Sympatric snow leopards and Tibetan wolves: coexistence of large carnivores with human-driven potential competition
The snow leopard Panthera uncia coexists with the wolf Canis lupus throughout most of its distribution range. We analysed the food habits of snow leopards and wolves in their sympatric range in the Karakoram mountains of Pakistan. A total of 131 genotyped scats (N = 74, snow leopard; N = 57, Tibetan...
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/11365/1062612 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-017-1151-0 http://www.springeronline.com/journal/10344 |
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ftunivsiena:oai:usiena-air.unisi.it:11365/1062612 2024-04-14T08:10:08+00:00 Sympatric snow leopards and Tibetan wolves: coexistence of large carnivores with human-driven potential competition Bocci, Anna Lovari, Sandro Khan, Muhammad Zafar Mori, Emiliano Bocci, Anna Lovari, Sandro Khan, Muhammad Zafar Mori, Emiliano 2017 STAMPA http://hdl.handle.net/11365/1062612 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-017-1151-0 http://www.springeronline.com/journal/10344 eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/WOS:000418192400004 volume:63 issue:6 firstpage:1 lastpage:9 numberofpages:9 journal:EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE RESEARCH http://hdl.handle.net/11365/1062612 doi:10.1007/s10344-017-1151-0 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/scopus/2-s2.0-85034577241 http://www.springeronline.com/journal/10344 info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess Canis lupus filchneri Competition Large-carnivore coexistence Panthera uncia Siberian ibex Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematic Nature and Landscape Conservation Management Monitoring Policy and Law info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2017 ftunivsiena https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-017-1151-0 2024-03-21T16:02:08Z The snow leopard Panthera uncia coexists with the wolf Canis lupus throughout most of its distribution range. We analysed the food habits of snow leopards and wolves in their sympatric range in the Karakoram mountains of Pakistan. A total of 131 genotyped scats (N = 74, snow leopard; N = 57, Tibetan wolf) were collected during the cold periods (i.e. winter and spring) of 2011 and 2012 in the Hushey valley. Large mammals, i.e. livestock and ibex, accounted for 84.8 and 83.1% of the diet (relative frequency) of the snow leopard and the wolf, respectively. Domestic prey was the staple of the diet of both snow leopards (66.6%) and wolves (75.1%). Ibex Capra ibex, the only wild ungulate in our study area, contributed 18.2 and 16.9% of relative frequencies in the diets of the snow leopard and the wolf, respectively. In winter, the snow leopard heavily relied on domestic sheep (43.3%) for food, whereas the wolf preyed mainly on domestic goats (43.4%). Differently from other study areas, both snow leopards and wolves showed no apparent prey preference (Jacobs index: snow leopard min. − 0.098, max. 0.102; Tibetan wolf min. − 0.120, max. 0.03). In human depauperate areas, with livestock and only a few wild prey, should competitive interactions arise, two main scenarios could be expected, with either predator as a winner. In both cases, the best solution could primarily impinge on habitat restoration, so that a balance could be found between these predators, who have already coexisted for thousands of years. Article in Journal/Newspaper Canis lupus Università degli Studi di Siena: USiena air European Journal of Wildlife Research 63 6 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Università degli Studi di Siena: USiena air |
op_collection_id |
ftunivsiena |
language |
English |
topic |
Canis lupus filchneri Competition Large-carnivore coexistence Panthera uncia Siberian ibex Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematic Nature and Landscape Conservation Management Monitoring Policy and Law |
spellingShingle |
Canis lupus filchneri Competition Large-carnivore coexistence Panthera uncia Siberian ibex Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematic Nature and Landscape Conservation Management Monitoring Policy and Law Bocci, Anna Lovari, Sandro Khan, Muhammad Zafar Mori, Emiliano Sympatric snow leopards and Tibetan wolves: coexistence of large carnivores with human-driven potential competition |
topic_facet |
Canis lupus filchneri Competition Large-carnivore coexistence Panthera uncia Siberian ibex Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematic Nature and Landscape Conservation Management Monitoring Policy and Law |
description |
The snow leopard Panthera uncia coexists with the wolf Canis lupus throughout most of its distribution range. We analysed the food habits of snow leopards and wolves in their sympatric range in the Karakoram mountains of Pakistan. A total of 131 genotyped scats (N = 74, snow leopard; N = 57, Tibetan wolf) were collected during the cold periods (i.e. winter and spring) of 2011 and 2012 in the Hushey valley. Large mammals, i.e. livestock and ibex, accounted for 84.8 and 83.1% of the diet (relative frequency) of the snow leopard and the wolf, respectively. Domestic prey was the staple of the diet of both snow leopards (66.6%) and wolves (75.1%). Ibex Capra ibex, the only wild ungulate in our study area, contributed 18.2 and 16.9% of relative frequencies in the diets of the snow leopard and the wolf, respectively. In winter, the snow leopard heavily relied on domestic sheep (43.3%) for food, whereas the wolf preyed mainly on domestic goats (43.4%). Differently from other study areas, both snow leopards and wolves showed no apparent prey preference (Jacobs index: snow leopard min. − 0.098, max. 0.102; Tibetan wolf min. − 0.120, max. 0.03). In human depauperate areas, with livestock and only a few wild prey, should competitive interactions arise, two main scenarios could be expected, with either predator as a winner. In both cases, the best solution could primarily impinge on habitat restoration, so that a balance could be found between these predators, who have already coexisted for thousands of years. |
author2 |
Bocci, Anna Lovari, Sandro Khan, Muhammad Zafar Mori, Emiliano |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Bocci, Anna Lovari, Sandro Khan, Muhammad Zafar Mori, Emiliano |
author_facet |
Bocci, Anna Lovari, Sandro Khan, Muhammad Zafar Mori, Emiliano |
author_sort |
Bocci, Anna |
title |
Sympatric snow leopards and Tibetan wolves: coexistence of large carnivores with human-driven potential competition |
title_short |
Sympatric snow leopards and Tibetan wolves: coexistence of large carnivores with human-driven potential competition |
title_full |
Sympatric snow leopards and Tibetan wolves: coexistence of large carnivores with human-driven potential competition |
title_fullStr |
Sympatric snow leopards and Tibetan wolves: coexistence of large carnivores with human-driven potential competition |
title_full_unstemmed |
Sympatric snow leopards and Tibetan wolves: coexistence of large carnivores with human-driven potential competition |
title_sort |
sympatric snow leopards and tibetan wolves: coexistence of large carnivores with human-driven potential competition |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/11365/1062612 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-017-1151-0 http://www.springeronline.com/journal/10344 |
genre |
Canis lupus |
genre_facet |
Canis lupus |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/WOS:000418192400004 volume:63 issue:6 firstpage:1 lastpage:9 numberofpages:9 journal:EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE RESEARCH http://hdl.handle.net/11365/1062612 doi:10.1007/s10344-017-1151-0 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/scopus/2-s2.0-85034577241 http://www.springeronline.com/journal/10344 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-017-1151-0 |
container_title |
European Journal of Wildlife Research |
container_volume |
63 |
container_issue |
6 |
_version_ |
1796307636799406080 |