Diet and prey profiles of three sympatric large carnivores in Bandipur Tiger Reserve, India

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 scrofa 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.     

Summer diving and haul‐out behavior of leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx) near mesopredator breeding colonies at Livingston Island,Antarctic Peninsula

Leopard seals are conspicuous apex predators in Antarctic coastal ecosystems, yet their foraging ecology is poorly understood. Historically, the ecology of diving vertebrates has been studied using high‐resolution time‐depth records; however, to date such data have not been available for leopard seals. Twenty‐one time‐depth recorders were deployed on seasonally resident adult females in January and February between 2008 and 2014. The average deployment length was 13.65 ± 11.45 d and 40,308 postfilter dives were recorded on 229 foraging trips. Dive durations averaged 2.20 ± 1.23 min. Dives were shallow with 90.1% measuring 30 m or less, and a mean maximum dive depth of 16.60 ± 10.99 m. Four dive types were classified using a k‐means cluster analysis and compared with corresponding animal‐borne video data. Dive activity (number of dives/hour) was concentrated at night, including crepuscular periods. Haul‐out probabilities were highest near midday and were positively correlated with available daylight. Visual observations and comparisons of diving activity between and within years suggest individual‐based differences of foraging effort by time of day. Finally, dive and video data indicate that in addition to at‐surface hunting, benthic searching and facultative scavenging are important foraging strategies for leopard seals near coastal mesopredator breeding colonies.     

Body size development of captive and free‐ranging Leopard tortoises (Geochelone pardalis)

The growth and weight development of Leopard tortoise hatchings (Geochelone pardalis) kept at the Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation (AWWP), Qatar, was observed for more than four years, and compared to data in literature for free‐ranging animals on body weight or carapace measurements. The results document a distinctively faster growth in the captive animals. Indications for the same phenomenon in other tortoise species (Galapagos giant tortoises, G. nigra; Spur‐thighed tortoises, Testudo graeca; Desert tortoises, Gopherus agassizi) were found in the literature. The cause of the high growth rate most likely is the constant provision with highly digestible food of low fiber content. Increased growth rates are suspected to have negative consequences such as obesity, high mortality, gastrointestinal illnesses, renal diseases, “pyramiding,” fibrous osteodystrophy or metabolic bone disease. The apparently widespread occurrence of high growth rates in intensively managed tortoises underlines how easily ectothermic animals can be oversupplemented with nutrients. Zoo Biol 29:517–525, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Examining genetic diversity and identifying polymorphic microsatellite markers for noninvasive genetic sampling of the Indochinese leopard (Panthera pardus delacouri)

Indochinese leopard (Panthera pardus delacouri) is one of the least-known leopard subspecies and occurs in mainland South-east Asia. Given the elusive nature, low density, and large movement ranges of leopard, noninvasive genetic sampling may be an effective approach for studying this subspecies. We examined the potential for 18 microsatellite loci to allow reliable identification of noninvasively collected leopard samples based on feces collected in eastern Cambodia. The expected heterozygosity calculated from 5 to 7 leopard individuals ranged from 0.49 to 0.91 with an average of 0.73, showing a high level of genetic diversity. Only the five most informative loci decreased the probability of identity for siblings (P_ID-sib) to less than 0.01, which would be sufficient for abundance estimation. A further increase of the number of loci up to 8–10 decreased the P_ID-sib to the level of 0.001–0.0001, which may be useful in cases of parentage analysis or forensic analysis. The microsatellite markers shown in the present study achieved a sufficient level of accuracy for individual identification, and thus, will be useful for examining abundance, genetic structure, or relatedness of the Indochinese leopard in future.     

东北虎豹生物多样性红外相机监测平台概述

东北虎豹生物多样性红外相机监测平台始建于2006年, 位于中国东北温带针阔混交林区, 覆盖老爷岭、张广才岭和完达山, 面积达1.5万多平方公里。平台的监测目标是从生态系统水平上对东北虎(Panthera tigris altaica)、东北豹(P. pardus orientalis)、有蹄类猎物及同域分布的其他哺乳动物、森林栖息生境、环境要素和人类活动等进行全面系统的调查和观测。截至2019年6月, 平台产生视频记录超过78.5万条, 有效相机工作日173.6万多天, 记录了28种野生兽类和32种野生鸟类。另外, 利用红外相机平台已经在野生动物多样性本底调查、虎豹种群分布、数量与扩散限制、同域食肉动物种间关系、动物生境利用等方面取得一些成果, 同时为东北虎豹国家公园生物多样性监测、评估和管理提供了科技支撑。     

三江源红外相机社区监测平台概述

三江源红外相机社区监测平台以当地牧民为监测工作的主体, 开展该地区的生物多样性监测、野生动物生态学和行为学研究, 以及基于社区的自然资源管理与保护成效评估。三江源红外相机社区监测平台于2013年10月由北京大学自然保护与社会发展研究中心与山水自然保护中心联合三江源当地社区共同建立与管理。截至2019年6月, 该平台共有有效监测样区9个, 监测覆盖面积7,000多平方公里, 覆盖三江源区域的玉树州全境五县一市和果洛州班玛县, 培养了社区监测队员264名。已处理照片总数252.43万张, 动物独立探测总数12万次, 共识别出30种野生兽类和37种野生鸟类。该平台在调查野生动物多样性本底, 研究雪豹(Panthera uncia)种群密度与动态、雪豹与同域分布的其他食肉动物的关系, 总结社区监测的管理经验等方面取得部分成果。平台未来的工作重点包括总结与发表平台的研究结果、构建云端数据库实现红外相机照片数据的共享与公众参与、打造可互动数据库管理平台和相应监测队员手持客户端以及人工智能辅助下的物种与个体识别。     

Key factors and related principles in the conservation of large African carnivores

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