Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2012

Departmental Paper Identifier

NRM-63

Abstract

We investigated potential advantages in birth timing for mountain lion (Puma concolor) cubs. We examined cub body mass, survival, and age of natal dispersal in relation to specific timing of birth. We also investigated the role of maternal age relative to timing of births. We captured mountain lion cubs while in the natal den to determine birth date, which allowed for precise estimates of the population birth pulse and age of natal dispersal. A birth pulse occurred during June–August. Body mass of cubs was related to litter size and timing of birth; heaviest cubs occurred in litters of 2, and those born after 1 July. Cubs born within pulse months exhibited similar survival to those born out of the pulse. We found that cubs born April–June dispersed at younger ages than those born after 1 July. There was less variation in birth timing for 1st litters of females than older females. We hypothesize that cubs born after the peak in births of neonate prey are advantaged by the abundance of vulnerable prey and those cubs and mothers realize an evolutionary advantage.

Publication Title

PLOS One

Volume

7

Issue

9

First Page

e44625

Pages

7

Format

application/pdf

Language

en

DOI of Published Version

10.1371/journal.pone.0044625

Publisher

PLOS One

Rights

Copyright © 2012 the Authors

Comments

This work was published in PLOS One (2012) 7:9, e44625.

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