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Computing biomass consumption from prey occurrences in Indian wolf scats
Author(s) -
Jethva Bharat D.,
Jhala Yadvendradev V.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
zoo biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.5
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1098-2361
pISSN - 0733-3188
DOI - 10.1002/zoo.20030
Subject(s) - predation , biology , canis , temperate climate , biomass (ecology) , zoology , juvenile , body weight , ecology , endocrinology
We determined a relationship between biomass consumed per collectable scat and prey weight. We fed prey items (ranging from rodent (0.75 kg) to juvenile cattle (65 kg), covering the normal weight range for prey of the Indian wolf ( Canis lupus papllipes )) to groups of two to five captive wolves in 13 feeding trials at Sakkarbaug Zoo, Junagadh, India. The prey biomass eaten per collectable scat (Y) increased as the live body weight of prey (X) increased (Y=0.0148X+0.135; R 2 =0.87; F=75.8; df=1,11; P <0.001). The slope of our regression (0.015; tropical domestic prey) did not differ from that reported by Floyd et al. [1978] (temperate wild prey, P =0.17); therefore, we pooled the data from both studies and derived a combined regression (Y=0.0182X+0.217; R 2 =0.77; df=1,20; P <0.001). In addition to the widely accepted explanation that the surface‐area‐to‐mass ratio is larger for small prey, we found that this relationship reflected the fact that percent utilization was greater, and digestibility was lower for smaller prey. Zoo Biol 23:513–520, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.