SREL Reprint #3875

Revealing seasonal dietary niche overlap among sympatric large carnivores using DNA metabarcoding

Jessica R. Patterson1, Stéphanie Périquet-Pearce2,3,4, Madeline H. Melton1, Brennan PetersonWood1, Rubén Portas5, Ortwin Aschenborn5, Claudine Cloete6, Laura E. Peirson7, Diana J.R. Lafferty7, and James C. Beasley1

1Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, Savannah River Ecology Lab,
University of Georgia, P.O. Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802, USA
2Ongava Research Centre, Private Bag 13 419, Southern Industrial, Windhoek, Namibia
3Department of Conservation Management, Faculty of Science, Nelson Mandela University,
George Campus, Madiba Drive, George 6530, South Africa
4Panthera, Cape Town, South Africa
5Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research of Berlin,
Alfred-Kowalke St. 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany
6Etosha Ecological Institute, Etosha National Park, Okaukuejo, Namibia
7Department of Biology, Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Science Laboratory,
Northern Michigan University, Marquette, MI 49855, USA

Abstract: Understanding how large carnivores partition dietary resources is essential for assessing intra-guild competition and informing conservation strategies. In this study, we used DNA metabarcoding of scats to quantify and compare the diets of sympatric African lions (Panthera leo) and spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) across wet and dry seasons in the Greater Etosha Landscape of Namibia. Across 98 scat samples (lion = 69; spotted hyena = 29), we identified 19 vertebrate prey species. Overall, large ungulates dominated both carnivores’ diets. For lions, the most frequent prey items included gemsbok (Oryx gazella), common eland (Taurotragus oryx), plains zebra (Equus quagga burchelli), and blue wildebeest (Connochaetus taurinus). For spotted hyenas, the most frequent prey items were plains zebra, gemsbok, springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis), and black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis bicornis). Dietary niche breadth was not significantly different between species, though lions exhibited the broadest across both seasons, while diet composition was similar between species and seasons. However, the smaller sample size for spotted hyenas may limit full characterization of their diet and influence measures of overlap and niche breadth. These results suggest a moderate diet overlap and limited resource partitioning both within and among these large carnivore species across seasons, likely facilitated by opportunistic scavenging and kleptoparasitism. Both species exhibited broader dietary niche breadths during the wet season, likely reflecting increased prey availability and dispersion. Ongoing monitoring of carnivore diets using molecular tools, which provides a more accurate and comprehensive identification of diet items than manual sorting, will be essential for detecting changes in resource use and interspecific interactions in response to shifting environmental conditions and anthropogenic pressures.

Keywords: African lions, Diet composition, Dietary niche breadth, Interspecific competition, Resource partitioning, Spotted hyenas

SREL Reprint #3875

Patterson, J. R., S. Périquet-Pearce, M. H. Melton, B. PetersonWood, R. Portas, O. Aschenborn, C. Cloete, L. E. Peirson, D. J. R. Lafferty, and J. C. Beasley. 2026. Revealing seasonal dietary niche overlap among sympatric large carnivores using DNA metabarcoding. Scientific Reports 16(13590).

This information was provided by the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (srel.uga.edu).