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31 results for “depredation”
Video, image, and supplemental files linked in Burge et al. (2023) "Depredation by Bottlenose Dolphins Tursiops truncatus from Antillean Z-traps at Discovery Bay, Jamaica"
<p>Video, image, and supplementary text files linked in Burge et al. (2023), Caribbean Naturalist, 95: 1–25.</p><p><strong>Depredation by Bottlenose Dolphins </strong><i><strong>Tursiops truncatus</strong></i><strong> from Antillean Z-traps at Discovery Bay, Jamaica</strong></p><p>All video and image files referred to in the main text, figures, and tables are available from this repository. See Table 1 and Table S1 for additional details.</p><p> </p>
Exploring variability in the diet of depredating sperm whales in the Gulf of Alaska through stable isotope analysis
Sperm whales interact with commercially important groundfish fisheries offshore in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This study aims to use stable isotope analysis to better understand the trophic variability of sperm whales and their potential prey, and to use dietary mixing models to estimate the importance of prey species to sperm whale diets. We analyzed tissue samples from sperm whales and seven potential prey (five groundfish and two squid species). Samples were analyzed for stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios, and diet composition was estimated using Bayesian isotopic mixing models. Mixing model results suggest that an isotopically combined sablefish/dogfish group, skates, and rockfish make up the largest proportion of sperm whale diets (35%, 28% and 12%) in the GOA. The top prey items of whales that interact more frequently with fishing vessels consisted of skates (49%) and the sablefish/dogfish group (24%). This is the first known study to provide an isotopic baseline of adult male sperm whales and these adult groundfish and offshore squid species, and to assign contributions of prey to whale diets in the GOA. This study provides information to commercial fishermen and fisheries managers to better understand trophic connections of important commercial species.
Figure 4 in Natives bite back: depredation and mortality of invasive juvenile Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem
Figure 4. Photographic documentation indicative of mesomammal depredation on two telemetered juvenile Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus Kuhl, 1820) in Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida, USA. Left panel: A juvenile python's (MD1) radio transmitter recovered on 12 September 2021; the red circle encompasses sign of mastication. Right panel: Partially consumed juvenile python (MD3) carcass with transmitter discovered on 19 September 2021; partial Felidae tracks were located within two meters of the carcass. Images by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Figure 3 in Natives bite back: depredation and mortality of invasive juvenile Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem
Figure 3. Necropsy photographs of the juvenile Burmese python (Python bivittatus Kuhl, 1820) foraging death. The python's wounds were consistent in size with those that could be inflicted by the prey item (hispid cotton rat, Sigmodon hispidus Say & Ord, 1825) during efforts to capture and subdue. From the top left: (A) python with incision exposing the prey item in situ; (B) exterior wounding on dorsum of snake (white arrows); (C) posterior puncture wound showing proximity to the non-vascularized portion of the right lung (ID tag in orange above scale); (D) anterior puncture wound viewed from within the stomach lining. Subject was discovered in the field on 17 October 2021 in Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida, USA and represents the largest predator:prey size ratio in this size class at 1:1.06. Images by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Figure 5 in Natives bite back: depredation and mortality of invasive juvenile Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem
Figure 5. Photographic evidence of three telemetered juvenile Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus Kuhl, 1820) where mortality causes were only inconclusive or undetermined, in Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida, USA. Panel (A) intact transmitter of UM2 in situ found on 19 October 2022; (B) carcass orientation of UM3 found on flooded ground 23 October 2021; (C) partially consumed juvenile python (UM5) with transmitter discovered 29 October 2021 showing carcass compression and decay in matted ground cover; (D) python UM6 radio transmitter recovered 19 November 2021 with black and white hairs attached; (E) transmitter of UM7 suspended in open prairie grasses approx. 1.5 m above ground. Images by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Figure 2 in Natives bite back: depredation and mortality of invasive juvenile Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem
Figure 2. Florida cottonmouth (Agkistrodon conanti Gloyd, 1969) in-situ (left) that consumed a telemetered juvenile Burmese python (Python bivittatus Kuhl, 1820) and confirmed by radiography (right; used with editorial permission and further described in Bartoszek et al. 2021). Subject was discovered in the field on 31 May 2021 in Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida, USA. Images by U.S. Geological Survey (left) and Zoo Miami (right).
