A comprehensive understanding of the dietary habits of carnivores is essential to get ecological insights into their role in the ecosystem, potential competition with other carnivorous species, and their effect on prey populations. Genetic analysis of non-invasive samples, such as scats, can supplement behavioural or microscopic diet investigations. The objective of this study was to employ DNA metabarcoding to accurately determine the prey species in grey wolf (Canis lupus) and Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) scat samples collected in the Julian Alps and the Dinaric Mountains, Slovenia. The primary prey of wolves were red deer (Cervus elaphus) (detected in 96% scat samples), European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) (68%), and wild boar (Sus scrofa) (45%). A smaller portion of their diet consisted of mesocarnivores, small mammals, and domestic animals. In contrast, the lynx diet mostly consisted of European roe deer (82%) and red deer (64%). However, small mammals and domestic animals were also present in lynx diet, albeit to a lesser extent. Our findings indicate that the dietary habits of wolves and lynx are influenced by geographical location. Snapshot dietary analyses using metabarcoding are valuable for comprehending the behaviour and ecology of predators, and for devising conservation measures aimed at sustainable management of both their natural habitats and prey populations. However, to gain a more detailed understanding of wolf and lynx dietary habits and ecological impact, it would be essential to conduct long-term genetic monitoring of their diet.

中文翻译：

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对粪便的分子分析揭示了迪纳里克山脉和阿尔卑斯山接触区灰狼和欧亚山猫的饮食和猎物选择


全面了解肉食动物的饮食习惯对于深入了解它们在生态系统中的作用、与其他肉食物种的潜在竞争及其对猎物种群的影响至关重要。非侵入性样本（例如粪便）的基因分析可以补充行为或微观饮食研究。本研究的目的是利用 DNA 元条形码准确确定在斯洛文尼亚朱利安阿尔卑斯山和迪纳里克山脉收集的灰狼 (Canis lupus) 和欧亚山猫 (Lynx lynx) 粪便样本中的猎物种类。狼的主要猎物是马鹿 (Cervus elaphus)（在 96% 的粪便样本中检测到）、欧洲狍 (Capreolus capreolus) (68%) 和野猪 (Sus scrofa) (45%)。他们的饮食中有一小部分是中型食肉动物、小型哺乳动物和家畜。相比之下，山猫的饮食主要由欧洲狍子（82%）和马鹿（64%）组成。然而，小型哺乳动物和家畜也出现在山猫的饮食中，尽管程度较小。我们的研究结果表明，狼和山猫的饮食习惯受到地理位置的影响。使用元条形码进行快照饮食分析对于理解捕食者的行为和生态以及制定旨在可持续管理其自然栖息地和猎物种群的保护措施非常有价值。然而，为了更详细地了解狼和山猫的饮食习惯和生态影响，有必要对其饮食进行长期的基因监测。