New study reveals the importance of guanaco in puma diet in Patagonia
The paper, published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution , analyzes 19 samples of puma feces collected in the Cerro Guido–Torres del Paine landscape using DNA metabarcoding and provides new evidence on the role of the guanaco as the main native prey detected.
The research was developed in collaboration with the Fauna Australis Laboratory, of the Department of Ecosystems and Environment of the Faculty of Agronomy and Forest Sciences of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile; Cerro Guido Conservation Foundation; the School of Veterinary Medicine of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile; AUSTRAL-omics, of the Vice-Rectorate of Research, Development and Artistic Creation of the Austral University of Chile; and St Hugh's College of the University of Oxford.
Titled “Strong trophic specialization on guanaco within the native prey community – DNA metabarcoding of puma diet in Torres del Paine, Patagonia” , the study was published on September 22, 2026 and analyzes the diet of the puma (Puma concolor) and its relationships with the native species present in this landscape.
A molecular look at the puma's diet
The research used DNA metabarcoding , a tool that allows for the identification of species from the genetic material present in fecal samples. For this study, 19 puma fecal samples were analyzed, collected during 2024 and 2025 in the Cerro Guido–Torres del Paine landscape and molecularly confirmed as belonging to Puma concolor.
The results showed a strong concentration of the native diet detected in guanaco (Lama guanicoe). This species was present in 13 of the 19 samples, equivalent to 68.4%, and represented more than 95% of the DNA reads corresponding to native prey.
The analysis also detected other native species, including the Patagonian skunk (Conepatus chinga), the greater rhea (Rhea pennata), and the black-chested buzzard-eagle (Geranoaetus melanoleucus). This last detection is particularly interesting, as the authors note that, to their knowledge, it had not been previously reported as a component of the puma's diet in Patagonia.
When what we see doesn't tell the whole story
One of the interesting results of the study emerged when comparing the information obtained from the feces with the camera trap recordings made during the same periods.
During the sampling months, the guanaco accounted for about 5% of the independent detections recorded by the camera traps , but was present in 68.4% of the puma feces samples.
This difference shows that the frequency with which a species is recorded in the landscape does not necessarily reflect its presence in the puma's diet. However, the researchers are cautious in interpreting this result: camera trap data represent an index of relative occurrence and not a direct measure of prey availability, so the study does not allow for a formal determination of selection or preference for the guanaco.
Science to understand and preserve
This study provides new information to better understand puma diet and the relationships between the different species that inhabit this landscape. This is particularly relevant in a territory where wildlife coexists with productive activities such as livestock farming.
A better understanding of the relationship between pumas and their native prey allows us to continue generating knowledge about ecosystem dynamics and advance evidence-based coexistence strategies between wildlife conservation and productive activities.
For Cerro Guido Conservation Foundation, this type of research is part of a long-term effort to generate knowledge that contributes to conservation and to coexistence between biodiversity, people, and productive activities.
In addition, the results of this study provide a first reference point for future research and will allow comparisons of how puma diet changes across different years, seasons, and areas of the territory.
The contribution of Cerro Guido Conservation Foundation
This study is part of a wildlife monitoring effort that Cerro Guido Conservation Foundation has been carrying out continuously in the territory for more than two years, with the aim of generating information to better understand wildlife dynamics and the relationships between the different species that inhabit this landscape.
In this context, the puma scat samples used in the study were collected as part of the fieldwork and monitoring carried out by the team in the territory. This was complemented by records from camera traps, which made it possible to compare the relative occurrence of different species in the landscape with the results of the dietary analysis.
The Foundation’s contribution also included logistical and field support for the research, as well as infrastructure and accommodation for the research teams. In this way, the study builds on information generated through sustained monitoring efforts in the territory, helping to continuously expand our understanding of pumas and the ecosystem they are part of.
Read the full paper at Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution .
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