Figure 1 in Natives bite back: depredation and mortality of invasive juvenile Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem
Figure 1. Photographic evidence and representation of some of the variety of confirmed and potential causes of mortality found for invasive Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus Kuhl, 1820) in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem in 2021 in Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida, USA. From left to right: American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis Daudin, 1802) depredations, mesomammal depredations (felid prints in muddy substrate; e.g., bobcat, Lynx rufus Schreber, 1777), Florida cottonmouth (Agkistrodon conanti Gloyd, 1969) depredations, potential avian depredations, mishandling/misidentification of appropriate prey (e.g., large hispid cotton rat, Sigmodon hispidus Say and Ord, 1825). Images by U.S. Geological Survey.
Exploring variability in the diet of depredating sperm whales in the Gulf of Alaska through stable isotope analysis
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Data from: Assessing the relationship between illegal hunting of ungulates, wild prey occurrence and livestock depredation rate by large carnivores
1. Illegal hunting of ungulates can reduce the prey base of carnivores, which can increase human-carnivore conflict (HCC) through livestock depredation. However, the relationship between ungulate poaching, wild prey abundance and livestock depredation has rarely been empirically studied. 2. We surveyed 18 sites across the Hyrcanian forest in northern Iran; a global biodiversity hotspot under pressure of illegal hunting of ungulates, prey depletion, livestock grazing and HCC. We conducted three field surveys across 1204 km in 93 4×4 km cells to count signs of ungulate poaching as well as encounters with livestock and prey species of the Persian leopard Panthera pardus saxicolor and the grey wolf Canis lupus. We documented sheep/goat and cattle depredation from interviews with 201 herders and analysed the effects of illegal hunting of ungulates, forest cover, IUCN categories of reserves, elevation, distance to villages, and wild prey and livestock encounter rates on carnivore depredation rates using generalized linear models. 3. Illegal hunting of ungulates was the most influential depredation predictor. An increase in the illegal hunting of ungulates by one sign/km significantly increased depredation by up to four times. We also found significantly lower levels of ungulate poaching in national parks (IUCN category II) compared to protected areas (V), wildlife refuges (IV) and no-hunting areas, though poaching signs were frequently found in most cells (58%). Encounters with livestock was inversely linked to wild prey species, but positively coupled with signs of ungulate poaching. 4. Synthesis and applications. Our study reveals that: (i) an increase in the intensity of illegal hunting of ungulates can intensify livestock depredation by carnivores; (ii) future efforts in reducing human-carnivore conflict (HCC) to acceptable levels require a combination of law enforcement, prey recovery approaches and mitigation measures; (iii) there is an urgent need to better understand the root causes of poaching of ungulates to help minimize HCC.
Contributions of wild and provisioned foods to the diets of domestic cats that depredate wild animals
<p>Predation of wildlife by domestic cats <i>Felis catus</i> presents a threat to biodiversity conservation in some ecological contexts. The proportions of wild prey captured and eaten by domestic cats and thus the contributions of wild prey to cat diets are hard to quantify. This limits understanding of any impacts of cats may have on wild animal populations and confounds analyses of the effects of interventions aimed at reducing wildlife killing.</p> <p>We used stable isotope analyses to quantify the relative contributions of wild and provisioned foods to the diets of domestic cats kept as companion animals and which frequently captured wild prey. We tested the effects of treatments aimed at reducing killing upon stable isotope ratios of cat whiskers and, where treatments had significant effects, we estimated variation in the contributions of wild prey to cats' diets before and during treatment. We evaluated bells, Birdsbesafe collar covers, provision of food in a 'puzzle feeder', provision of food in which meat was the principal source of protein, object play and a control group.</p> <p><span>As expected, cat diets consisted primarily of provisioned foods, though the contribution of wild animals to the diets of these cats, all of which regularly caught wild animals, was low (cat food ~96%, wild animals ~3</span>–<span>4%). Compared to the pre-treatment period and control group, cats with a Birdsbesafe collar cover, exhibited significant reduction in nitrogen stable isotope ratios in their whiskers and consumed less wild prey, most likely attributable to effective inhibition of hunting, particularly for birds. Fitting cats with a Birdsbesafe collar cover, therefore, reduced both returns of wild birds and consumption of wild prey.</span></p> <p><span>While multiple interventions can significantly affect the numbers of wild animals that cats capture and return home, the remarkably small dietary contributions made by wild animal prey mean dietary change is harder to discern. Domestic cats rely almost exclusively on food provided by people even when they frequently kill wild animals. This suggests that the hunting behavior of domestic cats may be driven by behavioral motivations, or by a need to address micronutrient requirements, but is unlikely to alter macronutrient intake.</span></p>
A case report of an Eurasian Jay (Garrulus glandarius) attacking an incubating adult and depredating the eggs of the Japanese Tit (Parus minor)
