Food habits and resource partitioning of Carnivores (Herpestidae, Viverridae) in the rainforests of southeastern Nigeria : Preliminary results

Abstract

The diets of four carnivores species (Herpestes ichneumon, Atilax paludinosus, Civettictis civetta, Genetta maculata) were studied in the continued forest zone of southern Nigeria. 29 stomachs of H. ichneumon, 29 of A. paludinosus, 27 of C. civetta, and 22 of G. maculata were examined. The numbers of empty stomachs varied from 9 % to 17 %, and did not differ significantly amongst species. H. ichneumon proved to be primarily mammalo-phagous. A. paludinosus was an “invertebratophagous” species, whereas C. civetta and G. maculata fed essentially on both invertebrates and mammals. The niche breadths of C. civetta and G. maculata were quite similar, whereas the niche positions of H. ichneumon and A. paludinosus were very different from those of the two former species and from each other. In particular, A. paludinosus was more specialized than any other predator. This evidence mirrors the phylogenetic position of the various species, as the former two taxa are Viverridae and the latter two species are Herpestidae. From Principal Component Analysis of the dietary data, it resulted that H. ichneumon and G. maculata are very similar in terms of dietary niche, and differ from the other two species which are also very different from each other. The general ecological context of the coexistence of these species in the rainforest ecosystem of tropical Africa is also discussed.