Proceedings of the fifth mountain lion workshop: 27

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68 PROCEEDINGS OF THE FIFTH MOUNTAIN LION WORKSHOP McIvor, D.E., J.A. Bissonette, and G.S. Drew. 1994. A critical review of the status of the Yuma mountain lion, Puma concolor browni. Utah Coop. Fish Wildl. Res. Unit (U.S. Natl. Biol. Surv.) Rep. 94-1, Logan. 155pp. --------. 1995. Taxonomic and conservation status of the Yuma mountain lion. Conserv. Biol. 9:1033-1040. Merriam, C.H. 1903. Eight new mammals from the United States. Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington. 16:73-78. Mugaas, J.N., and J. Seidensticker. 1993. Geographic variation of lean body mass and a model of its effect on the capacity of the raccoon to fatten and fast. Bull. Flor. Mus. Nat. History. Biol. Sci. 36(3):85-107. O'Brien, S.J., and E. Mayr. 1991. Bureaucratic mischief: recognizing endangered species and subspecies. Science 151:1187-1188. Peirce, M., and J. Cashman. 1993. Region IV mountain lion project. Unpublished report, Ariz. Game and Fish Dep., Tucson. 12pp. Reyment, R.A., R.E. Blackith, and N.A. Campbell. 1984. Multivariate morphometrics. Second Edition. Academic Press, New York. 233pp. Ryder, O.A. 1986. Species conservation and systematics: the dilemma of subspecies. Trends in Ecol. Evol. 1:9-10. Shaw, H.G. 1989. Soul among lions: the cougar as peaceful adversary. Johnson Books, Boulder, Colo. 140pp. Shaw, H.G. 1993. Only Prey. Pages 221-241 in G.P. Nabhan, editor. Counting sheep: twenty ways of seeing desert bighorn. Univ. Ariz. Press, Tucson. Shaw, H.G., N.G. Woolsey, J.R. Wegge, and R.L.J. Day. 1988. Factors affecting mountain lion densities and cattle depredation in Arizona. Ariz. Game and Fish Dep., Tucson, Final Rep., Proj. W-78-R. 16pp. Stringham, S.F. 1990. Grizzly bear reproductive rate relative to body size. Int. Conf. on Bear Res. and Manage. 8:433-443. Van Dyke, F.G., and R.H. Brocke. 1987. Sighting and track reports as indices of mountain lion presence. Wildl. Soc. Bull. 15:251-256. Weaver, R.A. 1982. Status of the mountain lion in California with recommendations for management. Unpublished report, Calif. Dep. Fish and Game, Sacramento. 24pp. Williams, D.F., and K.S. Kilburn. 1984. Sensitive, threatened, and endangered mammals of riparian and other wetland communities in California. Pages 950-956 in R.E. Warner and K.M. Hendrix, editors. California riparian ecosystems: Ecology, conservation, and productive management. Univ. Calif. Press, Berkeley. Wilson, D.E., and D.M. Reeder, eds. 1993. Mammal species of the world: A taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Inst. Press, Washington D.C. 1206pp. Wilson, E.O. 1992. The diversity of life. Belknap Press, Cambridge, Mass. 424pp. Wilson, E.O. 1994. Naturalist. Island Press, Washington D.C. 380pp. Young, S.P., and E.A. Goldman. 1946. The puma: mysterious American cat. Am. Wildl. Inst., Washington, D.C. 358pp.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE FIFTH MOUNTAIN LION WORKSHOP 69 THE STATUS OF MOUNTAIN LIONS IN TEXAS William B. Russ. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Box 112, Sanderson, Texas 79848 Key words: Texas, Mountain Lion, Puma concolor, Status, Distribution, Population The mountain lion is legally classified as a nongame mammal in Texas and is managed within the broad scope of wildlife regulatory authority delegated to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department by state statutes. This status has been unchanged since 1975. The Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club filed a petition in December, 1991 to place the mountain lion on the list of threatened nongame wildlife. The Department, in response to this request, sponsored and conducted a Mountain Lion Roundtable at Del Rio, Texas in April, 1992 to assess population status and public interest. A set of goals was established for future lion management. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission then formally considered the Sierra Club's request at a public hearing in May 1992, but took no action to change the status because no biological information was presented that would support a change in status at that time. The history of lion management in Texas has been one of large scale population control by livestock producers. Ranchers have attempted to eradicate mountain lions from livestock production areas through both organized government control programs and their own opportunistic efforts. However, since about 1970, there has been a marked change in land-use patterns in areas where lion populations seem to be highest. Large tracts of land have been purchased by individuals and governmental agencies for recreational use. Mountain lion control efforts have been reduced or have ceased altogether on many of these tracts. However, livestock producers continue intensive removal activities. The Department is currently collecting mortality and sighting data by ecological region to determine the current distribution and population status of Texas lions. Data compiled by Mabie (1983) documented lion sightings into the early 1980's. This information, based on records of department personnel and other sources, revealed a large distribution for the mountain lion. The majority of the sightings occurred in the Trans-Pecos Region with increasing reports in the South Texas Plains and the Edwards Plateau. POPULATION STATUS Data on lion mortality and sighting reports were recorded and divided into 10 ecological regions based on topographic, climatic, and edaphic factors, as well as plant community similarities (Gould 1969; Figure 1). These regions include the (1) Pineywoods, (2) Gulf Prairies and Marshes, (3) Post Oak Savannah, (4) Blackland Prairies, (5) Cross Timbers and Prairies, (6) South Texas Plains, (7) Edwards Plateau, (8) Rolling Plains, (9) High Plains, and (10) Trans-Pecos Mountains and Basins. Each mortality or sighting was plotted on a Texas county map. Several counties extend into 2 or more ecological regions; therefore, accurate county locations are critical in locating the sighting or mortality in the correct ecological region. A statewide survey of mountain lion mortalities and sightings was conducted by Wildlife and Law Enforcement Division personnel from January 1, 1983 through May 31, 1989 (Russ 1989) and combined with mortality and sighting reports by ecological regions from June 1989 through December 1995 (Table 1, Table 2). Many reports were received from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal Damage Control personnel, landowners, and the general public in addition to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department personnel. Mortalities were verified and sighting reports were either validated by field visit or corroborated through contact with observers before they were accepted as valid by the Department. Information was collected on time of day the lion was sighted, descriptions of animal, distance, habitat type, activity, and other questions related to the observer's familiarity with wildlife. A total of 1,726 mountain lion mortalities was recorded for the 13- year period from 1983 to 1995 in 60 Texas counties and lion mortalities exceeded 100 animals each year since 1984 (Table 1). Reported mortalities were about 2.5 times more numerous in 1995 than in 1983. The Trans- Pecos Ecological Region ranked first in mortalities with 73 percent of the total. The Edwards Plateau Ecological Region was second with 18 percent, and the South Texas Plains Ecological Region was third with 8 percent of the total. Less than 2 percent of the total mortalities were reported in the remaining ecological regions where no mortalities were reported. This Texas Parks and Wildlife survey reported the first confirmed lion mortalities for the Pineywoods Ecological Region. Mountain lions were taken in only three ecological regions in 1995 (Table 3). Animal damage control personnel and private hunters, usually paid by landowners, took 102 lions from across the State with 74 percent from the Trans- Pecos Ecological Region and 26 percent from the Edwards Plateau. Lions were also taken by landowners, sport hunters, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department personnel, and accidents
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