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Small effective population sizes of two remnant ocelot populations (Leopardus pardalis albescens) in the United States

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Abstract

Threatened populations are vulnerable to the effects of genetic drift and inbreeding, particularly when gene flow is low and the effective population size is small. Estimates of effective population size (N e ) provide important information on the status of endangered populations that have experienced severe fragmentation and serve as indicators of genetic viability. Genetic data from microsatellite loci were used to estimate N e for the 2 remaining populations of the endangered ocelot (Leopardus pardalis albescens) occurring in the United States. Several methods were used to calculate N e , resulting in estimates ranging from N e  = 8.0 (95% CI: 3.2–23.1) to 13.9 (95% CI: 7.7–25.1) for the population located at the Laguna Atascosa Wildlife Refuge in Cameron County, Texas. The ocelot population in Willacy County, Texas, had N e estimates of 2.9 (95% CI: 1.7–5.6) and 3.1 (95% CI: 1.9–13.5), respectively. Estimates of N e in both populations were below the critical value recommended for short-term viability.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the Rob and Bessie Welder Wildlife Foundation, the Tim and Karen Hixon Foundation, and F. Yturria. We thank F. Yturria for access to his ranch and Randy DeYoung, Tyler Campbell, Michael Schwartz, and two anonymous reviewers for providing useful comments on this manuscript. This is publication #07–113 of the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute and #666 of the Rob and Bessie Welder Wildlife Foundation.

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  1. Jan E. Janečka

    Present address: Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, Room 107 VMA Building, 4461 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, USA

  2. R. L. Honeycutt

    Present address: Natural Science Division, Pepperdine University, 24255 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA, 90263-4321, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Feline Research Program, Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, TX, 78363, USA

    Jan E. Janečka, M. E. Tewes, L. I. Grassman Jr & A. M. Haines

  2. Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA

    Jan E. Janečka & R. L. Honeycutt

  3. Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, Rio Hondo, TX, 78583, USA

    L. L. Laack

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  1. Jan E. Janečka
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Correspondence to Jan E. Janečka.

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Janečka, J.E., Tewes, M.E., Laack, L.L. et al. Small effective population sizes of two remnant ocelot populations (Leopardus pardalis albescens) in the United States. Conserv Genet 9, 869–878 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-007-9412-1

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