FOOD HABITS OF MOUNTAIN LIONS IN THE TRANS-PECOS REGION OF TEXAS

Information regarding mountain lion (Felis concolor) food habits is relatively scarce overall, and this is particularly true in the Trans-Pecos region of Texas. Most information currently available is from Big Bend National Park where livestock are excluded and game animals are not actively managed. This study involved the analysis of 32 mountain lion stomachs collected throughout the Trans-Pecos over a 14 month period. Deer (Odocoileus spp.) and javelina (Tayassu tajacu) were the predominate prey species, each occurring in 39% of the stomachs analyzed. Domestic livestock was found in 9% of the total stomachs and non-game wildlife in 13%. Samples taken from areas with and without livestock differed significantly (P\u3c0.05). Samples from areas with livestock contained deer (50%), javelina (19%), small game (19%), and livestock (12%). Samples from areas without livestock contained javelina (86%) and deer (14%). No differences (P\u3e0.05) in food habits were found between sexes or among seasons of the year