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Avenant, N.L.; Nel, J.A.J.
Prey use by four syntopic carnivores in a strandveld ecosystem
1997 South African Journal of Wildlife Research (27): 86-93
The diet of four syntopic carnivore species (caracal _Felis caracal_, water mongoose _Atilax paludinosus_, small grey mongoose _Galerella pulverulenta_, and yellow mongoose _Cynictis penicillata_) over a 12-month period in a coastal shrub ecosystem was examined using scat analysis. Use of prey by all four species fluctuated synchronously and tracked corresponding fluctuations in prey availability. This, as well as the use of relatively small food items (e.g. beetles, scorpions and spiders), indicate an absence of dietary specialization and an opportunistic feeding behaviour in the carnivores studied. Food niche breadth in all four species changed seasonally, being widest during spring and contracting gradually towards winter. A considerable degree of food niche overlap existed between species. Rodents (mainly _Rhabdomys pumilio_ and _Otomys unisulcatus_) were the main prey items of all four carnivore species and were used heavily throughout the year, despite marked declines in numbers towards winter.
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