Feeding ecology of cheetahs in the Maasai Mara, Kenya and the potential for intra- and interspecific competition
| Autor: | Matt W. Hayward, David Thuo, Femke Broekhuis |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2018 |
| Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
carnivores media_common.quotation_subject prey profiles Population 010603 evolutionary biology 01 natural sciences Intraspecific competition Competition (biology) Predation feeding ecology biology.animal Acinonyx jubatus Carnivore education cheetah Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics media_common education.field_of_study lion biology prey selection Ecology 010604 marine biology & hydrobiology Interspecific competition Animal Science and Zoology Panthera competition |
| Zdroj: | Journal of Zoology, 304(1), 65-72 Journal of Zoology 304 (2018) 1 |
| ISSN: | 0952-8369 |
| Popis: | Competition is an important ecological factor influencing the population dynamics of carnivores especially as shifts in prey selection could have negative consequences for other members of the carnivore guild. It is therefore important to determine a species' resource requirements to help understand the potential degree and consequences of competition. Cheetahs Acinonyx jubatus compete over resources with larger carnivores, such as lions Panthera leo. While cheetahs generally favour smaller prey than lions, male cheetahs frequently occur in coalitions and are larger than solitary females. This could result in male cheetahs killing larger prey and potentially competing more directly with lions than female cheetahs. To determine the potential for both intra- and interspecific competition, we analysed data on 194 cheetah and 214 lion kills, and compared the feeding ecology of four cheetah social groups: single females, females with cubs, single males and male coalitions to that of lions in the Maasai Mara, Kenya. The results show that the greatest potential for interspecific competition is between male cheetahs, especially those in coalitions, and lions. Intraspecific competition is most likely to occur between singleton females and females with cubs. Understanding these ecological relationships is key, especially when prey become scarce. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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