Fatima Hira, Mahmood Tariq, Hennelly Lauren Mae, Farooq Muhammad, Akrim Faraz, Nadeem Muhammad Sajid
Department of Wildlife Management, PMAS Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi 43600, Pakistan. E-mail:
Mammalian Ecology and Conservation Unit, University of California, Davis, USA. E-mail:
Zool Stud. 2021 Jul 5;60:e34. doi: 10.6620/ZS.2021.60-34. eCollection 2021.
The leopard cat () is distributed throughout the Himalayan foothills in Pakistan and occurs in moist temperate and dry coniferous forests. However, the cat species is categorized as "Data Deficient" in Pakistan. In the current study we aimed to investigate the leopard cat distribution and dietary niche in the Margalla Hills National Park, the lowest part of the Himalayan foothills in Pakistan. We recorded direct (field observations, camera trapping) and indirect signs (scats) of the species on 23 trails /tracks in the study area. The leopard cat was recorded at 13 different sampling sites in the park, with an altitudinal range between 664-1441 m asl. The diet composition of the species was investigated through scat analysis, with the species identity of the scats confirmed through the mitochondrial cytB region. The species' diet comprised both animal and plant matter. The animal-based diet (in terms of frequency of occurrence) contained wild (51.75%) as well as domestic prey (7.69%), and plant species (31.47%). Wild prey included small mammals (rodents, two mongoose species, Asian palm squirrel, and Cape hare), birds, insects and snails. The domestic prey were poultry birds, sheep, goats and dogs. Consumption of wild prey was higher in summer ( = 31 scat), whereas intake of domestic prey was higher in winter ( = 37 scats). The dietary niche breadth was wider 14.84 in summer than winter 10.67. A chi-square test showed a significant difference in seasonal dietary intake of the leopard cat. The study concludes that the leopard cat feeds mainly on wild animal prey and plant species; however, in winter consumption of domestic prey increases.
豹猫（Prionailurus bengalensis）分布于巴基斯坦喜马拉雅山麓的各处，出没于湿润的温带和干燥的针叶林。然而，在巴基斯坦该猫科物种被列为“数据缺乏”。在本研究中，我们旨在调查巴基斯坦喜马拉雅山麓最底部的马尔加拉山国家公园中豹猫的分布及饮食生态位。我们在研究区域的23条小径/道路上记录了该物种的直接迹象（实地观察、相机诱捕）和间接迹象（粪便）。在公园内的13个不同采样点记录到了豹猫，海拔范围在海拔664 - 1441米之间。通过粪便分析对该物种的饮食组成进行了调查，并通过线粒体细胞色素B区域确认了粪便的物种身份。该物种的饮食包括动物和植物物质。以出现频率计算，基于动物的饮食包含野生猎物（51.75%）以及家养猎物（7.69%）和植物物种（31.47%）。野生猎物包括小型哺乳动物（啮齿动物、两种獴科动物、亚洲棕榈松鼠和南非野兔）、鸟类、昆虫和蜗牛。家养猎物为家禽、绵羊、山羊和狗。夏季对野生猎物的捕食量更高（n = 31份粪便），而冬季对家养猎物的摄入量更高（n = 37份粪便）。夏季的饮食生态位宽度（14.84）比冬季（10.67）更宽。卡方检验显示豹猫的季节性饮食摄入量存在显著差异。研究得出结论，豹猫主要以野生动物猎物和植物物种为食；然而，在冬季对家养猎物的捕食量会增加。
