Patterns of foraging and range use by three species of neotropical primates

This paper describes the diet and range use patterns of the three species of primates in Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica (Ateles geoffroyi, Alouatta palliata, andCebus capucinus) and examines the variation in these variables as they relate to seasonal changes and concomitant changes in food availability. These three primate species were studied over a four-year period for a total of 24 months in the field. Santa Rosa National Park is in an area that experiences a long severe dry season in which little if any rain falls and the majority of the non-riparian trees lose their leaves. However, even though the three species were very flexible in terms of diet and range use, the behavioural variability did not correspond to changes in food availability or season.     

A comparison of two mountain gorilla habitats in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda, is a small protected area (331 km²) within which there is large climatic and altitudinal variation. Therefore we compared habitat types and forest composition between two locations to investigate differences that may influence ecological conditions for large mammals, including endangered mountain gorillas. We demonstrate that there is considerable intersite variation in habitat types and spatial and temporal availability of vegetation resources of which the most apparent are the differences in species composition of plants and fruit availability. Buhoma (the lower altitude site) has a greater diversity of plant species and higher tree and shrub densities, yet has a much lower density of herbaceous vegetation eaten by gorillas compared with Ruhija. Fruit availability is significantly higher throughout the year in Buhoma compared with Ruhija. Both sites exhibit seasonal variation in fruit availability although they do not follow the same seasonal pattern, perhaps because of inherent asynchronous phenological differences amongst individual tree species. The results of this study are important because distribution and abundance of both terrestrial herbaceous vegetation and fruit resources are believed to influence aspects of feeding ecology for large mammals.     

Diet and habitat use of frillneck lizards in a seasonal tropical environment

A population of frillneck lizards, Chlamydosaurus kingii, was monitored by mark-recapture and telemetry over a 2 year period in Kakadu National Park. The aims of the study were to document changes in diet, growth, condition and habitat use between the wet and dry seasons of northern Australia, in light of recent research examining seasonal variation in the physiology of this species. Frillneck lizards feed on a diverse range of invertebrates in both seasons, even though there is a substantial reduction in food avail-ability in the dry season. Harvester termites from the genus Drepanotermes constitute a major component of the diet, and the prevalence of termites in the diet of sedentary foragers in a tropical environment is unusual. Adult male body condition remained relatively stable throughout the year, but females experienced considerable variation. These differences are attributed to different reproductive roles of the sexes. Growth in C. kingii was restricted to the wet season, when food availability was high, and growth was minimal in the dry season when food availability was low. The method used in catching lizards was an important factor in determining seasonal habitat use. Telemetered lizards selected a significantly different distribution of tree species than was randomly available, and they selected significantly larger tree species during the dry season. Lizards spotted along roadsides showed little seasonal variation in the selection of tree species or tree sizes. The results suggest a comprehensive change in the ecology of this species, in response to an annual cycle of low food and moisture availability, followed by a period with few resource restrictions.     

Is Diet Flexibility an Adaptive Life Trait for Relictual and Peri-Urban Populations of the Endangered Primate Macaca sylvanus?

Habitat loss, fragmentation and urban expansion may drive some species to marginal habitats while others succeed in exploiting urban areas. Species that show dietary flexibility are more able to take advantage of human activities to supplement their diet with anthropogenically abundant and accessible resources. The Barbary macaque (Macaca sylvanus) is an endangered species due to the loss of its habitat, and human pressure. The population of Gouraya National Park (Algeria) lives in a relictual habitat that constitutes about 0.6% of the species range. In addition, this population is a unique case where urban expansion favours contact zones between Barbary macaque habitats and a big city (Bejaia). We quantified the dietary composition of Gouraya macaques over an annual cycle with the objective to understand how diet flexibility of this species may help it adapt to a relictual habitat or cope with urban expansion. We recorded the phenology of plant species every month. This study shows that Gouraya macaques, compared to those living in other forest types of the distribution area, are under lower seasonal constraints. They consume a greater amount of fruit and seeds that are available throughout much of the year, and a lesser amount of costly to find and extract subterranean foods. Therefore the Gouraya relictual habitat appears as a favourable environment compared to other major habitats of that species. This study also shows that colonizing peri-urban zones increases the availability and species richness of diet resources for Barbary macaques as they consume more human foods and exotic plants than in farther sites. Adult males eat more human foods than adult females and immatures do. The exploitation of high-energy anthropogenic food could favour macaque population growth and expansion towards the city center associated with human/macaque conflicts. We recommend applying management actions to restore macaques back to their natural habitat.     

