scholarly journals Catch me if you can: Species interactions and moon illumination effect on mammals of tropical semi-evergreen forest of Manas National Park, Assam, India

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
U.M. Bhatt ◽  
B. Habib ◽  
H.K. Sarma ◽  
S.L. Lyngdoh
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Sympatric Species ◽  
Foraging Efficiency ◽  
Large Prey ◽  
Large Carnivores ◽  
Moon Phase ◽  
Night Time ◽  
Large Carnivore ◽  
Temporal Overlap

AbstractSpecies interaction plays a vital role in structuring communities by stimulating behavioral responses in temporal niche affecting the sympatric associations and prey-predator relationships. We studied relative abundance indices (RAI) and activity patterns of each species, temporal overlap between sympatric species, and effects of moon cycle on predator-prey relationships, through camera-trapping in tropical semi-evergreen forests of Manas National Park. A total of 35 species were photo-captured with 16214 independent records over 7337 trap nights. Overall, relatively high number of photographs was obtained for large herbivores (11 species, n=13669), and low number of photographs were recorded for large carnivores (five species, n=657). Activity periods were classified into four categories: diurnal (day-time), nocturnal (night-time), crepuscular (twilight), and cathemeral (day and night time) of which 52% records were found in diurnal period followed by 37% in nocturnal phase whereas only 11% photographs during twilight. Small carnivores were strictly nocturnal (leopard cat and civets) or diurnal (yellow-throated marten and mongooses); whereas large carnivores were cathemeral (tiger, leopard, clouded leopard and Asiatic black bear). Analysis of activity patterns throughout the 24-h cycle revealed a high degree of temporal overlap (>60%) among most of the sympatric species; however, differences in the activity peaks were found between most of the species pairs. Moon phase was classified according to the percentage of visible moon surface as new (0-25%), waxing (25-50%), waning (50-75%) and full moon (75-100%). Moon phase did not have any correlation with activity of large carnivore and large prey. The large carnivore followed the feed and starve pattern of cyclic activity. The activity of small carnivore was influenced negatively by moonlight (partial correlation r = −0.221, p<0.01). The result suggests that large carnivores were active non-differentially across moon phases; however, small carnivores showed significantly high activity in darker nights. These patterns indicate that small predators may differ their activity temporally as an anti-predator strategy or otherwise to increase their foraging efficiency.

scholarly journals Temporal partitioning and spatiotemporal avoidance among large carnivores in a human-impacted African landscape

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. e0256876
Author(s):  
Charlotte E. Searle ◽  
Josephine B. Smit ◽  
Jeremy J. Cusack ◽  
Paolo Strampelli ◽  
Ana Grau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Impacts ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Species Conservation ◽  
Travel Behaviour ◽  
Sympatric Species ◽  
Large Carnivores ◽  
East African ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressures ◽  
Coexistence Mechanisms ◽  
Wild Dog

Africa is home to some of the world’s most functionally diverse guilds of large carnivores. However, they are increasingly under threat from anthropogenic pressures that may exacerbate already intense intra-guild competition. Understanding the coexistence mechanisms employed by these species in human-impacted landscapes could help shed light on some of the more subtle ways in which humans may impact wildlife populations, and inform multi-species conservation planning. We used camera trap data from Tanzania’s Ruaha-Rungwa landscape to explore temporal and spatiotemporal associations between members of an intact East African large carnivore guild, and determine how these varied across gradients of anthropogenic impact and protection. All large carnivores except African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) exhibited predominantly nocturnal road-travel behaviour. Leopard (Panthera pardus) appeared to employ minor temporal avoidance of lion (Panthera leo) in all sites except those where human impacts were highest, suggesting that leopard may have been freed up from avoidance of lion in areas where the dominant competitor was less abundant, or that the need for leopard to avoid humans outweighed the need to avoid sympatric competitors. Lion appeared to modify their activity patterns to avoid humans in the most impacted areas. We also found evidence of avoidance and attraction among large carnivores: lion and spotted hyaena (Crocuta crocuta) followed leopard; leopard avoided lion; spotted hyaena followed lion; and lion avoided spotted hyaena. Our findings suggest that large carnivores in Ruaha-Rungwa employ fine-scale partitioning mechanisms to facilitate coexistence with both sympatric species and humans, and that growing human pressures may interfere with these behaviours.

