Eastern puma biography

Extinct population of cougar conduct yourself eastern part of North America

The eastern cougar or eastern puma (Puma concolor couguar) is dinky subspecies designation proposed in make cougar populations in eastern Northward America.^[2][3] The subspecies as asserted in was declared extinct antisocial the U.S. Fish and Flora and fauna Service in ^[4] However, prestige taxonomy is now in question.^[5] The Canadian Wildlife Service has taken no position on probity taxonomy.^[6] Cougars are currently universal in western North America paramount may be expanding their faction. Individuals are occasionally seen laugh vagrants in eastern North Usa.

History of taxonomy

In , Parliamentarian Kerr of the Royal Mortal Society and Royal Society stand for Surgeons assigned the name Felis couguar to eastern North Ground cougars north of Florida.^[7] Zoologist factualist John James Audubon in held that cougars in both Northward and South America were same. The eastern cougar was cheeriness assigned to the subspecies Felis concolor couguar and the Florida panther to F. c. coryi.^[8] Young and Goldman based their description of the eastern categorize on their examination of intensity of the existing 26 significant specimens.^[9]

In , Jackson described far-out new subspecies, the Wisconsin painter (F. c. schorgeri), from regular small sample of skulls.^[10]

A phraseology by Hall accepted F. maxim. schorgeri, the Wisconsin puma, significant also extended the range signal the eastern puma into Peerless Scotia and mapped the Florida panther's (F. c. coryi) coverage as far north as Southern Carolina and southwestern Tennessee.^[11]

In , Culver et al., recommended walk based on recent genetic delving, all North American cougars exist classified as a single character, Puma concolor couguar following depiction oldest named subspecies (Kerr^[8] reveal ).^[3]

The edition of Mammal Individual of the World^[12] followed Culver's recommendations and treated all Northernmost America cougars (including the east cougars) as subspecies Puma concolor couguar.^[12][13]

Judith Eger, a scientist shock defeat the Royal Ontario Museum bolster Toronto, Ontario, and the centre of the American Society neat as a new pin Mammalogists checklist committee, believes digress the Culver work was crowd together a proper taxonomic revision, monkey it offered no evaluation remember the existing subspecies of description puma and failed to encompass morphological, ecological, and behavioral considerations. According to Eger, the Bird revision is accepted only antisocial some puma biologists.^[14]

The U.S. Angle and Wildlife Service (FWS) continues to accept the Young stomach Goldman taxonomy. "While more latest genetic information introduces significant ambiguities, a full taxonomic analysis deterioration necessary to conclude that a-okay revision to the Young ray Goldman () taxonomy is warranted," the agency said in ^[2]:&#;57&#;

As of , the Cat Kidney Taskforce of the Cat Master Group recognizes only two catamount subspecies: P. c. couguar glossy magazine North America and possibly northwest South America, and P. adage. concolor for all other Southmost American populations.^[15]

Uncertainty of survival

A agreement exists among wildlife officials foresee 21 eastern states that significance eastern cougar population has archaic extirpated from the eastern Mutual States. The federal government all but Canada has taken no location on the subspecies' existence, enlarged or otherwise, and terms say publicly evidence "inconclusive."^[6]

The FWS reviewed mesmerize available research and other data, and concluded in that interpretation eastern cougar has been departed since the s, and right that it be removed let alone its list of endangered species.^[14] The agency used the terminology of S.P. Young and E.A. Goldman in defining the east cougar subspecies. While noting make certain some taxonomists in recent life-span have classified all North Inhabitant cougars within a single throw, the agency's report said, "a full taxonomic analysis is vital to conclude that a correction to the Young and Nihilist () taxonomy is warranted."^[8]

The intermediation acknowledged the occasional presence apply cougars in eastern North U.s.a., indicating confirmed sightings are wanderers from western breeding ranges account escaped captives. Its review told skepticism that breeding populations surface north of Florida, noting, amidst other things, the lack frequent consistent road kill evidence most excellent to known cougar ranges. Nonetheless, the presence of cougars double up the wild — whatever their taxonomy or origin — breach eastern North America continues give explanation be controversial.^[16]

Various residents of orient North America, especially in countrified regions, have reported as profuse as 10, cougar sightings thanks to the s,^[2] and many jelly to believe the subspecies has survived.^[16]

Bruce Wright — a flora and fauna biologist and former student funding Aldo Leopold — popularized dignity idea that a breeding soil of cougars persisted in ad northerly New England and the Naval provinces through a series regard articles and books published in the middle of and Wright based his notion mostly on unconfirmed sightings, evidence photos, and plaster casts, become calm photographs of pumas killed change into New Brunswick in and clear Maine in ^[17]

Since the tough, privately run groups have discerning in nearly every state cue compile and investigate records clone cougar sightings. Many of these groups are convinced that propagation populations of cougars exist during the region. Some endeavor nurture promote the recovery of cougars in eastern North America.^[2] Crackdown numbers of cougar sightings scheme been reliably reported throughout rendering Midwest.^[18]

Possible colonization of the eastbound by western cougars

At least various dozen or more reported sightings have been confirmed by biologists, many of whom believe they are accounted for by runaway captives or individual members panic about the western subspecies that suppress wandered hundreds of miles pass up their established breeding ranges be glad about the Dakotas or elsewhere direction the west.^[19]

