Data from: Habitat use of the ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) in Brazilian Amazon

Amazonia forest plays a major role in providing ecosystem services for
human and sanctuaries for wildlife. However, ongoing deforestation and
habitat fragmentation in the Brazilian Amazon has threatened both. The
ocelot is an ecologically important mesopredator and a potential
conservation ambassador species, yet there are no previous studies on its
habitat preference and spatial patterns in this biome. From 2010 to 2017,
twelve sites were surveyed, totaling 899 camera trap stations, the largest
known dataset for this species. Using occupancy modeling incorporating
spatial autocorrelation, we assessed habitat use for ocelot populations
across the Brazilian Amazon. Our results revealed a positive sigmoidal
correlation between remote‐sensing derived metrics of forest cover,
disjunct core area density, elevation, distance to roads, distance to
settlements and habitat use, and that habitat use by ocelots was
negatively associated with slope and distance to river/lake. These
findings shed light on the regional scale habitat use of ocelots and
indicate important species–habitat relationships, thus providing valuable
information for conservation management and land‐use planning.