Latitudinal range influences the seasonal variation in the foraging behavior of marine top predators

Non-migratory resident species should be capable of modifying their foraging behavior to accommodate changes in prey abundance and availability associated with a changing environment. Populations that are better adapted to change will have higher foraging success and greater potential for survival in the face of climate change. We studied two species of resident central place foragers from temperate and equatorial regions with differing population trends and prey availability associated to season, the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) (CSL) whose population is increasing and the endangered Galapagos sea lion (Zalophus wollebaeki) (GSL) whose population is declining. To determine their response to environmental change, we studied and compared their diving behavior using time-depth recorders and satellite location tags and their diet by measuring C and N isotope ratios during a warm and a cold season. Based on latitudinal differences in oceanographic productivity, we hypothesized that the seasonal variation in foraging behavior would differ for these two species. CSL exhibited greater seasonal variability in their foraging behavior as seen in changes to their diving behavior, foraging areas and diet between seasons. Conversely, GSL did not change their diving behavior between seasons, presenting three foraging strategies (shallow, deep and bottom divers) during both. GSL exhibited greater dive and foraging effort than CSL. We suggest that during the warm and less productive season a greater range of foraging behaviors in CSL was associated with greater competition for prey, which relaxed during the cold season when resource availability was greater. GSL foraging specialization suggests that resources are limited throughout the year due to lower primary production and lower seasonal variation in productivity compared to CSL. These latitudinal differences influence their foraging success, pup survival and population growth reflected in contrasting population trends in which CSL are more successful and potentially more resilient to climate change.     

Diet composition of chimpanzees inhabiting the montane forest of Kahuzi,Democratic Republic of Congo

The diet of chimpanzees was investigated by direct observations, feeding remains, and fecal analysis from January 1994 to December 2000 in the montane forest of Kahuzi-Biega National Park. A total of 171 food items were identified, among which 156 items were plant materials belonging to 114 species from 57 taxonomic families. Chimpanzees consumed 66 species of fruits (62 species of pulps and four species of seeds). Results of fecal analysis showed that fig fruits were the most frequently eaten. Their seeds occurred in 92% of a total of 7212 chimpanzee fecal samples. The chimpanzees changed their diet according to seasonal and annual variations in both abundance and diversity of fruit species. However, they are very selective frugivores. Only a few pulp-fruit species are regularly identified in their fecal samples. During the rainy season, when ripe fruit was scarce, chimpanzees relied heavily on piths and leaves. They swallowed leaves of two species of Commelinaceae without chewing, probably for medical purposes. Animal foods were eaten infrequently. The montane forest of Kahuzi, where chimpanzees range up to 2600 m above sea level, may be the highest altitudinal limit ever recorded for their distribution. Compared to other chimpanzee habitats, Kahuzi has a low diversity of fruit species and the availability of a few pulp-fruit species may be critical to the survival of Kahuzi chimpanzees.     

Mass gained during breeding positively correlates with adult survival because both reflect life history adaptation to seasonal food availability

Both mass (as a measure of body reserves) during breeding and adult survival should reflect variation in food availability. Those species that are adapted to less seasonally variable foraging niches and so where competition dominates during breeding, will tend to have a higher mass increase via an interrupted foraging response, because their foraging demands increase and so become more unpredictable. They will then produce few offspring per breeding attempt, but trade this off with higher adult survival. In contrast, those species that occupy a more seasonal niche will not gain mass because foraging remains predictable, as resources become superabundant during breeding. They can also produce more offspring per breeding attempt, but with a trade-off with reduced adult survival. We tested whether the then predicted positive correlation between levels of mass gained during seasonal breeding and adult survival was present across 40 species of tropical bird measured over a 10-year period in a West African savannah. We showed that species with a greater seasonal mass increase had higher adult survival, controlling for annual mass variation (i.e. annual variation in absolute food availability) and variation in the timing of peak mass (i.e. annual predictability of food availability), clutch size, body size, migratory status and phylogeny. Our results support the hypothesis that the degree of seasonal mass variation in birds is probably an indication of life history adaptation: across tropical bird species it may therefore be possible to use mass gain during breeding as an index of adult survival.     

