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| Andheria, A.P.; Karanth, K.U.; Kumar, N.S. | |
| Diet and prey profiles of three sympatric large carnivores in Bandipur Tiger Reserve, India | |
| 2007 Journal of Zoology (273): 169-175 | |
We conducted a field study of diets of three sympatric large carnivores, the tiger _Panthera tigris_, the leopard _Panthera pardus_ and the dhole _Cuon alpinus_ in Bandipur Tiger Reserve, India, based on analyses of 381, 111 and 181 scats, respectively. The frequency of occurrence of prey items in scats was converted to relative biomass and number of prey consumed using regression equations based on earlier feeding trials. The results showed that although these predators kill ~11-15 species of vertebrate prey, relatively abundant ungulate species provide 88-97% of biomass consumed by them. Although the dietary niche overlap among the three species was high (Pianka's index of 0.75-0.93), some specialized predation was observed. The largest ungulates, gaur _Bos gaurus_ and sambar _Cervus unicolor_, provided 73% of biomass consumed by tigers, whereas medium-sized chital _Axis axis_ and wild pig _Sus scro_fa formed 65 and 83% of the biomass intake of leopards and dholes, respectively. In terms of the relative numbers of prey animals killed by the three predators, chital, which is the most abundant prey species, dominated their diets (tiger=33%, leopard=39% and dhole=73%). The results of the study, in conjunction with earlier work, support the prediction that abundance of ungulate prey species, as well as their availability in different size classes, are both critical factors that facilitate sympatry among the three predators. |
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