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Fadakar, D.; Rezaei, H.R.; Hosseini, M.; Sheykhi Ilanloo, S.; Zamani, W.
Detecting domestic dog in diet of Persian leopard using DNA tools
2013 The International Journal of Environmental Resources Research (1): 247-252
Persian leopard (_Panthera pardus saxicolor _Pocock, 1927) is distributed in different ecosystems, and Golestan Natural Park is one of the main habitats of the species in northeast Iran. A precise knowledge of diet is a critical part of conservation plans for endangered species. _P.pardus _has varied diet and preys on various items such as wild ungulate and livestock. In this report, we discovered an unusual prey in diet of _P. pardus _using genetic analysis. Domestic dog (_Canis lupus familiaris_) has been identified in diet of _P. pardus _through the use of sequencing the control region of mtDNA in Golestan National Park. This is the first record of domestic dog in the diet of _P. pardus _in Iran, although many different preys have been detected in other studies. Existence of dog in leopard's diet is remarkable while many favourite preys of leopard exist in the same habitat.
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