IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Tirelli, F.P. | |
| An lise comparativa de nichos tr¢ficos de carn¡voros da regiÆo de Alta Floresta, Estado do Mato Grosso, Brasil | |
| 2010 Full Book | |
Competition associated with dietary flexibility molds the feeding strategies of coexisting carnivore species. In this study, we used faecal analysis to document the diets of sympatric carnivores in a highly deforested region of the Brazilian Amazon. To do so, reliable identifications of the predator species using DNA sequencing and hair microscopy were needed. Nine carnivore species were identified, out of which four (_Cerdocyon thous, Leopardus pardalis, Panthera onca_ and _Puma concolor_) presented a sufficient number of samples to make statistical analyses possible. The crab-eating fox (_C. thous_) was the most generalist species among the four; they showed a high flexibility in their diet, looking for a variety of items in addition to animal prey. Seeds were the most frequent item in _C. thous_ diet, and they consumed plastic material as well. The ocelot (_L. pardalis_) diet was more generalist than those of the other analyzed felids, preying medium-and-small sized prey; the most important prey for this predator was _Proechymis_ sp., a small rodent (<1kg). On the other hand, jaguars (_P. onca_) showed specialized feeding habits. _Tayassu pecari_ was the main prey for this species, as _P. onca_ presented mostly large-sized prey (>15kg) in its diet. Differently, pumas (_P. concolor_) preyed mostly on medium-sized prey. _Dasypus_ sp. and _Cuniculus paca_ were the most important items for the puma. Our study concurs with the hypothesis that the use of different resources - food, for instance - allowed the coexistence of carnivore species. A considerable trophic niche overlap was observed between ocelots and pumas in all niche overlap calculations. This competition can be explained by the presence of jaguars in the same region, as this sympatry probably forces pumas to shift their patterns of prey selection to medium- and small-sized ones, which may lead to increased overlap with the ocelot. |
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