IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Prugh, L.R.; Ritland, C.E. | |
| Molecular testing of observer identification of carnivore feces in the field | |
| 2005 Wildlife Society Bulletin (33): 189-194 | |
Collection of carnivore feces is common in wildlife ecology studies, but misidentification of scats can compromise data quality. We tested the ability of observers to identify coyote _(Canis latrans) _feces in the Alaska Range from 2000-2002_. _We extracted DNA from 834 fecal samples and used an unambiguous mtDNA analysis to differentiate coyote scats from those of sympatric carnivores. We successfully amplified DNA from 78%_ _of the extracts, and 92%_ _of these samples were from coyotes. We rated our certainty level when collecting scats in the field, and the proportion correctly identified matched well with expected proportions. For example, 100%_ _of scats that we rated _" _1000 % certain" were from coyotes _(_n= 1291_, _96%_ _of scats rated _"_95%_ _certain" were from coyotes _(_n=174_), _and 88%_ _of scats rated "90%_ _certain" were from coyotes _(_n=62_). _Thus, we demonstrate that trained observers can identify coyote scats in the field with accuracy that should be sufficient for diet studies, even in the presence of other similar-sized carnivores. Rating observer certainty is useful for later analyses because researchers can decide what level of uncertainty is acceptable for their purposes and exclude samples accordingly. |
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