The noble cats and the big bad scavengers: effects of dominant scavengers on solitary predators

摘要: Scavenging is an important but poorly understood ecological process. Dominant scavengers can impose a selection pressure that alters the predator’s fitness, morphology, behavior, and ecology. Interactions between ursids, likely most dominant in Holarctic region, solitary felids, which are characterized by long feeding times, provide good opportunity for studying effects of kleptoparasitism scavengers. We analyzed scavenging brown bears Ursus arctos on Eurasian lynx Lynx response to European temperate forest ecosystem. Bears found 32 % prey remains 15 all biomass large killed was lost bears. In response, increased their kill rate 23 were able compensate only 59 losses. The frequency bear strongly dependent activity patterns highest during pregnancy lactation period, when up half kills usurped suggest ursid scavenging, promoting hunting smaller prey, may have played role evolution genus as well other predators Holarctic. Our study indicates loss widespread phenomenon among felids worldwide, including habitats. highlight several implications could considerably improve our understanding ecology vertebrate communities benefit future management conservation endangered predators.