Feeding Strategies of Brown Howler Monkeys in Response to Variations in Food Availability

Primates display varying degrees of behavioral flexibility that allow them to adjust their diet to temporal changes in food availability. This trait might be critical for the survival of folivorous-frugivorous species inhabiting small forest fragments, where the availability of food resources tends to be lower than in large fragments and continuous forests. However, the scarcity of studies addressing this issue hampers our understanding of the adaptive behaviors that favor the survival of these primates in low-quality habitats. We conducted a 36-mo study testing the hypothesis that brown howler monkeys (Alouatta guariba clamitans) are able to adjust their diet in response to local and seasonal changes in resource availability. We compared the diet of six free-ranging groups inhabiting three small (<10 ha) and three large (>90 ha) Atlantic forest fragments in southern Brazil and estimated the temporal availability of their top food species (i.e., those species that together contribute ≥80% of total feeding records). We found that brown howlers exploited similarly rich diets in small (45, 54, and 57 plant species) and large (48, 51, and 56 species) fragments. However, intermonth diet similarity was higher for groups in small fragments, where howlers also fed on plant items from nine alien species. Fruits and leaves were the most consumed plant items in both small (42% and 49% of feeding records, respectively) and large (51% and 41%, respectively) fragments. The consumption of young leaves was higher in small than in large fragments, whereas the consumption of other plant items did not show a pattern related to fragment size. Regarding the contribution of growth forms as food sources, only the exploitation of palms showed a pattern related to fragment size. Palms contributed more to the diet of groups inhabiting large fragments. The availability of seasonal food items–ripe fruits and young leaves–influenced their consumption in both habitat types. Therefore, brown howlers cope with local and seasonal fluctuations in food availability by opportunistically exploiting resources. We believe that this feeding flexibility is a key component of the phenotypic plasticity that enables howlers to thrive in disturbed habitat patches, where periods of scarcity of preferred foods shall be more common.     

Seasonal diet preferences of black rhinoceros in three arid South African National Parks

Black rhinoceros diet and browse availability was investigated in Augrabies Falls (AFNP), Karoo (KRNP) and Vaalbos National Parks (VNP) in South Africa. Rhino tracks were followed and 18,804 standard bite volumes recorded. Browse availability of each plant species was recorded by measuring 14,800 plants and calculating reachable browse volume. The diet comprised 51, 53 and 41 plant species in AFNP, KRNP and VNP, respectively, but three species accounted for more than 65% of the diet in each park, making diet less diverse than available browse in AFNP and KRNP. Browse availability explained 14%, 15% and 52% of diet selection in AFNP, KRNP and VNP, with consumption of most plant species significantly different from availability. A few plant species were so highly preferred that browsing intensities were unsustainable, while some common species were totally rejected. Pressure on the eaten browse averaged 4.4%, 14.5% and 1.3% annually of the volume in AFNP, KRNP and VNP. In the dry season, there was a two to sevenfold increase in browsing pressure on species with actively photosynthesizing tissues. A few key species, including Monechma and Zygophyllum species, were identified as potential early warning indicators of black rhino browsing impact.     

Chimpanzee ranging responses to fruit availability in a high-elevation environment

Most primates experience seasonal fluctuations in the availability of food resources and face the challenge of balancing energy expenditure with energy gain during periods of resource scarcity. This is likely to be particularly challenging in rugged, montane environments, where available energy is relatively low and travel costs are high. Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) show extensive behavioral diversity across study sites. Yet, as most research has focused on low- and mid-elevation sites, little is known on how chimpanzees respond to periods of low fruit availability in harsh montane environments. We use focal follow and phenology data to investigate how fruit availability influences daily path length and monthly home range in chimpanzees living in Nyungwe National Park, a montane forest in Rwanda. Nyungwe chimpanzees decreased their daily travel distances during periods of fruit scarcity. However, this decrease in travel effort did not correspond with a decrease in foraging area. Instead, monthly homes ranges shifted location across the study period. Nyungwe chimpanzees occupy a relatively wide altitudinal range and the shifts in monthly home range location may reflect differences in the altitudinal distribution of food resources. Chimpanzee monthly diet was often dominated by one or two species and each of these species were confined to different elevation zones. One important species, Podocarpus latifolius, grew only at high elevations (2,600–2,950 m) and chimpanzees ranged at the altitudinal peak of their range for 2 consecutive months while feeding on this species. Thus, while high elevations are often thought to be harsh environments for primates, they can be an important part of a species’ home range when they provide a refugium for densely distributed, important food species.     