<p>In May 2021, we opportunistically observed one Eurasian Jay (<em>Garrulus</em> <em>glandarius</em>) attacking an adult incubating Japanese Tit (<em>Parus</em> <em>minor</em>) and depredating nine tit eggs at a nestbox where a woodpecker had greatly enlarged the entrance. After the predation event, the Japanese tits abandoned the nest. We recommend that when using artificial nest boxes to protect hole-nesting birds, the appropriate entrance size should be proportional to the body size of the target species. This observation gives us a better understanding of the potential predators of secondary hole-nesting birds.</p>
Data from: Parasites, depredators, and limited resources as potential drivers of winter mortality of feral honeybee colonies in German forests
<p>Wild honeybees (<em>Apis mellifera</em>) are considered extinct in most parts of Europe. The likely causes of their decline include increased parasite burden, lack of high-quality nesting sites and associated depredation pressure, and food scarcity. In Germany, feral honeybees still colonize managed forests, but their survival rate is too low to maintain viable populations. Based on colony observations collected during a monitoring study, data on parasite prevalence, experiments on nest depredation, and analyses of land cover maps, we explored whether parasite pressure, depredation or expected landscape-level food availability explain feral colony winter mortality. Considering the colony-level occurrence of 18 microparasites in the previous summer, colonies that died did not have a higher parasite burden than colonies that survived. Camera traps installed at cavity trees revealed that four woodpecker species, great tits, and pine martens act as nest depredators. In a depredator exclusion experiment, the winter survival rate of colonies in cavities with protected entrances was 50% higher than that of colonies with unmanipulated entrances. Landscapes surrounding surviving colonies contained on average 6.4 percentage points more cropland than landscapes surrounding dying colonies, with cropland being known to disproportionately provide forage for bees in our study system. We conclude that the lack of spacious but well-protected nesting cavities and the shortage of food are currently more important than parasites in limiting populations of wild-living honeybees in German forests. Increasing the density and diversity of large tree cavities and promoting bee forage plants in forests will probably promote wild-living honeybees despite parasite pressure.</p>
Contributions of wild and provisioned foods to the diets of domestic cats that depredate wild animals
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Data from: Assessing the relationship between illegal hunting of ungulates, wild prey occurrence and livestock depredation rate by large carnivores
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Data from: Parasites, depredators, and limited resources as potential drivers of winter mortality of feral honeybee colonies in German forests
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Using the theory of planned behaviour to predict farmer's intention to report livestock depredation and kill hyena
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A case report of an Eurasian Jay (Garrulus glandarius) attacking an incubating adult and depredating the eggs of the Japanese Tit (Parus minor)
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Data from: Patterns of livestock depredation and cost-effectiveness of fortified livestock enclosures in northern Tanzania
Human-carnivore conflicts and retaliatory killings contribute to carnivore populations' declines around the world. Strategies to mitigate conflicts have been developed, but their efficacy is rarely assessed in a randomized case-control design. Further, the economic costs prevent the adoption and wide use of conflict mitigation strategies by pastoralists in rural Africa. We examined carnivore [African lion (Panthera leo), leopard (Panthera pardus), spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta), jackal (Canis mesomelas), and cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)] raids on fortified (n=45, total 631 monthly visits) and unfortified (traditional, n=45, total 521 monthly visits) livestock enclosures ("bomas") in northern Tanzania. The study aimed to (i) assess the extent of retaliatory killings of major carnivore species due to livestock depredation, (ii) describe the spatio-temporal characteristics of carnivore raids on livestock enclosures (iii) analyze whether spatial covariates influenced livestock depredation risk in livestock enclosures, and (iv) examine the cost-effectiveness of livestock enclosure fortification. Results suggest that i) majority of boma raids by carnivores were caused by spotted hyenas (nearly 90% of all raids), but retaliatory killings mainly targeted lions, (ii) carnivore raid attempts were rare at individual households (0.081 raid attempts/month in fortified enclosures and 0.102 raid attempts/month in unfortified enclosures), iii) Spotted hyena raid attempts increased in the wet season compared to the dry season, and owners of fortified bomas reported less hyena raid attempts than owners of un-fortified bomas. Landscape and habitat variables tested, did not strongly drive the spatial patterns of spotted hyena raids in livestock bomas. Carnivore raids varied randomly both spatially (village to village) and temporally (year to year). The cost-benefit analysis suggest that investing in boma fortification yielded positive net present values after two to three years. Thus, enclosure fortification is a cost-effective strategy to promote coexistence of carnivores and humans.