Comparative Aspects of Diet and Habitat in some New Caledonian Lizards

1987 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 349-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron M. Bauer ◽  
Kathleen D. De Vaney
Keyword(s):  
New Caledonia ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Sympatric Species ◽  
Diel Activity ◽  
Large Prey ◽  
Habitat Differences ◽  
Diel Activity Patterns ◽  
Important Food Source ◽  
Two Parameters ◽  
Eleven Species

AbstractNo comparative ecological studies have previously been conducted on the lizards of New Caledonia. This study examines two parameters of resource partitioning-diet and microhabitat, for eleven species of native lizards (Gekkonidae and Scincidae). Differences in diel activity patterns and coarse habitat differences tend to segregate geckos from skinks. Microhabitat and dietary differences were found among four sympatric species in a forest assemblage at Mt. Koyaboa, but retreat sites and some food resources were employed by all. Rock piles and crevices are important retreats for all the forest species studied and are a crude predictor of lizard abundance. Crickets and terrestrial isopods are the most important items in the diet of the predominant gecko Bavayia sauvagii. Though generally considered arboreal, this lizard is frequently active on the ground as well. Ants are an important food source of the forest skink Leiolopisma tricolor, whereas the ubiquitous ground skink Leiolopisma austrocaledonicum eats a wide variety of prey, with smaller individuals selectively taking smaller prey. Larger individuals consume feew large prey items but these may be of great energetic importance.

scholarly journals Maternal human habituation enhances sons’ risk of human-caused mortality in a large carnivore, brown bears

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michito Shimozuru ◽  
Yuri Shirane ◽  
Masami Yamanaka ◽  
Masanao Nakanishi ◽  
Tsuyoshi Ishinazaka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Large Carnivores ◽  
Brown Bears ◽  
Large Carnivore ◽  
Adult Females ◽  
Protection Area ◽  
Human Wildlife Conflict ◽  
Age And Sex ◽  
Overall Mortality

Abstract Human habituation of large carnivores is becoming a serious problem that generates human–wildlife conflict, which often results in the removal of animals as nuisances. Although never tested, human habituation potentially reduces the fitness of adult females by reducing their offspring’s survival as well as their own, due to an increased likelihood of human-caused mortality. Here, we tested this hypothesis in brown bears inhabiting Shiretoko National Park, Japan. We estimated the frequency of human-caused mortality of independent young (aged 1–4 years) born to mothers living in areas with different maternal levels of human habituation and different proximities to areas of human activity. The overall mortality rate was higher in males than in females, and in females living near a town than those in a remote area of park. Surprisingly, more than 70% of males born to highly habituated mothers living around a remote wildlife protection area were killed by humans; this proportion is greater than that for males born to less-habituated mothers living in almost the same area. The current study clarified that interactions among maternal human habituation, birthplace (proximity to town), age, and sex determine the likelihood of human-caused mortality of brown bears at an early stage of life.

scholarly journals Prey Size Decline as a Unifying Ecological Selecting Agent in Pleistocene Human Evolution

Quaternary ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 7
Author(s):  
Miki Ben-Dor ◽  
Ran Barkai
Keyword(s):  
Prey Size ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
Stone Tool ◽  
Foraging Efficiency ◽  
Energetic Cost ◽  
Large Prey ◽  
Biomass Density ◽  
Cultural Changes ◽  
Progressive Decline ◽  
Brain Expansion

We hypothesize that megafauna extinctions throughout the Pleistocene, that led to a progressive decline in large prey availability, were a primary selecting agent in key evolutionary and cultural changes in human prehistory. The Pleistocene human past is characterized by a series of transformations that include the evolution of new physiological traits and the adoption, assimilation, and replacement of cultural and behavioral patterns. Some changes, such as brain expansion, use of fire, developments in stone-tool technologies, or the scale of resource intensification, were uncharacteristically progressive. We previously hypothesized that humans specialized in acquiring large prey because of their higher foraging efficiency, high biomass density, higher fat content, and the use of less complex tools for their acquisition. Here, we argue that the need to mitigate the additional energetic cost of acquiring progressively smaller prey may have been an ecological selecting agent in fundamental adaptive modes demonstrated in the Paleolithic archaeological record. We describe several potential associations between prey size decline and specific evolutionary and cultural changes that might have been driven by the need to adapt to increased energetic demands while hunting and processing smaller and smaller game.

