Insights into the feeding ecology of and threats to  Sand Cat Felis margarita Loche, 1858 (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae) in the Kyzylkum Desert, Uzbekistan

Brighten, Alex Leigh; Burnside, Robert J.

doi:10.11609/jott.4445.11.4.13492-13496

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…A quarter of a century ago the ground-jay was judged to be decreasing due to habitat loss and fuelwood collection (Madge and Burn 1993). Its conservation status seems likely to have deteriorated since then, given widespread increases in mining, canal building, conversion of the desert to irrigated agriculture and the continuing collection of saxaul (Brighten and Burnside 2019). Our finding that the species has a breeding productivity strongly limited by nest predators and specific nesting habitat requirements suggests that it is likely to be sensitive to habitat degradation and conversion.…”

Section: Conservation Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 88%

“…Collection of saxaul, Calligonum and Astragalus spp. for fuelwood is still widespread in Uzbekistan, and was frequently noted within the study area (Brighten and Burnside 2019). Preserving a heterogeneous habitat structure and older/larger shrub species such as saxaul, possibly through stricter control of fuelwood collection, is likely to be a key conservation measure for the ground-jay.…”

Section: Nest Shrub Preferencementioning

confidence: 90%

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Breeding productivity, nest-site selection and conservation needs of the endemic Turkestan Ground-jay Podoces panderi

et al. 2020

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The Turkestan Ground-jay Podoces panderi, a corvid endemic to the deserts of Central Asia, is both understudied and under-protected. Using standardised nest-monitoring protocols and nest cameras, we estimated its breeding productivity for the first time as 0.586 fledglings per nesting attempt (inter-quartile range, IQR 0.413‒0.734), strongly constrained by a diverse set of predator species (accounting for 88% of failures), supporting the broad pattern that a wide spectrum of nest predators operate in arid environments. The probability of nest success for the 35 days from the start of incubation to fledging was low, 0.186 $$\pm$$ ± 0.06 se (N = 37), with no influence of season date, nest height or nest shrub species. However, pervasive shrub harvest severely limited availability of taller shrubs for nest-site selection, and thus our ability to detect any effect of height on nest survival. Mean clutch size was 4.8 $$\pm$$ ± 0.8 sd while hatching probability of an egg from a clutch surviving incubation was 0.800 $$\pm$$ ± 0.050 se and fledging probability was 0.824 $$\pm$$ ± 0.093 se for individual chicks in successful nests (i.e. that fledged one or more chicks). Two shrub genera, saxaul Haloxylon spp. and Calligonum spp., were used for nesting more frequently than expected ($${\chi }_{15}^{2}$$ χ 15 2 = 784.02, P < 0.001), highlighting their importance to breeding habitat suitability. This near-sole reliance on these taller shrub genera, both targeted for illegal cutting, indicates that habitat degradation may lead to increased predation and declines in productivity. Habitat conservation is, therefore, likely to be the most important management strategy for the species and other components of desert systems, as management of so diverse a set of nest predators would be both impractical and inappropriate.

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Section: Conservation Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 88%

Section: Nest Shrub Preferencementioning

confidence: 90%

Breeding productivity, nest-site selection and conservation needs of the endemic Turkestan Ground-jay Podoces panderi

et al. 2020

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“…Scavenging is frequently reported for the larger felids of the Panthera lineage, while much less is known about this behavior among the smaller cats. Scavenging has been reported for several of the smaller felid species (Hunter, 2015), including the African wildcat ( Felis lybica ) (Herbst, 2009), sand cat ( F. margarita ) (Brighten & Burnside, 2019) and black‐footed cat ( Felis nigripes ) (Renard, Lavoie, Pitt, & Larivière, 2015; Sliwa, 1994), many of which were also reported caching larger kills or carcasses. It remains unknown whether the lower frequency of reporting is connected with lower frequency of scavenging among smaller felids or is this due to a lack of studies on scavenging behavior of the smaller felids.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Scavenging and carcass caching behavior by European wildcat (Felis silvestris)

Krofel

Južnič

Allen

2021

Ecological Research

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While scavenging has been repeatedly reported for several felid species, surprisingly little information is available on scavenging behavior of the European wildcat (Felis silvestris). To fill this knowledge gap, we used camera traps to document scavenging behavior at the 48 experimentally set deer carcasses at random locations throughout the year. We recorded European wildcats scavenging on 38% of the eight carcasses set in winter and on none set in the other parts of the year. Wildcats fed on two carcasses for extended periods (up to 22 days) with an average of 3.3 visits per day and 7.8‐h interval between the visits. We recorded scavenging throughout the day, but analysis indicated a crepuscular pattern. We also recorded caching behavior on 7% of the visits (n = 105), when wildcats used leaves or snow to partly or completely cover the carcasses. Beside wildcats, 12 other vertebrate species of scavengers were recorded at the carcasses. We recorded agonistic interaction with European badger (Meles meles) and despite its smaller size, the wildcat managed to defend the carcass. The extensive feeding, frequent caching behavior and active defense from scavengers indicate that the wildcats recognized the ungulate carcasses as an important food source in winter and that scavenging could be a neglected aspect of the European wildcat ecology. We also suggest that caching behavior could be regularly used by the European wildcat when feeding on larger carcasses, but was likely previously missed due to limited research effort to record scavenging and caching behavior.

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A small cat saving food for later: caching behavior in the European wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris)

2020

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Insights into the feeding ecology of and threats to Sand Cat Felis margarita Loche, 1858 (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae) in the Kyzylkum Desert, Uzbekistan

Cited by 4 publications

References 0 publications

Breeding productivity, nest-site selection and conservation needs of the endemic Turkestan Ground-jay Podoces panderi

Breeding productivity, nest-site selection and conservation needs of the endemic Turkestan Ground-jay Podoces panderi

Scavenging and carcass caching behavior by European wildcat (Felis silvestris)

A small cat saving food for later: caching behavior in the European wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris)

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