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Thomas Luypaert @thomasluypaert.bsky.social · 27/08/2025

We could not believe the footage when we first saw it either 🤯! The camera trap gods were smiling on us - and the jaguars too 🐆😍🐈‍⬛

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Thomas Luypaert @thomasluypaert.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

🧵15. A big thanks to our amazing team of co-authors, including Carlos Peres, Joseph Hawes, Torbjorn Haugaasen, and Raffaello Di Ponzio - as well as to the Amazon Biodiversity & Carbon (ABC-expeditions) www.abc-expeditions.com

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Home: About ABC | ABC Expeds

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Thomas Luypaert @thomasluypaert.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

🧵13. We call for more long-term monitoring of mating behaviours in both wild and captive jaguars - ideally tracking reproductive success, genetics, and behaviour across colour morphs.

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Thomas Luypaert @thomasluypaert.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

🧵12. Our study also supports previous reports of non-conceptive mating in wild jaguars and highlights the complexity of their reproductive strategies. One remote camera, two mating events, and a lot of new questions. 📹🐈‍⬛❤️🐆⁉️

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Thomas Luypaert @thomasluypaert.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

🧵11. Jaguars are notoriously difficult to breed in captivity. These behavioural insights give us the first wild reference points, which can be used to improve ex-situ breeding programs, especially when assessing pair compatibility or timing interventions.

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Thomas Luypaert @thomasluypaert.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

🧵10. While this suggests melanism may not influence mating behaviours in jaguars, this is a single observation - opening doors to new questions and further study.

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Thomas Luypaert @thomasluypaert.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

🧵9. In our observation, the sequence of behaviours between the melanistic female and spotted male showed no obvious behavioural differences compared to those between spotted individuals in captivity.

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Thomas Luypaert @thomasluypaert.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

🧵8. Indirect effects of melanism on mating behaviour may also arise if melanism alters social interactions in species where colouration plays a role in mate recognition or cohesion. Still, information about the effects of melanism on jaguar mating behaviours remains unknown.

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Thomas Luypaert @thomasluypaert.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

🧵7. Mutations within the melanocortin pathway - including those associated with melanism - have previously been linked to changes in sexual receptivity, fertility and aggression across taxa.

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Thomas Luypaert @thomasluypaert.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

🧵6. Our observation also allowed us to ask another, rarely considered question: "What about the black coat" 🐈‍⬛? Melanism in jaguars is caused by a dominant mutation in the MC1R gene. We know it changes coat colour - but could it affect behaviour?

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Thomas Luypaert @thomasluypaert.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

🧵5. Lactating females sometimes hide their young, and mate to confuse paternity or reduce the risk of infanticide - the so-called "hide-and-flirt" strategy. While this has previously been reported in jaguars, this is the first such case involving a melanistic female.

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Thomas Luypaert @thomasluypaert.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

🧵4. We also noticed something surprising in the footage: the female appeared to show signs of recent lactation🍼🐈‍⬛. This raises the possibility that she wasn't mating to reproduce.

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Thomas Luypaert @thomasluypaert.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

🧵3. Captivity alters behaviour. So, how much do captive observations really reflect wild behaviours? We documented 9 out of 12 behavioural phases known from captive jaguar mating sequences. This suggests that core behaviours may be conserved between wild and captive environments.

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Thomas Luypaert @thomasluypaert.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

🧵2. Wild jaguar mating is almost never observed, let alone captured on camera 📸. We hit the scientific jackpot - giving us a unique opportunity: the first comparison between wild mating behaviour with what we know from captive jaguar studies.

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Thomas Luypaert @thomasluypaert.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

🧵1. Captured in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon, we filmed a melanistic jaguar female 🐈‍⬛ mating with a spotted male 🐈 - the first scientifically documented video evidence of jaguar mating in the wild! This rare event offers new insights into jaguar behaviour and conservation.

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Thomas Luypaert @thomasluypaert.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

🚨🐈‍⬛❤️🐈🚨 I am thrilled to share our latest publication in Ecology and Evolution, where we show the first scientifically documented video of a melanistic jaguar mating in the wild! Here is what we found 👇🧵 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ec… #Jaguars #bigcat #naturalhistory #ecology #rainforest

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Thomas Luypaert @thomasluypaert.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

Hi Vanessa. I study tropical rainforest biodiversity. Would you mind adding me as well ?

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