Records of coprophagic behavior in vultures from both the Old and the New World are rare. We know of only a handful of reports for Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura). Herein we report a specific event of heterocoprophagia: the consumption of 1-day-old puma (Puma concolor) feces by C. aura in the Manantlán Biosphere Reserve (Jalisco, México). Feces of P. concolor play a role in chemical communication by male pumas, who generally do not cover their feces. Females and juveniles attempt to cover theirs. It is not known whether puma scats provide any nutrients to vultures. A bromatological analysis should be performed to determine whether the fecal matter contains nutrients that could be assimilated by vultures. As far as we know, this is the first observation of coprophagic behavior by C. aura on puma feces.

The neotropical otter (Lontra longicaudis) is associated with freshwater systems and is generally found at elevations lower than 1500 masl. Its diet is based on fish and crustaceans. We present 3 photorecords of the neotropical otter at the divide between 2 hydrological basins in the Sierra de Manantlán Biosphere Reserve, Jalisco, México. The photos were taken at an altitude near 2000 masl, and one of them was >600 m from a water source. The area does not present optimal conditions for the presence of otter since water flows are low, fish are absent, and crustaceans are scarce. These records are evidence of the neotropical otter at high altitude in environments where conditions are suboptimal for the species. In addition, the importance of conserving the basin headwaters is discussed, since the headwaters can support movement or occasional stays of the neotropical otter in marginal habitat and thereby maintain the connectivity between basins and facilitate genetic exchange between otter populations.

The risk of encountering a predator triggers different antipredator strategies in the prey, including spatial (landscape level), temporal (daily activity cycles), and behavioral changes. There is evidence that linear landscape attributes (e.g., dirt roads, firebreaks, trails) are used by both predators and prey, although studies examining how they react to mutual use are scarce. We propose a conceptual model that explains how prey might change their activity patterns under spatial-scale scenarios of predation risk. We test our predictions with Jaguar (Panthera onca) and Puma (Puma concolor) as predators and Collared Peccary (Dicotyles tajacu) as the prey. Peccary activity patterns differed between foraging areas with different levels of predation risk, with low-risk areas showing 2 peaks of activity around dusk, but exclusively diurnal in high-risk areas. The highest overlap coefficient (⁠ $Δ^1$ = 0.82) occurred when comparing peccary activity patterns near linear attributes and high-risk foraging areas, and the lowest (⁠ $Δ^1$ = 0.16) between high-risk foraging areas and Jaguar activity patterns, showing a completely diurnal pattern when the Jaguar was inactive. The overlap coefficient was intermediate (⁠ $Δ^1$ = 0.45) when comparing Puma and peccary activity patterns in high-risk areas. The observed similarity in peccary activity patterns between high-predation-risk foraging areas and linear attributes seems to indicate that the latter are also perceived as high-risk areas that lead to changes in their activity patterns.

Background: High post-dispersal fruit-seed removal can be a bottleneck for successful propagation to new areas of plant populations with fragmented distribution, as in cloud forest. Therefore, it is important to know how vegetation and fruit-eating behavior will influence the spatial removal pattern. Questions and/or Hypotheses: How do vegetation structure and density influence fruit removal of Persea hintonii in potential propagation areas? Study site and dates: Las Joyas Scientific Station, Sierra de Manantlán Biosphere Reserve, Jalisco, Mexico. April-May 2015. Methods: The number of fruits removed were recorded in treatments excluding of different size vertebrates, in areas with a dense or sparse understory within two forest types plus open areas with shrub cover. To identify vertebrate fruit-removing species, camera-traps were placed under the canopy of P. hintonii trees with high fructification amounts. Results: Fruit removal was lower in areas of low understory density at pine-oak forests (11.17 ± 5.30 %) and gap areas (25.5 ± 2.39 %), compared to subtropical cloud forests (72.51 ± 0.60 %). The number of days to start the fruit removal was lower in the cloud and pine-oak forests with dense understory than in those with a sparse understory. We identified six mammal and three bird species as removers of P. hintonii fruits, among which Pecari tajacu and small mammals were the most important fruit removers. Conclusions: Low density understory in pine-oak favor less fruit removal of P. hintonii, probably associated with the behavior of its consumers.