Local and seasonal variations of roe deer diet in relation to food resource availability in a Mediterranean environment

Feeding behaviour patterns of European roe deer are well known but not in their southern range, where in contrast to Central and northern Europe the climate is characterised by mild winters, but hot and dry summer months. Spatial and temporal variations of the roe deer diet were investigated by analyses of 597 faecal samples in a coastal area in Italy. The aim was to evaluate the adaptive strategies of dietary intake to seasonal availability of different forage types in areas of fairly natural Mediterranean scrubwood and different areas dominated by agricultural habitats. A wide range of plant taxa (151 species/genera) was used, belonging to eight categories. A gradient was found from a diet dominated by woody plants and fruits in natural habitats to one characterised by cultivated plants in the agricultural areas. Usage of forage categories in areas dominated by woodland was proportional to their availability, whereas diet selection was found in the agricultural habitats, particularly marked in summer, the time at which food quantity and quality decreased due to harvest and drought. As to seasonal variation, the summer and autumn diets included more deciduous browse, whereas the winter diet was characterised by an increasing use of cereals and grass. In most areas, half-woody browse and fruit were preferred; grass and cereals were used less than expected by their availability. Most probably, selective behaviour patterns are linked to the difference of quality between plants together with their variable abundance, which is more evident in agricultural areas than in the woodland.     

Niche breadth and trophic diversity: feeding behaviour of the red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) towards environmental availability of aquatic macroinvertebrates in a rice field (Portugal)

The red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii (Girard 1852), an alien species in Portugal, may have dramatic effects on aquatic communities by depleting all food resources available, just after its introduction. The purpose of this study was to evaluate, through the concept of niche breadth, whether the diet of this species reflected the temporal changes of aquatic macroinvertebrate availability once it is acclimated. Petraitis’ index of niche breadth and Herrera’s trophic diversity index were used to evaluate the trophic behaviour of P. clarkii towards available resources over time and intraspecifically (size classes and sex) in a rice field in Portugal. Results from this study showed that the consumption of aquatic macroinvertebrates by P. clarkii reflected their seasonal availability. The high values of niche breadth and trophic diversity indicated resource use according to trophic availability, diversified diets and different individual exploitation of resources regardless of size or sex. These findings suggest that in habitats where P. clarkii is already acclimated, it adjusted its trophic behaviour to the seasonal availability of aquatic macroinvertebrates. The large niche breadth and high trophic diversity presented by P. clarkii enables it to successfully expand its range to new areas, when other environmental conditions are favourable, as has been observed in Portugal and worldwide.     

Ranging Behavior of Two Species of Guenons (Cercopithecus lhoesti and C. mitis doggetti) in the Nyungwe Forest Reserve,Rwanda

I studied the ranging behavior of one group of L'Hoest's monkeys (Cercopithecus lhoesti) and one group of blue monkeys (C. mitis doggetti) in the Nyungwe Forest Reserve, Rwanda. This study is the first to examine the ranging behavior of the more terrestrial L'Hoest's monkeys. Fruits composed 47% of blue monkey diet and 24% of the L'Hoest's monkey diet; terrestrial herbaceous vegetation composed 35% of the diet of the latter. While overall abundance of fruit resources in the home range and overall proportion of fruit in the diet were not related to ranging behavior in either group, temporal and spatial availability of specific fruit species was related. Measures of ranging behavior indicated a more concentrated ranging pattern when fruit resources were scarce and dietary diversity increased and when fruit resources were abundant and the groups focused on a few abundant fruit species. Current hypotheses concerning primate ranging behavior suggest that frugivorous species are expected to have greater day ranges and larger home ranges than folivorous species, and invertebrate consumption is expected to produce a more wide-ranging pattern. However, the L'Hoest's monkey group, which was more folivorous and consumed fewer invertebrates, traveled greater daily distances, had a more diverse and longer ranging pattern, and had larger home range areas than the blue monkey group in every month of the study. Both species were highly selective of forest habitats; L'Hoest's monkeys used secondary forest, while blue monkeys preferred primary forest.     

Diet of common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) off the south-east coast of southern Africa: opportunism or specialization?

A total of 297 common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) stomachs was used for these diet analyses. All originated from common dolphins incidentally captured in Natal, where their occurrence is strongly associated with an annual, northward fish migration, the sardine run, along the east coast. Thirty-six fish and four cephalopod prey species were identified. Though 86.9% by weight of the diet was made up of only five prey species, common dolphins appear to feed opportunistically, their diet reflecting local prey abundance and availability. Prey were primarily small, easily-caught, pelagic shoaling species, with the main prey being South African pilchard (Sardinops ocellatus). Although pilchard dominated the diet between 1974 and 1992, there were marked annual and seasonal fluctuations in dietary composition, reflecting changes in prey availability and abundance. There were clear differences in the contribution of particular prey species to the diet of different sex and size groups, with strong evidence for resource partitioning between groups. The influence of the annual 'sardine run', and the fish predators associated with it, on the diet, feeding biology and distribution of common dolphins is discussed.     

