Benefits of being a generalist carnivore when threatened by climate change: the comparative dietary ecology of two sympatric semelparous marsupials, including a new endangered species (Antechinus arktos)

The endangered black-tailed dusky antechinus (Antechinus arktos) was described in 2014, so most aspects of its ecology are unknown. We examined diet composition and prey selection of A. arktos and a sympatric congener, the northern form of A. stuartii, at two sites in Springbrook National Park. Overall, taxa from 25 invertebrate orders were identified in the diets from 252 scat samples. Dietary components were similar for each species, but A. arktos consumed a higher frequency and volume of dipteran larvae and Diplopoda, while A. stuartii consumed more Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Orthoptera and Isopoda. Both species of Antechinus had a higher percentage of ‘empty’ scats (devoid of any identifiable invertebrate material) in 2014 compared with 2015. The former was a drier year overall. Lower rainfall may have reduced abundance and diversity of arthropod prey, causing both species to supplement their diet with soft-bodied prey items such as earthworms, which are rarely detected in scats. Comparison of prey in scats with invertebrate captures from pitfall traps showed both species to be dietary generalists, despite exhibiting distinct preference and avoidance of certain prey categories. The ability of an endangered generalist marsupial to switch prey may be particularly advantageous considering the anticipated effects of climate change on Gondwanan rainforests during the mid-late 21st century.

Download Full-text

Diet composition and prey selection of vendace Coregonus albula in the mesotrophic, temperate Lake Ostrowite (Northern Poland)

Oceanological and Hydrobiological Studies ◽

10.2478/v10009-007-0036-z ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 37 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Tomasz Kakareko ◽

Paweł Napiórkowski ◽

Jacek Kozłowski

Keyword(s):

Diet Composition ◽

Prey Selection ◽

Temperate Lake ◽

Coregonus Albula ◽

Northern Poland ◽

Mesotrophic Lake ◽

Selection Of

Diet composition and prey selection of vendaceLake Ostrowite is a mesotrophic lake in Northern Poland 280.7 ha in area and 43 m deep at its deepest point. To study vendace (

Download Full-text

Prey species and prey selection of dholes at three different sites in Thailand

Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity ◽

10.13057/biodiv/d211128 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (11) ◽

Author(s):

KHWANRUTAI CHARASPET ◽

Ronglarp - Sukmasuang ◽

NORASET KHOEWSREE ◽

MANANYA PLA-ARD ◽

YUWALUK CHANACHAI

Keyword(s):

National Park ◽

Prey Species ◽

Dietary Diversity ◽

Prey Selection ◽

Selection Index ◽

Camera Traps ◽

Total Biomass ◽

Wildlife Sanctuary ◽

Khao Yai National Park ◽

Selection Of

Abstract. Charaspet K, Sukmasuang R, Khoewsree N, Pla-ard M, Chanachai Y. 2020. Prey species and prey selection of dholes at three different sites in Thailand. Biodiversitas 21: 5248-5262. The study of prey species and prey selection of Dholes at 3 different sites was conducted at Khao Yai National Park, Salak Pra, and Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries from 2013 to 2020. Information on Dhole prey at the sites was collected from the residues of dhole scats, from which the selection index, the relative biomass of the prey, and the relative amounts of the consumed prey were calculated. The data were collected simultaneously with the use of camera traps at each site. The study revealed that there were 13 species of Dhole prey with body weight over 5 kg. The result indicated that there were 7 species of even-toed ungulates. The relative biomass of even-toed ungulates ranged between 76.78 - 90.50% of the total biomass of all the Dholes’ consumed prey for all study sites. The dietary diversity index unveiled a similar index in all areas, which proved the adequacy of the analyzed scats. However, the Niche breadth index, which indicates the relevance of prey selection and prey species to the appearances of the prey at each site, was found to be high at Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Khao Yai National Park, while the index was found to be low at Salak Pra Wildlife Sanctuary. The results revealed that Dholes consumed viverrid species and Malayan porcupine more often at the site where there were large carnivores. The recommendation from this study was the conservation and restoration of the ungulate populations, the main prey, as it greatly affects the conservation of the Dhole populations in Thailand. Grassland and salt lick sites, water sources improvements are also important to promote prey population. The conservation of wildlife prey by releasing them to nature, as currently conducted, has an effect on the increase of Dholes’ prey species.