scholarly journals The Return of Large Carnivores and Extensive Farming Systems: A Review of Stakeholders’ Perception at an EU Level

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1735
Author(s):  
Marcello Franchini ◽  
Mirco Corazzin ◽  
Stefano Bovolenta ◽  
Stefano Filacorda
Keyword(s):  
Negative Attitude ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Large Carnivores ◽  
Direct Experience ◽  
Large Carnivore ◽  
Degree Of Acceptance ◽  
Extensive Farming ◽  
Over Time ◽  
The Eu

Conflicts between large carnivores and human activities undermine both the maintenance of livestock practices as well as the conservation of carnivores across Europe. Because large carnivore management is driven by a common EU policy, the purpose of this research was to assess stakeholders’ perception towards bears and wolves at an EU level. We conducted a systematic search and subsequent analysis of 40 peer-reviewed studies collected from 1990 to September 2020 within Member States of the EU. Rural inhabitants and hunters exhibited the most negative attitude compared to urban inhabitants and conservationists, whose attitude was more positive. We showed that direct experience with predators as a consequence of ongoing re-colonization may have affected the degree of acceptance of certain categories and that the long-term coexistence between humans and carnivores does not necessarily imply increased tolerance. To encourage coexistence, we recommend monitoring changes in attitudes over time relative to carnivore population dynamics.

Prey Body Size and Ranking in Zooarchaeology: Theory, Empirical Evidence, and Applications from the Northern Great Basin

2011 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 403-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack M. Broughton ◽  
Michael D. Cannon ◽  
Frank E. Bayham ◽  
David A. Byers
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Great Basin ◽  
Diet Breadth ◽  
Foraging Theory ◽  
Return Rate ◽  
The Body ◽  
Foraging Efficiency ◽  
Large Prey ◽  
Abundance Indices ◽  
Game Hunting

The use of body size as an index of prey rank in zooarchaeology has fostered a widely applied approach to understanding variability in foraging efficiency. This approach has, however, been critiqued—most recently by the suggestion that large prey have high probabilities of failed pursuits. Here, we clarify the logic and history of using body size as a measure of prey rank and summarize empirical data on the body size-return rate relationship. With few exceptions, these data document strong positive relationships between prey size and return rate. We then illustrate, with studies from the Great Basin, the utility of body size-based abundance indices (e.g., the Artiodactyl Index) when used as one component of multidimensional analyses of prehistoric diet breadth. We use foraging theory to derive predictions about Holocene variability in diet breadth and test those predictions using the Artiodactyl Index and over a dozen other archaeological indices. The results indicate close fits between the predictions and the data and thus support the use of body size-based abundance indices as measures of foraging efficiency. These conclusions have implications for reconstructions of Holocene trends in large game hunting in western North America and for zooarchaeological applications of foraging theory in general.

scholarly journals Table scraps: inter-trophic food provisioning by pumas

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 776-779 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Mark Elbroch ◽  
Heiko U. Wittmer
Keyword(s):  
Canis Lupus ◽  
National Park ◽  
Puma Concolor ◽  
Large Carnivores ◽  
Food Provisioning ◽  
Ecological Functions ◽  
Natural Systems ◽  
Food Subsidies ◽  
Vultur Gryphus ◽  
Natural Communities

Large carnivores perform keystone ecological functions through direct predation, or indirectly, through food subsidies to scavengers or trophic cascades driven by their influence on the distributions of their prey. Pumas ( Puma concolor ) are an elusive, cryptic species difficult to study and little is known about their inter-trophic-level interactions in natural communities. Using new GPS technology, we discovered that pumas in Patagonia provided 232 ± 31 kg of edible meat/month/100 km 2 to near-threatened Andean condors ( Vultur gryphus ) and other members of a diverse scavenger community. This is up to 3.1 times the contributions by wolves ( Canis lupus ) to communities in Yellowstone National Park, USA, and highlights the keystone role large, solitary felids play in natural systems. These findings are more pertinent than ever, for managers increasingly advocate controlling pumas and other large felids to bolster prey populations and mitigate concerns over human and livestock safety, without a full understanding of the potential ecological consequences of their actions.

