Food habits of Geoffroy's cat (Leopardus geoffroyi) in the central Monte desert of Argentina

Rodent selection by Geoffroy’s cats in a semi-arid scrubland of central Argentina

“…We studied prey selection patterns by Geoffroy's cats considering the seven small sigmodontine rodents (Akodon azarae, Akodon molinae, Calomys musculinus, Eligmodontia typus, Graomys griseoflavus, Oligoryzomys longicaudatus, and Reithrodon auritus) highly preyed by this felid species at Lihue Calel throughout the year (collectively, these set of species composed >50% of the seasonal diet composition in terms of percent occurrence; Bisceglia et al, 2008). Although other small rodent species (such as the caviomorphs Galea leucoblephara, Microcavia australis and Ctenomys azarae) inhabit the study area, they were infrequently preyed upon by this felid (Bisceglia et al, 2008) and they were not included in the present study.…”

“…Although other small rodent species (such as the caviomorphs Galea leucoblephara, Microcavia australis and Ctenomys azarae) inhabit the study area, they were infrequently preyed upon by this felid (Bisceglia et al, 2008) and they were not included in the present study.…”

“…Diet composition of Geoffroy's cats was determined by analyzing fresh scats (see methods details and complete results in Bisceglia et al (2008)). Scats were seasonally collected from winter 2005 to fall 2006, during a one-week period simultaneously with the small rodent surveys.…”

“…A previous study about diet composition of Geoffroy's cat carried out in the Monte desert of central Argentina (Bisceglia et al, 2008) showed that small mammals constituted up to 94% of its diet. Here, we studied the seasonal patterns of small rodent selection by the same Geoffroy's cat population, addressing whether prey choice may be related to the availability, morphology, and habitat use of the different rodent species.…”

“…This species appears to be a highly adaptive predator, inhabiting a wide variety of habitat types including wetlands, dry forests, grasslands, and scrublands (Perovic and Pereira, 2006). Although the introduced European hare (Lepus europaeus) or waterbirds were found to be important prey items for Geoffroy's cat in some localities, small mammals usually constitute the main prey for this felid throughout its distribution range (Bisceglia et al, 2008;Canepuccia et al, 2007;Johnson and Franklin, 1991;Manfredi et al, 2004;Novaro et al, 2000;Sousa and Bager, 2008;Vuillermoz, 2001). However, the selection pattern of rodents in relation to their morphological and behavioral traits remains unstudied, impeding the recognition of how those factors may predispose different rodent species to greater predation rates by these cats.…”