Heterospecific coprophagy: Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) feeding on cougar (Puma concolor) feces

Record of coprophagic behavior in vultures from both the Old and the New World are rare. We know of only a handful of reports for Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura). Herein we report a specific event of heterocoprophagia: the consumption of 1-day-old puma (Puma concolor) feces by C. aura in the Manantlan Biosphere Reserve (Jalisco, Mexico). Feces of P. concolor play a role in chemical communication by male pumas, who generally do not cover their feces. Females and juveniles attempt to cover theirs. It is not known whether puma scats provide any nutrients to vultures. A bromatological analysis should be performed to determine whether the fecal matter contains nutrients that could be assimilated by vultures. As far as we know, this is the first observation of coprophagic behavior by C. aura on puma feces.