indicated relatively high levels of gene flow and migration (95% CI for F(ST)=0.010-0.115, Nm = 1.9-24.8, M =10.4-15.4) between populations divided by an 11-km valley. Models of gene flow based on regional topography and movement barriers suggested that nine populations of bighorn sheep in northwestern Sonora are linked by dispersal with those in neighboring Arizona. Disruption of transboundary movement corridors by impermeable fencing would isolate some populations on the Arizona side. Connectivity for other species with similar movement abilities and spatial distributions may be affected by border development, yet mitigation strategies could address needs of wildlife and humans.