title: Mammalian energetics. Instantaneous energetics of puma kills reveal advantage of felid sneak attacks.
abstract: Pumas (Puma concolor) live in diverse, often rugged, complex habitats. The energy they expend for hunting must account for this complexity but is difficult to measure for this and other large, cryptic carnivores. We developed and deployed a physiological SMART (species movement, acceleration, and radio tracking) collar that used accelerometry to continuously monitor energetics, movements, and behavior of free-ranging pumas. This felid species displayed marked individuality in predatory activities, ranging from low-cost sit-and-wait behaviors to constant movements with energetic costs averaging 2.3 times those predicted for running mammals. Pumas reduce these costs by remaining cryptic and precisely matching maximum pouncing force (overall dynamic body acceleration = 5.3 to 16.1g) to prey size. Such instantaneous energetics help to explain why most felids stalk and pounce, and their analysis represents a powerful approach for accurately forecasting resource demands required for survival by large, mobile predators.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA. williams@biology.ucsc.edu.
authors.forename: Terrie M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Wildlife Health Program, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 4330 West Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wolfe
authors.affiliation: Wildlife Health Program, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 4330 West Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA.
authors.forename: Tracy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA.
authors.forename: Traci
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kendall
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA.
authors.forename: Beau
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Richter
authors.affiliation: Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Department of Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA.
authors.forename: Yiwei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA.
authors.forename: Caleb
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bryce
authors.affiliation: Autonomous Systems Lab, Department of Computer Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA.
authors.forename: Gabriel Hugh
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Elkaim
authors.affiliation: Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Department of Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wilmers
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002335:Carnivora; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D011235:Predatory Behavior; D046011:Puma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology*; D012420:Running