Download Full-text

The use of alkanes as markers for estimating diet composition in sheep and goats

BSAP Occasional Publication ◽

10.1017/s1463981500042205 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 34 ◽

pp. 15-20

Author(s):

L.M.M. Ferreira ◽

M. Oliván ◽

M.A.M. Rodrigues ◽

A. Dias-da-Silva ◽

K. Osoro

Keyword(s):

Lolium Perenne ◽

Diet Composition ◽

Animal Species ◽

Live Weight ◽

Dietary Treatment ◽

Dietary Components ◽

Dietary Treatments ◽

Long Chain ◽

Selection Of ◽

Plant Components

SummaryAn experiment was carried out to evaluate the use of alkanes for estimating diet composition of goats and sheep offered three different dietary treatments. Twelve animals as two groups of 4 crossbred goats (G1, 24 kg live weight; G2, 22 kg) and 4 crossbred sheep (S, 26 kg live weight), were housed in metabolism pens. Animals were offered daily a total of 1 kg DM/100 kg live weight. G1 received 70% ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and 30% gorse (Ulex gallii), G2 received 70% ryegrass and 30% heather (Erica sp.) and S group ate 100% ryegrass. Diet composition was estimated from the alkane concentrations (using all alkanes from C23 to C36 or only odd-chain alkanes C27, C29, C31 and C33) in diet and faeces (with or without correction for incomplete faecal recoveries) using least-squares procedures.Dietary treatment and animal species significantly affected alkane faecal recoveries, except for C24 and C36. When applying the faecal recovery corrections, there were no significant differences between measured proportions of dietary components and those estimated using all alkanes or odd-chain alkanes. In contrast, the proportions calculated without faecal recovery correction differed significantly (P<0.05) from the actual proportions and over-estimated the amount in the diet of those plant components with higher concentrations of long-chain alkanes (Erica sp. and Lolium perenne). The results indicate that alkanes are useful markers to estimate diet composition, however, it was observed that animal species and diet composition influenced the faecal recovery of alkanes. This suggests that the use of the alkane methodology for estimating the diet selection of grazing animals should be preceded by a calculation of the actual alkane faecal recoveries for each experimental condition.

Download Full-text

Seasonal changes in the diet composition and prey selection of walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) in the northern Gulf of Alaska

Fisheries Research ◽

10.1016/j.fishres.2006.11.032 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 84 (3) ◽

pp. 378-389 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Charles F. Adams ◽

Alexei I. Pinchuk ◽

Kenneth O. Coyle

Keyword(s):

Seasonal Changes ◽

Diet Composition ◽

Prey Selection ◽

Gulf Of Alaska ◽

Walleye Pollock ◽

Theragra Chalcogramma ◽

Walleye Pollock Theragra Chalcogramma ◽

Selection Of

Download Full-text

Foraging Decisions of Sandwich Terns in the Presence of Kleptoparasitising Gulls

The Auk ◽

10.1093/auk/119.2.473 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 119 (2) ◽

pp. 473-486

Author(s):

Eric W. M. Stienen ◽

Alex Brenninkmeijer

Keyword(s):

Diet Composition ◽

Prey Selection ◽

Food Shortage ◽

Larus Ridibundus ◽

Foraging Decisions ◽

Food Losses ◽

Sterna Sandvicensis ◽

The 1960S ◽

Potential Food ◽

Selection Of

AbstractWe studied prey selection of Sandwich Terns (Sterna sandvicensis) in the presence of kleptoparasitising Black-headed Gulls (Larus ridibundus) on Griend, Dutch Wadden Sea, from 1992 to 1998. Most often, gulls robbed larger sandeels rather than herring from terns. Provided that one parent attends the chick, energy intake would be too low for the chicks' survival if exclusively fed on sandeel. By provisioning an increasing proportion of herring, parent terns could theoretically overcome a potential food shortage when the chicks grow older. However, the proportion of herring did not increase with age of chicks in most years. Instead, parents increased their foraging effort with the growth of their offspring. In years with high proportions of food loss, parents left their chicks unattended at the nest more often. In that way, parents were largely able to counterbalance food shortage of offspring. In 1992 and 1996, when diet composition was unfavorable and food losses to gulls were high, parents left their chicks unattended at the nest for ∼80% of the daylight period. It is argued that the present working level of parents might be higher than in the 1960s.

Download Full-text