Season, prey availability, sex, and age explain prey size selection in a large solitary carnivore
Abstract Prey selection is a fundamental aspect of ecology that drives evolution and community structure, yet the impact of intraspecific variation on the selection for prey size remains largely unaccounted for in ecological theory. Here, we explored puma (Puma concolor) prey selection across six st...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.11080 |
| _version_ | 1797244909341638656 |
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| author | Logan Bates‐Mundell Sara H. Williams Kim Sager‐Fradkin Heiko U. Wittmer Maximilian L. Allen Bogdan Cristescu Christopher C. Wilmers L. Mark Elbroch |
| author_facet | Logan Bates‐Mundell Sara H. Williams Kim Sager‐Fradkin Heiko U. Wittmer Maximilian L. Allen Bogdan Cristescu Christopher C. Wilmers L. Mark Elbroch |
| author_sort | Logan Bates‐Mundell |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Prey selection is a fundamental aspect of ecology that drives evolution and community structure, yet the impact of intraspecific variation on the selection for prey size remains largely unaccounted for in ecological theory. Here, we explored puma (Puma concolor) prey selection across six study sites in North and South America. Our results highlighted the strong influence of season and prey availability on puma prey selection, and the smaller influence of puma age. Pumas in all sites selected smaller prey in warmer seasons following the ungulate birth pulse. Our top models included interaction terms between sex and age, suggesting that males more than females select larger prey as they age, which may reflect experiential learning. When accounting for variable sampling across pumas in our six sites, male and female pumas killed prey of equivalent size, even though males are larger than females, challenging assumptions about this species. Nevertheless, pumas in different study sites selected prey of different sizes, emphasizing that the optimal prey size for pumas is likely context‐dependent and affected by prey availability. The mean prey weight across all sites averaged 1.18 times mean puma weight, which was less than predicted as the optimal prey size by energetics and ecological theory (optimal prey = 1.45 puma weight). Our results help refine our understanding of optimal prey for pumas and other solitary carnivores, as well as corroborate recent research emphasizing that carnivore prey selection is impacted not just by energetics but by the effects of diverse ecology. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T19:18:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-50040b915daf4b308a19ee15dff8f8cc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T19:18:30Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-50040b915daf4b308a19ee15dff8f8cc2024-03-26T04:26:57ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582024-03-01143n/an/a10.1002/ece3.11080Season, prey availability, sex, and age explain prey size selection in a large solitary carnivoreLogan Bates‐Mundell0Sara H. Williams1Kim Sager‐Fradkin2Heiko U. Wittmer3Maximilian L. Allen4Bogdan Cristescu5Christopher C. Wilmers6L. Mark Elbroch7Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources University of Freiburg Freiburg im Breisgau GermanyPanthera New York City New York USALower Elwha Klallam Tribe Natural Resources Port Angeles Washington USASchool of Biological Sciences Victoria University of Wellington Wellington New ZealandIllinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute University of Illinois Champaign Illinois USAEnvironmental Studies Department University of California Santa Cruz California USAEnvironmental Studies Department University of California Santa Cruz California USAPanthera New York City New York USAAbstract Prey selection is a fundamental aspect of ecology that drives evolution and community structure, yet the impact of intraspecific variation on the selection for prey size remains largely unaccounted for in ecological theory. Here, we explored puma (Puma concolor) prey selection across six study sites in North and South America. Our results highlighted the strong influence of season and prey availability on puma prey selection, and the smaller influence of puma age. Pumas in all sites selected smaller prey in warmer seasons following the ungulate birth pulse. Our top models included interaction terms between sex and age, suggesting that males more than females select larger prey as they age, which may reflect experiential learning. When accounting for variable sampling across pumas in our six sites, male and female pumas killed prey of equivalent size, even though males are larger than females, challenging assumptions about this species. Nevertheless, pumas in different study sites selected prey of different sizes, emphasizing that the optimal prey size for pumas is likely context‐dependent and affected by prey availability. The mean prey weight across all sites averaged 1.18 times mean puma weight, which was less than predicted as the optimal prey size by energetics and ecological theory (optimal prey = 1.45 puma weight). Our results help refine our understanding of optimal prey for pumas and other solitary carnivores, as well as corroborate recent research emphasizing that carnivore prey selection is impacted not just by energetics but by the effects of diverse ecology.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.11080intraspecific variationoptimal foragingprey selectionPuma concolorwildlife management |
| spellingShingle | Logan Bates‐Mundell Sara H. Williams Kim Sager‐Fradkin Heiko U. Wittmer Maximilian L. Allen Bogdan Cristescu Christopher C. Wilmers L. Mark Elbroch Season, prey availability, sex, and age explain prey size selection in a large solitary carnivore Ecology and Evolution intraspecific variation optimal foraging prey selection Puma concolor wildlife management |
| title | Season, prey availability, sex, and age explain prey size selection in a large solitary carnivore |
| title_full | Season, prey availability, sex, and age explain prey size selection in a large solitary carnivore |
| title_fullStr | Season, prey availability, sex, and age explain prey size selection in a large solitary carnivore |
| title_full_unstemmed | Season, prey availability, sex, and age explain prey size selection in a large solitary carnivore |
| title_short | Season, prey availability, sex, and age explain prey size selection in a large solitary carnivore |
| title_sort | season prey availability sex and age explain prey size selection in a large solitary carnivore |
| topic | intraspecific variation optimal foraging prey selection Puma concolor wildlife management |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.11080 |
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