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<p>Understanding the dietary ecology of sympatric carnivores is crucial for assessing their trophic interactions and ecological roles. This study investigates the diet composition, dietary diversity, niche breadth and dietary overlap of two meso-carnivores ‒ red fox (<i>Vulpes vulpes</i>) and golden jackal (<i>Canis aureus</i>) in and around Bani Wildlife Sanctuary, northwestern Himalayas from November 2020 to December 2022. Using scat analysis, we identified 12 food items in jackal scats and 13 in fox scats, with both species exhibiting seasonal dietary shifts. Our results indicate that the red fox predominantly consumed rodents (Relative Frequency of Occurrence RFO = 12.06%), and birds (RFO = 13.87%), while the golden jackal consumed more livestock carrion (RFO = 20.89%) and rodents (RFO = 13.43%), and showed higher ingestion of human-derived materials (HDM, RFO = 18.09%), likely resulting from scavenging at anthropogenic waste sites. Seasonal variations significantly influenced food consumption, with birds consumed more in the winter and spring, livestock carrion peaking in the summer and autumn, and HDM represented more in the winter, particularly for the golden jackal. Dietary niche breadth analysis revealed broad trophic niches for both the species, with Levin index values of 7.54 for the red fox and 7.94 for the jackal, indicating higher dietary plasticity. Pianka’s niche overlap index (0.92 overall) suggests substantial dietary overlap, particularly in the winter (0.94), when both the species exploited similar food resources. Our findings underscore the growing influence of human activities on canid diets. Conservation efforts should focus on managing waste disposal and ensuring natural food availability to mitigate human-wildlife conflict and support these mesocarnivores in a changing landscape.</p>

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Dietary dynamics of wild canids (Mammalia: Canidae) in and around Bani Wildlife Sanctuary, northwestern Himalayas: insights into the trophic interaction and dietary overlap

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年9月1日

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  • Iyaz Quyoom,
  • Bilal A. Bhat,
  • Zakir Hussain Najar,
  • Wasim Sajad Malik

摘要

Understanding the dietary ecology of sympatric carnivores is crucial for assessing their trophic interactions and ecological roles. This study investigates the diet composition, dietary diversity, niche breadth and dietary overlap of two meso-carnivores ‒ red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and golden jackal (Canis aureus) in and around Bani Wildlife Sanctuary, northwestern Himalayas from November 2020 to December 2022. Using scat analysis, we identified 12 food items in jackal scats and 13 in fox scats, with both species exhibiting seasonal dietary shifts. Our results indicate that the red fox predominantly consumed rodents (Relative Frequency of Occurrence RFO = 12.06%), and birds (RFO = 13.87%), while the golden jackal consumed more livestock carrion (RFO = 20.89%) and rodents (RFO = 13.43%), and showed higher ingestion of human-derived materials (HDM, RFO = 18.09%), likely resulting from scavenging at anthropogenic waste sites. Seasonal variations significantly influenced food consumption, with birds consumed more in the winter and spring, livestock carrion peaking in the summer and autumn, and HDM represented more in the winter, particularly for the golden jackal. Dietary niche breadth analysis revealed broad trophic niches for both the species, with Levin index values of 7.54 for the red fox and 7.94 for the jackal, indicating higher dietary plasticity. Pianka’s niche overlap index (0.92 overall) suggests substantial dietary overlap, particularly in the winter (0.94), when both the species exploited similar food resources. Our findings underscore the growing influence of human activities on canid diets. Conservation efforts should focus on managing waste disposal and ensuring natural food availability to mitigate human-wildlife conflict and support these mesocarnivores in a changing landscape.