Characteristics of Mountain Lion Home Ranges
in Big Bend Ranch State Park
by Gilbert Guzman, Mike Pittman (Texas Parks
and Wildlife Department) and Louis A. Harveson
Twenty-one mountain lions (concolor) were captured on Big
Bend Ranch State Park, Jan. 22, 1993, through March 28, 1996, using
leghold snares and trained hounds. Captured mountain lions were
examined, aged and a series of morphological measurements were
recorded.
Sixteen mountain lions were fixed with radio transmitters
operating on specific frequencies. Radio-collared mountain lions
were monitored from the ground and fixed-wing aircraft.
A total of 711 locations was recorded for 10 male and five
female mountain lions. Home ranges were delineated for six male and
five female mountain lions. Average annual ranges (100 percent
minimum convex polygon) for adult male mountain lions (348.6
km2) were larger (P <0.05) than for adult female
mountain lions (205.9 km2).
Average percent overlap (100 percent minimum convex polygon) of
annual female-female, male-male, and female-male mountain lion
ranges were 26.1, 22.9 and 28.9, respectively. Annual shifts were
apparent (P < 0.05) for female mountain lions and for the
cumulative male mountain lion ranges.
Mountain lion density (No./100 km2) ranged from
0.26-0.59. Mountain lion mortalities were attributed to predator
control practices on private land (n = 15), hunting (n = 1) and
other causes (n = 3) on the study area.
The mountain lion population level on BBRSP was limited by high
mortality rates of female and male mountain lions.
Funding provided by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
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Sul Ross State University
