IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Cornhill, K. | |
| Cheetah Acinonyx jubatus behaviour and resource use in response to other African large carnivores | |
| 2019 Full Book | |
Competition occurs between species for shared resources. Subordinate species employ resource selection to shift their resource use away from that of dominant species in order toavoid the negative consequences of competition. Only in Africa is the post-Pleistocene largecarnivore guild intact, consisting of lions_ Panthera leo_, spotted hyaenas_ Crocuta crocuta_,leopards _Panthera pardus_, cheetahs _Acinonyx jubatus_, and African wild dogs_ Lycaon pictus_.Therefore, only in Africa can we explore how large carnivores co-exist with one another in adiverse community. Cheetahs are a subordinate member of the large carnivore guild due to theirsmall stature and solitary nature. However, we still do not fully understand how competitionshapes cheetah behaviour and resource use. I used cheetahs as a model subordinate predatorto determine the behavioural responses and resource selection of cheetah in response toassumed competition from other large carnivores. I experimentally explored the behaviouralresponse of cheetah to large carnivore scent sources (scats) and their presence at cheetahscent-marking sites to test for avoidance of such cues. Moreover, using unplanned experimentsbased on the resource use of cheetahs in the absence and then presence of lions (assessingspace and time use by cheetah) and African wild dogs (assessing prey use by both species), Ievaluated resource selection by cheetahs as a way to reduce competition with these large carnivores. In addition, I measured spatial and temporal partitioning between cheetahs and allfour large carnivores at camera trap sites. Finally, I assessed whether cheetahs responded tocompetitors using a long term proactive response or a short term reactive response. I found thatall four of the other large carnivores in the guild shaped cheetahs resource use, however, all didso on different axes in accordance with the niche complementarity hypothesis. Lions andspotted hyenas were avoided through time, African wild dogs through space and prey use, andlions and leopards on the spatiotemporal axis. Moreover, I show that cheetahs utilize a reactiveresponse to competition that allows them to avoid risk while still obtaining necessary resources. |
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