engleski

Analysis of temporal overlap between wolf and its prey

Animal activity patterns are driven mainly by physiological constraints, but also resources availability, weather and interaction with sympatric species. Research of temporal distribution of activity in animals living in sympatry helps understanding factors shaping interspecific interactions. This is especially interesting in predator – prey systems, so we analyzed the temporal overlap between the wolf (Canis lupus) and coexisting ungulates - roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), red deer (Cervus elaphus) and wild boar (Sus scrofa). Our study was conducted in Lika, Gorski kotar and northern Dalmatia in Croatia with the total surface of study area around 6000 km2. During the period from May 2018 to November 2020 automatic camera traps with infra-red sensors were set at 158 locations. Camera traps were checked at least every two months to collect data and replace batteries. Collected images were processed in program Camelot and for each event, the species, number of animals and age category (juvenile or adult) were defined. An event is defined as one recording of animal lasting 10 minutes during which several photos and videos could be taken. Patterns of interspecific temporal overlap were estimated using the software R, package Overlap. The coefficient of overlapping (∆4) was calculated, and it can range between 0 (no overlap) and 1 (total overlap). A total of 7497 photos of target species were collected and all revealed largely nocturnal activity. Our analysis showed that in the study area the temporal overlap amongst the wolf and observed ungulates was substantial. The highest coefficient of temporal overlap (∆4=0.87) was reported between wolf and red deer, while it was the same for the wild boar and roe deer (∆4=0.70). This suggest that in our study system, prey plays an important role in influencing wolf activity, however, further research is needed to discern the behavioral responses of observed species.

wolf, roe deer, red deer

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