Shift in Black Rhinoceros Diet in the Presence of Elephant: Evidence for Competition?

In African large herbivore assemblages, megaherbivores dominate the biomass and utilise the greatest share of available resources. Consequently, they are considered a separate trophic guild that structures the food niches of coexisting large herbivores. However, there exists little empirical evidence on how food resources are shared within this guild, and none for direct competition for food between megaherbivores. Using the histological analysis of faeces, we explore this phenomenon for African elephant Loxodonta africana and black rhinoceros Diceros bicornis in the Addo Elephant National Park, South Africa, where the accumulated impacts of elephant have reduced browse availability. Despite being unable to generalise beyond our study sites, our observations support the predictions of competition theory (as opposed to optimality theory) by showing (1) a clear seasonal separation in resource use between these megaherbivores that increased as resource availability declined, and (2) rhinoceros changed their selectivity in the absence of elephant (using an adjacent site) by expanding and shifting their diet along the grass-browse continuum, and in relation to availability. Although black rhinoceros are generally considered strict browsers, the most significant shift in diet occurred as rhinoceros increased their preferences for grasses in the presence of elephant. We speculate that the lack of specialised grazing adaptations may increase foraging costs in rhinoceros, through reduced harvest- and handling-efficiencies of grasses. In the short-term, this may be off-set by an enhanced tolerance for low quality food and by seasonally mobilising fat reserves; however, the long-term fitness consequences require further study. Our data suggest that managing elephant at high densities may compromise the foraging opportunities of coexisting browsers. This may be particularly important in small, fenced areas and overlapping preferred habitats where impacts intensify.     

Implications of small scale variation in ecological conditions for the diet and density of red colobus monkeys

In this 3-year investigation we documented patterns of density, diet, and activity of red colobus monkeys (Procolobus tephrosceles) in six areas in or near Kibale National Park, Uganda and related these patterns to availability of food resources. There were large differences in the density and behavior of the red colobus among the sites. For example, the red colobus at one site with a diverse plant community of more than 61 tree species, had a diet that included at least 42 species. In contrast, at a second site red colobus spent 92% of their feeding time eating from one species that dominated the tree community. The density of important red colobus food trees varied among sites from 32 trees/ha to 204 trees/ha, and red colobus density ranged from 0.70 groups/km² to 7.41 groups/km². Among sites, red colobus density was related to the cumulative DBH of important food trees, when one apparently anomalous site was excluded, and populations with more plant species in their diets tended to be those that were found at higher densities. Activity budgets of the red colobus populations varied markedly among sites. For example, feeding time ranged among sites from 29 to 55%, and traveling varied from 5 to 20%. When faced with increased foraging demands, red colobus reduced the time spent resting, while the time spent socializing remained fairly constant. Comparative socioecological studies typically contrast species separated by large geographical distances to ensure there is sufficient variation in the environment to detect behavioral responses. The marked differences in ecological conditions and red colobus behavior we documented over short geographical distances, suggests that small-scale contrasts are a useful tool to examine ecological determinants of behavior and community structure.     

Are fission–fusion dynamics consistent among populations? A large‐scale study with Cape buffalo

Fission–fusion dynamics allow animals to manage costs and benefits of group living by adjusting group size. The degree of intraspecific variation in fission–fusion dynamics across the geographical range is poorly known. During 2008–2016, 38 adult female Cape buffalo were equipped with GPS collars in three populations located in different protected areas (Gonarezhou National Park and Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe; Kruger National Park, South Africa) to investigate the patterns and environmental drivers of fission–fusion dynamics among populations. We estimated home range overlap and fission and fusion events between Cape buffalo dyads. We investigated the temporal dynamics of both events at daily and seasonal scales and examined the influence of habitat and distance to water on event location. Fission–fusion dynamics were generally consistent across populations: Fission and fusion periods lasted on average between less than one day and three days. However, we found seasonal differences in the underlying patterns of fission and fusion, which point out the likely influence of resource availability and distribution in time on group dynamics: During the wet season, Cape buffalo split and associated more frequently and were in the same or in a different subgroup for shorter periods. Cape buffalo subgroups were more likely to merge than to split in open areas located near water, but overall vegetation and distance to water were very poor predictors of where fission and fusion events occurred. This study is one of the first to quantify fission–fusion dynamics in a single species across several populations with a common methodology, thus robustly questioning the behavioral flexibility of fission–fusion dynamics among environments.     

