User:Adflatuss/Mountain lions of the Santa Monica Mountains

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Mountain lions of the Santa Monica Mountains are part of six isolated and genetically distinct clans from Santa Cruz to the Mexico–United States border that make up a sub–population of the North American cougar (Puma concolor couguar). Commonly called mountain lions in southern California, the elusive animals are part of a long term study in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and surrounding areas by the National Park Service.

Population[edit]

Tag 99[1][2]

Habitat[edit]

The Santa Monica Mountains, just north of Los Angeles, contain rugged canyonlands where an isolated population of less than two dozen mountain lions live.[3] The population mountain lions in and around the Santa Monica Mountains is is stable with healthy rates of survival and reproduction.[4]

Word[5]

Threats[edit]

The number one cause of death for mountain lions in the study is intraspecific strife, or mountain lions killing other mountain lions. Though common in other populations, this rate may be exacerbated by the fact that mountain lions are basically trapped on an island of habitat, surrounded by freeways and the Pacific Ocean.[4]

Another major threat to the species is the widespread presence of anticoagulant rodenticides, commonly known as rat poisons, in the environment. Twenty-three out of 24 mountain lions tested in the study have tested positive for one or more anticoagulant compounds and three have died of intoxicant poisoning.[4]

The long-term survival of mountain lions in this region, however, is threatened by a number of factors, none more significant than the loss and fragmentation of habitat by roads and development. This leads not only to deaths from vehicle collisions, but also multiple cases of first-order inbreeding because animals are not able to disperse in and out of the area. Genetic analyses indicate that lions in the Santa Monica Mountains have among the lowest genetic diversity of any mountain lion population ever documented.[4]

Human interaction[edit]

Wildlife corridor Santa Susana -

child mauled[6]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "P-99 is newest mountain lion in landmark Santa Monica Mountains study". KTLA. 2021-10-18. Retrieved 2021-10-19.
  2. ^ Seidman, Lila (2021-10-19). "'Stunning': Female mountain lion is 99th to be tracked in Santa Monica Mountains study". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2021-10-20.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ Sahagun, Louis (2020-09-10). "Deformities linked to inbreeding discovered among cougars in the Santa Monica Mountains". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
  4. ^ a b c d "Lions in the Santa Monica Mountains?". Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, U.S. National Park Service. Retrieved 2020-11-25.Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Park Service.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference phys.org/news/2015-05 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Bay Area News Group (2021-08-28). "Mountain lion killed after mauling 5-year-old in Santa Monica Mountains". The Mercury News. Retrieved 2021-08-30.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

"Behind the scenes with a Los Angeles mountain lion expert". University of California, Los Angeles. Phys.org. May 5, 2018. Retrieved 2020-11-25.</ref>

City News Service (2020-09-23). "Mountain lion discovered dead on freeway in Calabasas". Daily News. Retrieved 2021-05-19.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)</ref>

Wildlife corridorBarnes, Kathryn (October 15, 2020). "Cancer, contamination, and cave paintings: Santa Susana cleanup gets more complicated". KCRW. Retrieved 2021-03-30.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)</ref>

Carlson, Cheri (April 10, 2021). "California agency seeks more time to study endangered status for cougars". Ventura County Star. Retrieved 2021-04-10.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)</ref>

"New Year, New Cat: 90-Pound Mountain Lion Discovered In Santa Monica Mountains". NBC Los Angeles. City News Service. January 27, 2021. Retrieved 2021-01-28.</ref>

"Assessment of Wildlife Crossing Sites for the Interstate 15 and Highway 101 Freeways in Southern California". www.scienceforconservation.org. Retrieved 2021-05-28.</ref>

Thur de Koos, Camila; Perez, Nate (2022-02-11). "P-22, 'The Brad Pitt' Of Mountain Lions, Celebrates A Decade At Griffith Park". LAist. Retrieved 2022-02-12.</ref>

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