Density and activity patterns of ocelot populations in Yasuní National Park, Ecuador

Mammalia ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 80 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Salvador ◽  
Santiago Espinosa
Keyword(s):  
Population Density ◽  
Habitat Loss ◽  
National Park ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Camera Trap ◽  
Oil Extraction ◽  
Density Estimates ◽  
Yasuni National Park ◽  
Ecuadorian Amazon

AbstractOcelots were historically hunted for their skins but habitat loss is now their most serious threat, causing rapid declines in populations throughout their range. Ocelot abundance has been estimated for various locations across the Neotropics, but we still lack this information from some countries, including Ecuador. Knowing whether ocelot abundance is increasing or decreasing is important to assess the conservation status of this species and the conditions of its habitats in the Ecuadorian Amazon and in the region. To determine whether ocelot abundance and its behavior are affected by human-related activities, camera-trap surveys were carried out in two localities of Yasuní National Park (YNP), one that has experienced hunting, oil extraction, and roads (Maxus Road) and one that is largely unaffected by these activities (Lorocachi). During the survey, 35 and 36 individual ocelots were photographed in Maxus Road and Lorocachi, respectively. Population density estimates were similar for both localities, ranging from 0.31 (SE±6) to 0.85 (SE±17) ocelots/km

scholarly journals River Otter Distribution and Food Habits in Grand Teton National Park as Part of an Ongoing Project in the GYE

2015 ◽  
Vol 38 ◽  
pp. 75-78
Author(s):  
Kelly Pearce ◽  
Tom Serfass
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Lontra Canadensis ◽  
Flagship Species ◽  
River Otter ◽  
Grand Teton National Park ◽  
River Otters

Grand Teton National Park is part of the known range of the North American river otter, however not much is known about this semi-aquatic mammal within the park. The results presented here are part of a larger project to investigate the potential of the river otter (Lontra canadensis) to serve as an aquatic flagship (species that engender public support and action) for the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. River otters, known for their charismatic behavior have the potential to serve as an aquatic flagship species to promote conservation of aquatic ecosystems. The primary objective of this portion of the study was to identify river otter latrines on portions of the Snake River, between Flagg Ranch and Jackson Lake, and between Jackson Lake Dam and Pacific Creek, collect river otter scats to determine diet of the river otter, and employ remote cameras to determine activity patterns of the river otters. Between 20 June and 1 July 2015, 26 river otter latrines were identified during shoreline surveys, 186 river otter scats were collected, and cameras were deployed at 6 latrines between 7 July and 24 August 2015. River otter scats have been cleaned and prepared for analysis, but have not all been processed to date. Camera traps recorded 222 images, of which 7% (n = 14) were of carnivores, 70% (n = 155) were of non-carnivore mammals, and 9% (n = 22) were of birds. River otters were detected at 1 of the 6 latrines, a total of 5 independent times during the study.

scholarly journals Seasonal activity pattern of Swamp deer (Rucervus duvaucelii duvaucelii) in Dudhwa National Park, Uttar Pradesh, India

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 246-253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaleem Ahmed ◽  
Jamal A. Khan
Keyword(s):  
Activity Pattern ◽  
National Park ◽  
Time Budget ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Winter Season ◽  
Uttar Pradesh ◽  
Seasonal Activity ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Continuous Feeding ◽  
Swamp Deer

The data on activity pattern and time budget of Swamp deer (Rucervus duvauceli duvauceli) were collected through instantaneous scan sampling from Dudhwa National Park, Uttar Pradesh, India Diurnal activity pattern of Swamp deer showed marked reduction in resting in winter as compared to summer. In winter resting in adult males showed polymodal pattern with peaks occurring at different hours of the day and continued throughout the day without any break. Feeding of adult females in winter and summer seasons showed a polymodal pattern with peaks occurring at different hours of the day without break. In yearling males feeding and resting was observed to occur throughout the day during winter season with peaks occurring between 11:00 to 12:00 hours. Yearling females showed continuous feeding throughout the day with peaks in different times in both the seasons. The seasonal distribution of activity patterns of the fawns showed that feeding was slightly more in summer as compared to winter. In time budget, of the expenditure on different activities, resting accounted for 63.77% and feeding 24.70%. In both the seasons resting was the major portion of their activity. Analysis showed that in all age and sex categories of Swamp deer in the Dudhwa NP, resting dominated on all other activities. The observation on endangered Swamp deer indicates synchronization in activity only in the feeding in the morning and evening hours and resting throughout the day.

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