Data from: Acoustic cues from within the egg do not heighten depredation risk to shorebird clutches
Egg predators use an array of olfactory and visual cues to locate eggs. Precocial avian embryos within eggs can produce vocalizations for a period prior to hatching, which may be audible to predators. Here, we investigated, under field conditions, the embryonic vocalizations emitted from eggs of a shorebird species, the Red-capped Plover Charadrius ruficapillus. We characterize the acoustic properties of the vocalizations and the circumstances under which they are emitted, then test whether such vocalizations are used as an acoustic cue by predators to locate eggs. Embryonic vocalizations typically occurred between 0 and 5 days before hatching (henceforth the "vocalization period"). Within the vocalization period, the maximum acoustic frequency (kHz) of vocalizations increased with egg age (perhaps as a consequence of embryonic development) and the minimum acoustic frequency (kHz) increased with ground temperature (perhaps as mode of communication with parents regarding thermal needs). An artificial nest experiment compared the survival of nests with and without acoustic cues (prerecorded embryonic vocalizations played continuously from the nest). Corvids were the major egg predator (accounting for 76% of cases of artificial nest predation). However, the presence of vocalizations did not affect the time taken for predators to locate and depredate eggs. Our results suggest that embryonic vocalizations are important signals that may aid in communication with parents but that they do not increase predation rates. Further research involving a greater diversity of predators (e.g., acoustic predators) is required to examine whether vocalizations from the egg incur costs under other predator regimes.
Patterns of livestock depredation by snow leopards and effects of intervention strategies: lessons from the Nepalese Himalaya
<p>Context. Large carnivores are increasingly threatened by anthropogenic activities, and their protection is among the main goals of biodiversity conservation. The snow leopard (<em>Panthera uncia</em>) inhabits high-mountain landscapes where livestock depredation drives it into conflicts with local people and poses an obstacle for its conservation.</p> <p>Aims. The aim of this study was to identify the livestock groups most vulnerable to depredation, target them in implementation of practical interventions, and assess the effectiveness of intervention strategies for conflict mitigation. We present a novel attempt to evaluate intervention strategies for particularly vulnerable species, age groups, time, and seasons.</p> <p>Methods. In 2020, we conducted questionnaire surveys in two regions of the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal (Manang, <em>n</em><span class="thinsp"> </span>=<span class="thinsp"> </span>146 respondents and Upper Mustang, <em>n</em><span class="thinsp"> </span>=<span class="thinsp"> </span>183). We applied sample comparison testing, Jacobs' selectivity index, and generalised linear models (GLMs) to assess rates and spatio-temporal heterogeneity of depredation, reveal vulnerable livestock groups, analyse potential effects of applied intervention strategies, and identify husbandry factors relevant to depredation.</p> <p>Key results. Snow leopard predation was a major cause of livestock mortality in both regions (25.4–39.8%), resulting in an estimated annual loss of 3.2–3.6% of all livestock. The main intervention strategies (e.g. corrals during night-time and herding during daytime) were applied inconsistently and not associated with decreases in reported livestock losses. In contrast, we found some evidence that dogs, deterrents (light, music playing, flapping tape, and dung burning), and the use of multiple interventions were associated with a reduction in reported night-time depredation of yaks.</p> <p>Conclusions and implications. We suggest conducting controlled randomised experiments for quantitative assessment of the effectiveness of dogs, deterrents, and the use of multiple interventions, and widely applying the most effective ones in local communities. This would benefit the long-term co-existence of snow leopards and humans in the Annapurna region and beyond.</p>
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