Compared diet of wild cat (Felis silvestris) and genet (Genetta genetta) in a sympatric area of the Subbetic Mountains (SE Spain)

Abstract:

Scats analysis revealed significant differences between the feeding ecology of the wild cat and the genet in a sympatric area, located in Sierras Subbéticas (SE Spain). The wild cat's diet was based on rabbits (70% of biomass) and the genet on rodents (44% of biomass). The genet showed a larger trophic diversity (Levins's index B = 2.86) than the wild cat (B = 2.36), eating more birds and fewer rabbits. This general trophic behaviour followed the same seasonal tendency. The wild cat captured rabbits of all ages, while the genet only captured juveniles. Despite all these differences, there was a considerable trophic overlap (Pianka's index for %n = 0.968) and two complementary hypotheses are proposed to explain the coexistence, based on the abundance of resources and on the microhabitat segregation.

Año de publicación:

1998

Keywords:

• competition
• diet
• Felis silvestris
• Genetta genetta
• SE Spain

Fuente:

scopus