World Journal of Zoology 7 (2): 106-112, 2012 ISSN 1817-3098 © IDOSI Publications, 2012 Corresponding Author: K. Sankar, Wildlife Institute of India. P.O. Box 18, Chandrabani, Dehradun-248 001, (Uttarakhand), India. Mob: +91 9412992784. 106 Food Habits of Golden Jackal (Canis aureus) and Striped Hyena (Hyaena hyaena) in Sariska Tiger Reserve, Western India Pooja Chourasia, Krishnendu Mondal, K. Sankar and Qamar Qureshi Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, India . Abstract: Food habits of golden jackal (Canis aureus) and striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena) were investigated using scat analysis between November 2010 and June 2011 in Sariska Tiger Reserve, Western India. Total 104 scats of golden jackal and 86 scats of striped hyena were collected and analyzed. The frequency of occurrence of each prey species was estimated through bootstrapping using program SIMSTAT. Niche breadth of these two species was quantified using Levin’s measure. The diet overlap in the two species was assessed using Pianka’s index. Twelve food items were identified in golden jackal scats and nine in striped hyena scats. Vegetative matter contributed maximum (17.57%) in jackal’s diet followed by rodents (15.77%), chital (10.81%), sambar (5.41%) and nilgai (4.05%). Nilgai and domestic cattle contributed maximum (24.76% each) in the diet of striped hyena, followed by sambar (17.14%), chital (16.19%) and vegetative matter (10.48%). The estimated dietary overlap between striped hyena and golden jackal was 67%. Niche breadth for golden jackal was estimated as 0.69 and for striped hyena it was 0.57. The considerable overlap was attributed to mutual dependence on ungulates, which indicated high resource competition between the two species. Key words: Canis aureus %Dietary Niche Overlap %Food Habits %Hyaena hyaena %Prey Size %Scat INTRODUCTION between predator and prey sizes. A confounding factor in The extent of niche differentiation and resource mammalian predators is the high variability in diet of partitioning determines the degree to which different smaller species, which can switch between insectivore, species can either coexist or competitively exclude each omnivore and carnivore. Canid and felid species above other [1, 2]. An important mode of resource partitioning is certain threshold weight class predate purely on the degree of dietary overlap between sympatric species vertebrates, while those below may be omnivorous or [3]. This overlap is influenced by each species’ physical predate on invertebrates and vertebrates. This implies that ability to obtain food [4, 5] and also by variation in the large carnivores (>21.5 kg) constitute a distinct functional spatial and temporal availability of food [6]. For distinct group from which predator-prey size relationships should carnivore guilds different mechanisms may be involved, emerge more clearly than from carnivore assemblages that such as different body sizes of predators [7] and prey are distributed across both sides of the body mass species [8, 9], activity pattern [10] and microhabitat use threshold [14]. The diet of the golden jackal and the [11]. However, whereas resources are limited, the strength striped hyena was studied through scat analysis in India of competition between sympatric species generally [15-18] and other countries [19-22]. Merve et al. [23] decreases with increased resource partitioning [12]. studied diet overlap between brown hyena (Parahyaena Study by Dickman [13] showed that the smaller brunnea) and black-backed jackal (Canis mesomelas) in predators in an insectivorous mammal guild consumed Atherstone Nature Reserve, Pilanesberg National Park smaller prey, but switched over to larger prey when the and private farm (Mankwe Wildlife Reserve) in South larger predators were removed. Consequently prey Africa. They inferred that, despite the marked body size selection could depend more on competition among differences, brown hyena and black-backed jackal can be predator guild members than on any inherent relationship considered as either meso-carnivores or apex predators, predator-prey studies that include a wide size-range of