A review of caracal and jungle cat diets across their geographical ranges during 1842–2021

Abstract

Co‐occurring carnivore species that are phylogenetically related or of similar size, morphology, and ecological needs often reduce competition by partitioning shared resources through temporal, spatial, and dietary niche segregation via behavioral adaptations. Caracals (Caracal caracal) and jungle cats (Felis chaus) co‐occur in portions of their geographical ranges and are expected to display resource segregation in these ranges. We compiled scat, stomach content, and prey remains found data from published and unpublished sources to summarize information on the diets of caracals and jungle cats across their geographical ranges during 1842–2021. We obtained 63 sources from 26 countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa, in which caracal diet included 151 species while jungle cat diet included 61 species. We found that caracals and jungle cats did not exhibit dietary niche partitioning and had greater dietary similarities in areas of range overlap. We also found that caracals consumed more diverse prey species including prey with greater average body mass compared to jungle cats. Our results suggest that greater prey diversity in areas of range overlap, caracal predation on wide range of prey, and opportunistic feeding behavior that facilitates consumption of more diverse prey species compared to jungle cats, may facilitate co‐occurrence between these two felid species.

Diet of Rusty-spotted Cat Prionailurus rubiginosus (I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1831) (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae) in Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai, India

“…Our results of murid rodents forming the predominant diet of the Rusty-spotted Cat corroborate earlier observations (Patel 2006;Athreya 2010;Langle 2019). Systematic studies on the diets of other small cat species in varied habitats reiterate the role of small cats as rodent control agents and highlight their ecosystem services (Rabinowitz 1990;Mukherjee et al 2004;Grassman et al 2005;Rajaratnam et al 2007;Majumdar et al 2011;Braczkowski et al 2012;Shezad et al 2012;Lorica & Heany 2013, Mukherjee et al 2016bParchizadeh et al 2023).…”

“…With molecular techniques, these aspects can now be explored through non-invasive means (Piggott & Taylor 2003). Available literature on the diet of some small cats suggests that rodents form the major prey of the Jungle Cat (Mukherjee et al 2004;Majumdar et al 2011), of the Leopard Cat Prionailurus bengalensis (Rabinowitz 1990;Grassman et al 2005;Rajaratnam et al 2007;Shezad et al 2012;Lorica & Heany 2013, Parchizadeh et al 2023) and of the Caracal Caracal caracal (Mukherjee et al 2004;Braczkowski et al 2012). In contrast, viverrids and herpestids feed largely on insects and plant matter (Su & Sale 2007;Kalle et al 2012;Akrim et al 2023).…”

Isolation and Characterization of a Viable <em>Toxoplasma gondii</em> From Captive Caracal (<em>Caracal caracal</em>)

“…(2) T. gondii may spread from North America to other continents via sea trade roads [49]. (3) Caracals are kept as pets and used as bushmeat in South Africa and Namibia, increasing the chances of T. gondii infection and spread in humans [50].…”

Denning and maternal behavior of caracals (Caracal caracal)

“…Caracals (Caracal caracal) are widely distributed but relatively understudied across their distribution in African and Asian ecosystems, with some subpopulations listed as threatened or endangered (Avgan et al, 2016). Caracals are generalist feeders that often feed on small prey (Leighton et al, 2020;Parchizadeh et al, 2023) and are also habitat generalists, using diverse natural and human-modi ed environments (Avgan et al, 2016;Ramesh et al, 2016;Serieys et al, 2023). Caracals are thought to reproduce throughout the year, with a peak in births in spring and summer in some regions (Bernard and Stuart, 1987).…”