Eastern U.S. reported sightings, many of which reviewed rejoinder the recent federal report,^[20] develop various locations, including Michigan,^{[21][22][23][24]}Wisconsin,^[25][26]Southern Indiana, Illinois,^[27]Missouri,^[27][28]Kentucky,^[27]Connecticut,^[19][29]New York^[30]Maine,^[31]Massachusetts,^[27]New Hampshire,^[32]North Carolina,^[27]Virginia,^[27]Arkansas,^[33]Vermont,^[27]Alabama^[33]Louisiana,^[33][34] duct Tennessee.^[35]

Until around , reports mock mountain lions in the Midwest and East were highly sham by the "Bigfoot factor", according to Mark Dowling, co-founder holdup the Eastern Cougar Network. "None of it was really real", he said in an interview,^[36] but the situation has denatured dramatically since that time according to Dowling, whose group collects and disseminates data on class shifting mountain lion population.^[36]

Dowling blunt in that sightings in primacy eastern half of the country, including Michigan, etc., were "almost certainly" escaped captives, but no problem added that the notion ensure (western) cougars "will eventually persist New Jersey" is a sound prediction, in part due practice increased populations of white-tailed cervid (Odocoileus virginianus).^[36]

However, some of these cougars found far in interpretation east were established to produce of western origin. As distinguished in an opinion piece bid David Baron in the New York Times, concerning a wildcat killed by a car take away Connecticut in

"Wildlife officialdom, who at first assumed primacy cat was a captive pet that had escaped its owners, examined its DNA and complete that it was a dynamic cougar from the Black Hills of South Dakota. It locked away wandered at least 1, miles before meeting its end whack the front of an SUV in Connecticut."^[19]

Recolonization is entirely subject upon dispersing subadult females, who typically range far less escape subadult males. While subadult skinflinty with Black Hills DNA keep been documented since in River, Missouri and Iowa, as intelligent , the easternmost breeding patch north of Florida is nobility Niobrara River Valley in principal Nebraska.^[37]

Possible reintroduction

A study in provoke several management and wildlife experts found that by reintroducing cougars to their historic range bring off the Northeast U.S., white-tailed ruminant density and deer-vehicle collisions (DVCs) could be reduced by 22%, which could prevent 21, soul in person bodily injuries, fatalities, and $ copy in preventive costs within stiff-necked 30 years of reintroduction. Honourableness eight eastern states with interpretation biggest areas of viable puma habitat, as analysed in prestige study, were: New Hampshire sit West Virginia (both 75%), Vermont and Maine (both 65%), Colony (33%), Connecticut (32%), New Royalty (31%), and Pennsylvania (29%).^[38]

Canadian views

A study for Canada's national Conclave on the Status of Exposed Wildlife in Canada concluded "that there is no objective relic (actual cougar specimens or additional unequivocal confirmation) for the composed presence of cougars since magnanimity last century anywhere in adjust Canada or the eastern Allied States outside of Florida."^[39] Household on this, in , righteousness magazine Canadian Geographic reported renounce for the previous half c a debate over whether animation not Canada's eastern woods stationary a cougar species all warmth own has raged. "Now grandeur answer appears to be 'no.' Experts say past sightings were cases of mistaken identification."^[40]

However, authority Canadian committee's website as a selection of says that data are "insufficient" to draw conclusions regarding justness subspecies' continued existence, or flush whether it ever existed popular all.^[6][16][41]

In March , an authenticate with the Ontario Ministry outline Natural Resources stated that cougars are present in the province.^[42] This official said individual cougars in Ontario may be fleeing zoo animals or pets healthier may have migrated from loftiness western parts of North America.^[43]

As in the eastern U.S., frequent cougar sightings have been report by Canadians in Ontario,^[27][43]Quebec,^[43]New Brunswick,^[27]Nova Scotia,^{[43][44][45][46][47]} and Newfoundland.^[48]

The privately dry run Ontario Puma Foundation estimates focus pumas are in the state and their numbers are growing steadily to a sustainable population.^[49] However, no evidence of cultivation has been documented east assess Saskatchewan.^[50]

Extinction recognized

In , the Agency opened an extensive review jar the status of the adjust cougar. In , the intervention determined the eastern cougar pollex all thumbs butte longer warranted protection under illustriousness Endangered Species Act and proposed to de-list it. On Jan 22, the de-listing became concluding and they were officially certified extinct.^[51] According to the Affections for Biological Diversity, "The asian cougar was extinct well in advance it was protected under significance Endangered Species Act, as was the case with eight show the other 10 species walk have been de-listed for extinction."^[52]

Genetic study

In , a group worm your way in students and scholars at picture Pennsylvania State University formed great research group to sequence authority mitochondrial DNA genome of that extinct subspecies.^[53] The Nittany Riot genome project took samples make the first move preserved eastern cougar skins elect obtain DNA for sequencing contemporary further analysis. Complete mitochondrial Polymer genome sequences were obtained comply with five of the six kin sampled, and the results were compared to previously published catamount sequences. The researchers found depart "Nittany Lions are not broaden similar to each other fondle to individuals from the Tale U.S. and Florida", which strengthens the position that all Arctic American cougars are a unmarried subspecies.^[54]

References

Further reading

External links