Extension of the diet of an extreme foraging specialist, the aardwolf (Proteles cristata)
The aardwolf, Proteles cristata, is a highly specializedmyrmecophagous carnivore that feeds almost exclusivelyon termites of the genus Trinervitermes. Herewe report data from an ongoing analysis of aardwolfdiet, where we documented remains of sun spidersand scorpions in aardwolf scats. Although the...
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| Format: | Journal Article |
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Universiteit Stellenbosch * Department of Botany and Zoology
2011
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/22131 |
| _version_ | 1848750784842301440 |
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| author | de Vries, J. Pirk, C. Bateman, Bill Cameron, E. Dalerum, F. |
| author_facet | de Vries, J. Pirk, C. Bateman, Bill Cameron, E. Dalerum, F. |
| author_sort | de Vries, J. |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | The aardwolf, Proteles cristata, is a highly specializedmyrmecophagous carnivore that feeds almost exclusivelyon termites of the genus Trinervitermes. Herewe report data from an ongoing analysis of aardwolfdiet, where we documented remains of sun spidersand scorpions in aardwolf scats. Although the prevalenceof these items was low, with sun spiders recordedin nine and scorpion remains in one of 246 scats, ourobservations suggest that aardwolves opportunisticallyfeed on larger prey than previously thought.However, our observations do not suggest thataardwolves utilized these large prey items as alternativesto their main food resource during periods offood scarcity. Therefore, we suggest that the adaptiveadvantages of such opportunism may be small, butthat the observed behavioural plasticity could beadvantageous under specific environmental conditionsand therefore is maintained as a behavioural trait. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T07:42:20Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-22131 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T07:42:20Z |
| publishDate | 2011 |
| publisher | Universiteit Stellenbosch * Department of Botany and Zoology |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-221312018-03-29T09:06:34Z Extension of the diet of an extreme foraging specialist, the aardwolf (Proteles cristata) de Vries, J. Pirk, C. Bateman, Bill Cameron, E. Dalerum, F. carnivore utilization solifugids resource diet breadth The aardwolf, Proteles cristata, is a highly specializedmyrmecophagous carnivore that feeds almost exclusivelyon termites of the genus Trinervitermes. Herewe report data from an ongoing analysis of aardwolfdiet, where we documented remains of sun spidersand scorpions in aardwolf scats. Although the prevalenceof these items was low, with sun spiders recordedin nine and scorpion remains in one of 246 scats, ourobservations suggest that aardwolves opportunisticallyfeed on larger prey than previously thought.However, our observations do not suggest thataardwolves utilized these large prey items as alternativesto their main food resource during periods offood scarcity. Therefore, we suggest that the adaptiveadvantages of such opportunism may be small, butthat the observed behavioural plasticity could beadvantageous under specific environmental conditionsand therefore is maintained as a behavioural trait. 2011 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/22131 10.3377/004.046.0113 Universiteit Stellenbosch * Department of Botany and Zoology restricted |
| spellingShingle | carnivore utilization solifugids resource diet breadth de Vries, J. Pirk, C. Bateman, Bill Cameron, E. Dalerum, F. Extension of the diet of an extreme foraging specialist, the aardwolf (Proteles cristata) |
| title | Extension of the diet of an extreme foraging specialist, the aardwolf (Proteles cristata) |
| title_full | Extension of the diet of an extreme foraging specialist, the aardwolf (Proteles cristata) |
| title_fullStr | Extension of the diet of an extreme foraging specialist, the aardwolf (Proteles cristata) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Extension of the diet of an extreme foraging specialist, the aardwolf (Proteles cristata) |
| title_short | Extension of the diet of an extreme foraging specialist, the aardwolf (Proteles cristata) |
| title_sort | extension of the diet of an extreme foraging specialist, the aardwolf (proteles cristata) |
| topic | carnivore utilization solifugids resource diet breadth |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/22131 |