Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.d7wm37qck

Description of the data and file structure

These datasets contain data used to fit three models describing predation and behavior of mountain lions in Utah.

CougarBehavior_proportionaltime.csv contains data regarding the proportion of time that individual mountain lions (Puma concolor) spend displaying categorized behaviors when foraging at their kill sites. For each independent foraging bout (independent visit to the kill site on camera), behaviors were coded as vigilance, feeding, caching, resting, unknown, and other. We calculated the proportion of time in each independent observation that the cougar spent engaging in the four focal behaviors as a response variable. Covariates that vary at the level of the kill-site or the observation are included. We fit these data with generalized linear mixed models, using R package glmmTMB v.1.1.11, using a beta distribution and a login link function. Observations were weighted by the log-transformed duration of each foraging bout.

CougarPredation_durationData.csv contains records from 2325 visited prey items in Utah to evaluate what influences cougar handling time at their prey. CougarPredation_searchData.csv contains records from 2254 search intervals (the time between subsequent prey handling events) to evalute what influences cougar search time between foraging events at their prey. Both datasets use GPS collar data to determine duration in hours and contain data from 37 female cougars. Covariates that vary at the level of cougar or kill-site are included. We fit these data with linear mixed effects models, using R package lme4 v.1.1.36.

Data Variables:

CougarBehavior_proportionaltime.csv

• ClusterBout - Numbered independent events (bouts) of foraging at each cluster (where XX00-000 format is a unique cluster). Independent bouts are the unit of analysis.
• CougID - Unique identifier for each cougar (format XX00)
• ClusID - Unique identifier for each cluster for each cougar (format XX00-000)
• StudySite - One of three study sites in the study
• BearBeforeBout - Binary variable indicating if a bear was present at this cluster before this bout began
• AvianBeforeBout - Binary variable indicating if a bird was present at this cluster before this bout began
• AnyScavenger - Binary variable indicating if any scavenger species was present at this cluster before this bout began
• MammalScavenger - Binary variable indicating if any mammalian scavenger was present at this cluster before this bout began
• NonBearMamnmalScavenger - Binary variable indicating if any non-bear mammalian scavenger was present at this cluster before this bout began
• CarcassAge - The age of the carcass in hours from the time the cluster formed to the start of this foraging bout
• CachingTime - The length of time in seconds that the cougar spent caching during this foraging bout
• FeedingTime - The length of time in seconds that the cougar spent feeding during this foraging bout
• RestingTime - The length of time in seconds that the cougar spent resting during this foraging bout
• VigilantTime - The length of time in seconds that the cougar spent vigilant during this foraging bout
• UnknownTime - The length of time in seconds that the cougar spent in unknown behaviors during this foraging bout
• OtherTime - The length of time in seconds that the cougar spent in non-focal (but not unknown) behaviors during this foraging bout
• SumTime - The length of time in seconds that the cougar spent on camera during this foraging bout
• KillorShared - Indication if this prey item was a kill made by the focal cougar or shared with a family member who made the kill
• PreySpecies - Common name of prey item species
• Non.focalAdultCougarPresent - Binary variable indicating if a non-focal adult cougar was present at this foraging bout
• Habitat - Categorical habitat type determined at kill site investigation and camera placement
• Year - Year of study
• BearSeason - Binary variable indicating if it is the season when bear are active (not hibernating)
• KitteninBout - Binary variable indicating if a cougar kitten was present at this foraging bout
• BearHarvestDensity - Continuous variable reflecting the bear density proxy at each kill site
• CanopyCover.scale - Canopy cover at the kill site in percent, scaled
• DemographicStatus - Status of female during kill, relative to pregnancy and kitten age
• PropVig - The proportion of total time during this foraging bout that the cougar spent vigilant
• PropCache -  The proportion of total time during this foraging bout that the cougar spent caching
• PropFeed -  The proportion of total time during this foraging bout that the cougar spent feeding
• PropRelax -  The proportion of total time during this foraging bout that the cougar spent relaxing
• DistancetoRoad - Distance to the nearest road or trail, scaled
• DensityofRoads_510 - Density of roads and trails within a 510m focal window, scaled
• DensityofRoads_990 - Density of roads and trails within a 990m focal window, scaled
• DensityofRoads_2490 - Density of roads and trails within a 2490m focal window, scaled
• thi210 - Terrain heterogeneity within a focal window of 210m around the kill site, scaled

