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Abstract Ten scats of Indian wolf (Canis lupus pallipes) from Baltistan were analyzed on the basis of hair reference key of local wild and domestic mammals. Four species of domestic ungulates, one species of wild ungulate and one species of small mammals were found with a frequency of: domestic sheep, 6.25%, domestic goat, 25%; cow, 6.25%; yak, 12.5%; Himalayan ibex, 6.25% and marmot, 6.25%. Plant material was observed with a frequency of 12.5%. In terms of biomass, domestic livestock contributed 90.7%, while the rest 9.3% came from Himalayan ibex and marmot.
Keywords: Scats wolf, ungulates, Baltistan, biomass.
Wolf predation on wild and domestic animals disturbs the economy of rural areas and is the main cause of conflict between humans and wolves. The diet of wolves comes from diverse sources including small poultry to horses. The wild and domestic ungulates constitute the main prey of wolves. Depending on the local availability, wolves mainly prey on middle-sized wild ungulates (Jdrzejewski et al., 1992). In the absence of or near non-availability of wild ungulates, domestic livestock serve as the main diet. Diets of mammalian predators are usually assessed by two methods: analyzing scats and stomach contents (KUbarsepp and Valdmann, 2003). The knowledge about the diet composition of wolves is necessary for understanding and managing the predator prey relationship. This study provides some information on the diet composition of wolves through scat analysis in Baltistan region of Pakistan.
Materials and methods The study was conducted in Tehsil Mushabrum (35° 27' 74" N, 76° 20' 92" E) District Ghanchey (35° 28' 72" N, 76° 21' 20" E) of Gilgit Baltistan province of Pakistan. Wolf scats (n=10) were opportunistically collected during the scat collection expedition of snow leopard (Panthera uncia) from November 2007 through March 2008. Scat samples were collected by following the trails of wolves between the elevation ranges 3,200 and 3,275 m (10,480-10,750 feet). The samples were stored in labeled polythene bags. The scats were confirmed/identified by using the genetic markers at Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A and M University, College Station, Texas, USA. For this purpose field collected scats were stored in 15-mL centrifuge tubes and DNA was extracted by using Qiagen Stool kit. A small segment of cytochrome b was sequenced and compared to the...