Diet and Prey Selection of Dholes in Evergreen and Deciduous Forests of Southeast Asia

Autor: Visattha In, Sovanna Prum, Arlyne Johnson, Anita Bousa, David W. Macdonald, Rachel Crouthers, Chanratana Pin, Chantavy Vongkhamheng, Anthony Caragiulo, Susana Rostro-García, Chen Pay, Jan F. Kamler, Khamtai Thatdokkham
Rok vydání: 2020
Předmět:
Zdroj: The Journal of Wildlife Management. 84:1396-1405
ISSN: 1937-2817
0022-541X
DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21931
Popis: Endangered dholes (Cuon alpinus) are restricted to small and declining populations in Southeast Asia, and little is known about how their ecology differs within the region. We used DNA‐confirmed scats and prey surveys to determine the seasonal diet and prey selection of dholes in 2 different landscapes that dominate Southeast Asia: closed evergreen forests in hilly terrain in northern Laos, and open deciduous forests in relatively flat terrain in eastern Cambodia. On both sites, muntjac (Muntiacus spp.; 20–28 kg) was the dominant prey item and was selectively consumed over other ungulates in all seasons. Our findings differ from previous conclusions, based largely on studies from India, that the preferred prey weight range of dholes was either 40–60 kg or 130–190 kg. Other important prey were sambar (Rusa unicolor) in Laos, and wild pig (Sus scrofa) and banteng (Bos javanicus) in Cambodia. Seasonal differences in overall diet occurred in Laos, but not Cambodia, primarily because of an increase in livestock consumption. The mean number of dhole scats in group defecation sites was higher in Cambodia (5.9 ± 0.5 [SE]) than Laos (2.4 ± 0.2), suggesting pack sizes were larger in Cambodia. Our results suggest that regardless of land cover type, prey diversity, or pack size, the management of muntjac will be important for conserving dhole populations in Southeast Asia. In Laos, we recommend that local villagers remove livestock from the protected area during the hot‐dry season to reduce livestock predation by dholes.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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