CougarPredation_durationData

• CougarInterval - Numbered continuous intervals of monitoring on each individual cougar without interruptions due to data collection issues. Used to ensure that calculations between subsequent clusters do not include erroneous gaps.
• CougarID - Unique identifier for each cougar (format XX00)
• ClusterID_unique - Unique identifier for each cluster for each cougar (format XX00-000)
• PreyGroup - Major categorical groupings for prey items
• DurationatKill - Duration in hours that a cougar spent associated with this prey item
• PreyAgeClass - Age class of the prey item
• Site - One of three study sites in the study
• BearSign - Binary indication of if bear sign was found during the kill site investigation
• Comb_WeightClass - Weight class of the prey items, using a combined estimated weight if more than 1 animal was found in the same cluster
• PreyCategory - Simplified categorical groupings for prey items, either deer, elk, other ungulate, or non-ungulate
• CanopyPercent - Canopy cover at the kill site in percentage
• DemographicStatus - Status of female during kill, relative to pregnancy and kitten age
• BearDisplacement - Categorical indication of if data indicated that a bear displaced a cougar from this kill
• CoverType - Categorical cover type determined from remotely-sensed data
• thi150 - Terrain heterogeneity within a focal window of 150m around the prey item
• Dist2road - Distance to the nearest road or trail, scaled
• DensityofRoads_990 - Density of roads and trails within a 990m focal window, scaled
• DensityofRoads_5010 - Density of roads and trails within a 5010m focal window, scaled
• BearHarvestDensity - Continuous variable reflecting the bear density proxy at each prey item, scaled
• DurationatKill.sqr -  Duration in hours that a cougar spent associated with this prey item, with a square root transformation. This is the response variable for the HT analysis.
• MultipleKills - Binary indicator if this cluster was comprised of multiple prey items or not
• Season - Categorical indicator for the ecological season during which this prey item was fed on
• DeerUse_990 - Predicted selection values for deer in this site over a focal window of 990m
• ElkUse_990 -Predicted selection values for elk in this site over a focal window of 990m

CougarPredation_searchData

• CougarInterval - Numbered continuous intervals of monitoring on each individual cougar without interruptions due to data collection issues. Used to ensure that calculations between subsequent clusters do not include erroneous gaps.
• CougarID - Unique identifier for each cougar (format XX00)
• ClusterID_unique - Unique identifier for each cluster for each cougar (format XX00-000)
• SearchTime - Duration in hours between the end of the previous cluster and the beginning of the current cluster, i.e. the time a cougar spent "searching" for the next prey item
• ST_sqr - Duration in hours between the end of the previous cluster and the beginning of the current cluster, i.e. the time a cougar spent "searching" for the next prey item, with a square root transformation. This is the response variable for the ST analysis.
• PreyGroup - Major categorical groupings for prey items
• PreyAgeClass - Age class of the prey item
• Site - One of three study sites in the study
• BearSign - Binary indication of if bear sign was found during the kill site investigation
• Comb_WeightClass - Weight class of the prey items, using a combined estimated weight if more than 1 animal was found in the same cluster
• PreyCategory - Simplified categorical groupings for prey items, either deer, elk, other ungulate, or non-ungulate
• CanopyPercent - Canopy cover at the kill site in percentage
• DemographicStatus - Status of female during kill, relative to pregnancy and kitten age
• BearDisplacement - Categorical indication of if the data indicated that a bear displaced a cougar from this kill
• CoverType - Categorical cover type determined from remotely-sensed data
• Dist2road - Distance to the nearest road or trail, scaled
• DensityofRoads_5010 - Density of roads and trails within a 5010m focal window, scaled
• BearHarvestDensity - Continuous variable reflecting the bear density proxy at each kill site, scaled |
  | MultipleKills - Binary indicator if this cluster was comprised of multiple prey items or not |
  | Season - Categorical indicator for the ecological season during which this prey item was fed on |
  | AgeClass - Categorical age class of cougar during this interval, either YoungAdult, PrimeAdult, or MatureAdult |
  | ElkUse_3000 - Predicted selection values for elk in this site over a focal window of 3000m |
  | DeerUse_990 - Predicted selection values for deer in this site over a focal window of 3000m |
  | THI_990 - Terrain heterogeneity within a focal window of 990m around the kill site |

Code/software

These files are .csv and can be opened in Excel. All models were fitted in Program R.