Puma predation on radiocollared and uncollared bighorn sheep

BMC Research Notes

Table 1 Ratio of radiocollared and uncollared bighorn sheep killed by pumas

Bighorn Sheep Subpopulation	Puma	Killed RCB/UCB^a	Exposed RCB/UCB^a	P Value
Coyote Canyon	F7		10/25	0.292
North San Ysidro Mountains	F7	0/2	11/36	1.0
South San Ysidro Mountains^c	F7	2/3	13/28	0.645
Vallecito Mountains^c	F7	-	-	N/A
Carrizo Canyon^c	F7	-	-	N/A
Total	F7	2/10	34/89	0.508
Coyote Canyon	M5	0/1	8/27	1.0
North San Ysidro Mountains	M5	0/0	9/38	1.0
South San Ysidro Mountains^c	M5	0/3	12/29	0.543
Vallecito Mountains^c	M5	0/0	12/143	1.0
Carrizo Canyon^c	M5	0/2	9/118	1.0
Total	M5	0/6	50/355	1.0
Coyote Canyon	M6	1^b/1	9/38	0.35
North San Ysidro Mountains	M6	1/0	6/44	0.12
South San Ysidro Mountains^c	M6	-	-	N/A
Vallecito Mountains^c	M6	0/2	14/136	1.0
Carrizo Canyon^c	M6	-	-	N/A
Total	M6	2/3	29/218	0.106

Ratio of radiocollared and uncollared bighorn sheep killed by pumas (M5, M6, and F7) by subpopulation in the Peninsular Ranges of southern California, USA, January 2002-September 2004.
^a RCB = radiocollared bighorn sheep, UCB = uncollared bighorn sheep. P values shown are 2-sided Fisher's Exact Test values comparing RCB and UCB predation.
^b A radiocollared sheep was killed on 7 May 2004. Due to a collar data transmission error from 1 March to 25 May 2004, this kill could not be definitively linked to M6 with the use of GPS data. M6 passed near this kill site in this approximate timeframe and within 928 m of the site on 20 June 2004, based on VHF tracking and GPS data, respectively. This kill was conservatively attributed to M6.
^c Blank cells denote subpopulations through which the puma was not known to hunt or pass.

ISSN: 1756-0500