Hair as a tool for identification of predators and prey: a study based on scats of jaguars (Panthera onca) and pumas (Puma concolor)

Abstract

Microscopic hair identification is a non-invasive, simple, and economical method applied in scientific studies to identify mammal species. In ecology, this method is used mainly in mastofaunistic inventories and dietary studies. In the last decade, the number of dietary studies using the microscopic identification of hairs has grown substantially, but the application of this technique as a tool for the identification of both predators and prey species is still scant. Thus, the aim of this study was to identify predator and prey hairs in scat samples from the two largest species of carnivores in the Neotropical region, the jaguar (Panthera onca Linnaeus, 1758) and the puma (Puma concolor Linnaeus, 1771). We examined a total of 100 scat samples being 50 from the Pantanal of Mato Grosso do Sul and 50 from the Atlantic Forest of Paraná. We used different identification categories that included the hair microscopic and macroscopic identification, as well as the use of hooves and nails present in the scats associated with tracks and kills found in the field. We identified 57 prey items in the Pantanal samples and 61 in the Atlantic Forest samples. Predator´s hairs were identified in 34% of Pantanal samples and in 46% of Atlantic Forest samples. The combination of hair microscopic and macroscopic characteristics was efficient in the identification of different taxonomic levels, with most identifications reaching the level of the species. However, the methodological protocol for microscopic hair identification was not fully effective in obtaining all the microstructural patterns of the studied mammals. Adjustments in the technique are necessary to differentiate microstructural characteristics of species belonging to the same family. We recommend macroscopic identification of scat content items (hairs, hooves or nails) of both prey and predators to be used to complete the microscopic hair identification technique in dietary ecological studies.

What drives prey selection? Assessment of tiger food habits across the Terai-Arc landscape, India

“…(Andheria et al 2007;Avinandan et al 2008;Upadhyaya et al 2018). The comparative analyses of the different morphological approaches (cuticular, medullary and cross-section) for prey identification confirmed the efficacy of the medullary approach over the others (Dharaiya and Soni 2012;Souza and Azevedo 2020) (Supplementary data SD3, Supplementary data SD4). Given that the Indian subcontinent currently retains the largest tiger population across the range residing within the most varied habitat types (Jhala et al 2020(Jhala et al , 2021, such information will be of great importance towards habitat management and conflict mitigation.…”

Guard Hair Morphology of Cercopithecidae Family in Omo Forest Reserve, Ogun State, Nigeria

“…The presence and types of elusive mammals could be easily determined through the hair morphological features. Hair in the faecal sample of an animal could also be used for its mastofaunistic inventories and dietary analysis (Souza and Azevedo, 2021). Thus, hair morphology has been quite useful in conservation management projects since it could be used for population genetics, dietary composition of mammals, and habitat occupancy (Cornally and Lawton 2016).…”

“…hyena, leopard, lion, tiger, jaguar, puma and wild goat) and domestic (cow, goat, sheep) mammals from different parts of the world. Hair from different parts of the animals' bodies studied has shown to be valuable for forensic and zoological purposes, and dietary ecology of predators (Verma and Joshi, 2012;Bhat et al, 2014;Farag et al, 2015;Cornally and Lawton, 2016;Sarı and Arpacik, 2018;Tremori et al, 2018;Olaleru et al, 2020, Souza andAzevedo. 2021).…”

“…Some of these studies showed cannibalism and infanticide in chimpanzees (Walker et al, 2018). Hair morphology characteristics could provide information on the identity of animals (Tridico et al, 2015), non-human primates inclusive have been used to identify hairs of predators and prey from scat samples (Souza and Azevedo, 2021).…”