Hog badger (Arctonyx collaris) latrine use in relation to food abundance: evidence of the scarce factor paradox

Abstract

2015. Hog badger (Arctonyx collaris) latrine use in relation to food abundance: evidence of the scarce factor paradox.Ecosphere 6(1):19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/ES14-00155.1Abstract. Many carnivores use latrines, and investigations of latrine use have typically been concerned with territorial defense, often at the expense of fully evaluating other, not mutually exclusive, functions. In particular, the relationship between food abundance and latrine use patterns has been explored inadequately, where latrine location may be used to aid spatial memory, to stake a claim on access to temporally variable food resources, or to signal the local depletion of resources. Little is known about the hog badger (Arctonyx collaris), however the consensus is that they are solitary, but nonetheless deposit their feces in latrines, but without any group-territory defense function. This provides an ideal study system to investigate how temporal and spatial variation in latrine use strategy is associated with food resource availability throughout the year. We use generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) and an informationtheoretic approach to test the hypothesis that seasonal latrine use patterns signal the resources most valued (i.e., the foraging book keeping hypothesis). We found that latrine use showed significant seasonal and habitat-related variations, where the number of feces per latrine reached seasonal maxima in early summer but was lowest in autumn, and was significantly higher in logged forest and selectively logged forest but lowest in farmland. The intensity of latrine use exhibited a significant negative relationship with environmental food abundance, and was related to dietary output (fecal contents). That is, hog badgers invested most in 'marking' those more limited resources, concurring with the scarce factor paradox, which asserts that the value of any commodity is a function of its rarity.

Latrine marking patterns of badgers (Meles meles) with respect to population density and range size

“…In contrast, Stamps and Buechner () suggested that the maintenance of border latrines might aid in the defense of food resources, which has been proposed as the main latrine function also in the more solitary hog badger Arctonyx collaris (Zhou et al. ). Roper et al.…”

“…Kilshaw et al (2009) observed that badgers often defecated along a different border stretch than that closest to their current feeding areas, and interpreted this as evidence for a division of labor in border marking. In contrast, Stamps and Buechner (1985) suggested that the maintenance of border latrines might aid in the defense of food resources, which has been proposed as the main latrine function also in the more solitary hog badger Arctonyx collaris (Zhou et al 2015). Roper et al (1986) suggest that range exclusivity maintained by borderlatrine marking may serve in mate defense (antikleptogamy hypothesis); nevertheless, recent genetic evidence has revealed a promiscuous, polygynandrous mating system with high rates of extra-group paternity in high-density badger populations (Woodchester Park: Carpenter et al 2005, Wytham Woods: Dugdale et al 2007.…”

The illegal exploitation of hog badgers (Arctonyx collaris) in China: genetic evidence exposes regional population impacts

“…Information on the status of these three species in the wild is very limited (Zhang et al 2009;Zhou et al 2013Zhou et al , 2015a, frustrating efforts to evaluate the impact of this illegal exploitation in the region. We exemplify here how applying genetic monitoring techniques to sample confiscated specimens can provide a useful tool to study the status and sustainability of wild populations (Dawnay et al 2008;DeMATTEO et al 2014).…”

Comparing the summer diet of stone martens (Martes foina) in urban and natural habitats in Central Bulgaria

“…O'Mahony et al 2006), and for other generalist mustelids as well (e.g. Zhou et al 2015aZhou et al , 2015b. We were confident in this technique, assisted by an expert marten hunter (coauthor Evgeniy Raichev), and did not feel that recourse to genetic methods was necessary for this study (see Davison et al 2002).…”