Fuel deposition of three passerine bird species along the migration route

The rate at which migrant birds replenish their energy stores at intermittent stopovers largely determines overall migration speed, the manner in which migration proceeds and success of migration. In this study, data on the fuel deposition rate (FDR) of three long-distance migrants from 17 ringing sites along their autumn migration route were used to examine: (1) effects of endogenous factors on FDR, and (2) how relationships between exogenous factors and FDR affect the organisation of migration. We developed a model to estimate FDR from retrapped birds which takes into account time of day and various other factors which might influence FDR. The two endogenous factors, moult and current energy stores, generally reduced FDR. This may result in lower departure energy loads and more stopovers than expected from optimal migration theory. Differences between species with respect to seasonal, year-to-year and geographical patterns of FDR could be related to differences in availability and predictability of food resources, and help to explain differences in the organisation of migration. A low FDR in northern and central Europe could be related to low, but predictable, food resources and an early departure during moult of the reed warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus); FDRs varying between years were related to large spatial and year-to-year variation in the density of the main prey of the sedge warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus); and a high FDR in the garden warbler (Sylvia borin) was related to abundant food resources, due to a switch from a purely invertebrate diet to a mixed diet including fruits which are abundant over large areas of Europe and north Africa. This study demonstrated that the organisation of migration is the outcome of a complex interplay of the seasonal timing of moult, food availability and predictability and a seasonal switch in diet, and can be modified by individual birds in response to a limited amount of time in which to migrate. Received: 26 April 1999 / Accepted: 24 September 1999     

Climate‐driven spatial mismatches between British orchards and their pollinators: increased risks of pollination deficits

Understanding how climate change can affect crop‐pollinator systems helps predict potential geographical mismatches between a crop and its pollinators, and therefore identify areas vulnerable to loss of pollination services. We examined the distribution of orchard species (apples, pears, plums and other top fruits) and their pollinators in Great Britain, for present and future climatic conditions projected for 2050 under the SRES A1B Emissions Scenario. We used a relative index of pollinator availability as a proxy for pollination service. At present, there is a large spatial overlap between orchards and their pollinators, but predictions for 2050 revealed that the most suitable areas for orchards corresponded to low pollinator availability. However, we found that pollinator availability may persist in areas currently used for fruit production, which are predicted to provide suboptimal environmental suitability for orchard species in the future. Our results may be used to identify mitigation options to safeguard orchard production against the risk of pollination failure in Great Britain over the next 50 years; for instance, choosing fruit tree varieties that are adapted to future climatic conditions, or boosting wild pollinators through improving landscape resources. Our approach can be readily applied to other regions and crop systems, and expanded to include different climatic scenarios.     

Dietary preference of cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) in south‐eastern Kenya

The conversion of natural ecosystems due to anthropogenic activities has led to the destruction of natural habitats and to the deterioration of habitat quality. Top predators particularly respond sensitively to changes in habitat structures, including the availability of prey. The cheetah Acinonyx jubatus prefers small‐medium‐sized, wild ungulate prey due to the cheetah''s morphological adaptations. However, the majority of the species’ population is found beyond protected areas, where habitat structures, species abundances, and community composition are highly influenced by human activities. Only few studies have analyzed the diet preference of cheetahs in relation to prey availability and abundance for rangelands beyond protected areas in Eastern Africa. The study aimed to determine cheetah prey preference in the rangelands of south‐eastern Kenya based on scat analyses. We compared dietary preference of cheetah with prey availability. For this purpose, we conducted standardized game counts. We analyzed 27 cheetah scat samples collected across the same study area where we also conducted game counts. We found that Grant''s gazelle Gazella granti contributed the highest portion of cheetah''s diet, although Thomson''s gazelle Gazella thomsonii was the most abundant medium‐sized ungulate prey in the study areas. We also recorded two primate species, yellow baboon Papio cynocephalus and vervet monkey Chlorocebus pygerythrus, as well as the rock hyrax Procavia capensis in the cheetah diet. These species have never been documented as cheetah prey before. Furthermore, our results document livestock as potential prey for cheetahs. These observations underline that cheetah use diverse prey in rangelands outside protected areas, and that the abundance of specific prey does not influence cheetah prey preference.