In all seasons, L. guanicoe

occurrence was influenced by both environment and livestock interactions, especially small livestock (goats and sheep). Guanacos selected for habitats characterized by high temporal variability in plant productivity and away from potential human contact. In all seasons, L. guanicoe was negatively related to the RSPF of small livestock, but the reverse was not the case, suggesting that L. guanicoe avoids sites used by goats and sheep. In contrast, livestock was mainly affected by environmental variables related to human presence and was not affected by the interactions with herbivores. Contrary to our predictions, this website goats and sheep were also associated with less productive sites, probably indicating strong degradation of

the sites to which they are restricted. Our results suggest a spatial segregation between L. guanicoe and domestic herbivores throughout the year, which is explained by competitive interactions of L. guanicoe with small livestock but also in response to vegetation productivity and human pressure. This study shows the importance of including species Selleck GSK 3 inhibitor interaction effects in habitat modeling. “
“Ecological theory predicts that sympatric species should avoid competition through diet, spatial and/or temporal partitioning. In carnivores, interference is widespread between species with similar diets. Smaller species are expected to differentiate their diet from that of larger, dominant ones, to reduce the risk of potentially lethal encounters. Interference has been reported between tigers and common leopards, with the former dominant over the latter. In 2009–2011, in an area

of Terai, 上海皓元医药股份有限公司 South-West Nepal, we assessed food habits and prey selection of tigers and common leopards, to evaluate whether prey partitioning occurred between these large cats. Prey availability was high, both in terms of number of species (at least seven wild ungulates beside livestock, two primates and an array of smaller prey) and density (large ungulates, livestock and primates: 130.8–174.8 individuals per km2). Wild vertebrates were the staple of both cats (tigers: 82.7%; common leopards: 66.6%), but common leopards used livestock significantly more than tigers did. Diet breadth of leopards was c. 20% larger than that of tigers, indicating a broader trophic niche. Significant differences in prey use and selection occurred between tigers and leopards, with the former using large (i.e. >100 kg) prey more often and small (i.e. 5–25 kg) prey less often than the latter did. Medium-sized prey were taken in comparable proportions by the two cats, with a great overlap of diet (Pianka index: 0.85). In conclusion, in our study area, apparently tigers and leopards did not base their coexistence on diet partitioning, suggesting a major role for spatial and/or temporal partitioning.