Mapping connectivity between important jaguar ( Panthera onca ) habitats in the Americas

Habitat loss and reduced connectivity threaten the long‐term persistence of many large carnivore species across their ranges. Understanding connectivity among carnivore populations can bolster existing conservation strategies, and telemetry data from GPS collars are critical to informing these strategies. Using location data from 99 GPS‐collared adult jaguars, we assessed connectivity and identified potential corridors between key populations of this species across its range from Mexico to Argentina and compared these areas with previously identified jaguar corridors. Our study suggests the absence of some previously hypothesized corridors and the existence of several possible new corridors, with the potential to inform range‐level jaguar conservation strategies. Conservation efforts that address land use change scenarios that may impede jaguar movement through and between these areas are essential for maintaining healthy and stable free‐living populations of the largest felid species in the Americas.