the cougar in the santa ana mountain range, california

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 3
Acknowledgments '" '" 4
BACKGROUND, STUDY AREA, METHODS .5
Background , 5
Study Area : 6
Methods 8
CHAPTER 1. HOME RANGES AND HABITAT USE .11
Home ranges 11
Overlap among home ranges 13
Habitat use 13
CHAPTER 2. POPULATION DENSITY AND STRUCTURE :. 16
CHAPTER 3. DISTRIBUTION AND TRAVEL CORRIDORS 22
Cougar Habitat in the Santa Ana Mountain Range : 22
Cougar Use ofCounty Parks East of1-5 22
Cougar Use ofthe San Joaquin Hills 23
Wildlife corridors 24
Factors influencing corridor suitability for cougars 24
The most critical link: from the Palomar Range to the Santa Ana Mountain
Range 26
Chino Hills State Park to Trabuco Ranger District 30
O'Neill-Arroyo Trabuco-Wagon Wheel Regional Parks to the Protected
Core Area 33
Weir Canyon-Santiago Oaks-Irvine Regional Parks to the Protected Core
Area 35
Limestone-Whiting Regional Parks to the Protected Core Area 35
Rancho Mission Viejo Conservancy to the Protected Core Area 37
CHAPTER 4. POPULATION DYNAMICS 38
Reproductive activity and litter sizes 38
Juvenile survivorship 40
Adult survivorship 42
Mortality factors 43
Disease 43
Intraspecific strife 45
An unusual injury 46
Highway mortality and injuries 47
Illegal take and harassment 51
Depredation 52
Synthesis: a population model 53
CHAPTER 5. UTILITY OF TRACK SURVEYS '" 56
Surveys to detect cougar presence 56
Most cougar sightings are bogus and do not need validating 56