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Title: Differential detectability of rodents and birds in scats of ocelots, Leopardus pardalis (Mammalia: Felidae) Author: Pires, M. M.; Widmer, C. E.; Silva, C.; Setz, E. Z. F. Year: 2011 Is part of: Zoologia (Curitiba): an international journal for zoology, v. 28, p. 280 - 283 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/s1984-46702011000200019 Citation: Pires, M. M.; Widmer, C. E.; Silva, C.; Setz, E. Z. F.; Differential detectability of rodents and birds in scats of ocelots, Leopardus pardalis (Mammalia: Felidae). Zoologia (Curitiba): an international journal for zoology, v.28, p. 280-283, 2011 Abstract: Scat analysis is a valuable tool for the description and quantification of mammal diets. However, estimating the number of prey eaten using prey remains found in feces is difficult mainly due to differential digestibility of prey. In this context, we performed feeding trials with captive ocelots, Leopardus pardalis (Linnaeus, 1785), to evaluate the time needed until complete elimination in feces of different prey such as rodents and birds. Rodents took up to five days and birds two days until complete elimination. Our results are consistent in showing that elimination time differs for different prey and some prey may take a long time to be expelled, inducing errors in dietary studies. |
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