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Some ecological aspects of dhole (Cuon alpinus) in the Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Uthai Thani Province, Thailand Cover

Some ecological aspects of dhole (Cuon alpinus) in the Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Uthai Thani Province, Thailand

Open Access
|Dec 2019

Abstract

The dhole (Cuon alpinus) is one of the least frequent studied endangered canid species and many aspects of ecological knowledge about this species are lacking. The objectives of this study were to investigate the spatial movement of dholes, prey abundance, prey selection, and prey overlaps with other large carnivorous species in the Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand, during November, 2017 and October, 2018. Two adult female dholes were captured and fitted with GPS collars. Twenty camera trap sets were systematically used to survey the area. Scat collection was conducted along forest roads and trails. The home range sizes and activity radii of the two dholes were 3,151.63 ha. and 1,442.84 m, and 33.39 ha and 331.56 m, respectively. The sambar deer (Rusa unicolor) was the most abundant prey species (30.93%). However, dhole fecal analysis showed that the monitored dholes preferred red muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak) (57.1%). There was a high degree of prey overlap between dholes and leopards (98%), indicating very high prey competition. The dholes in this study represent movement patterns in richly abundant prey habitats, but with the presence of other predators that can affect prey selection and movement patterns of the dhole in the area.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/foecol-2019-0012 | Journal eISSN: 1338-7014 | Journal ISSN: 1336-5266
Language: English
Page range: 91 - 100
Submitted on: Jul 18, 2019
Accepted on: Oct 17, 2019
Published on: Dec 21, 2019
Published by: Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Forest Ecology
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 2 issues per year

© 2019 Khwanrutai Charaspet, Ronglarp Sukmasuang, Noraset Khiowsree, Nucharin Songsasen, Saksit Simchareon, Prateep Duengkae, published by Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Forest Ecology
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.