DOI: 10.5061/dryad.2280gb623
title: Narrow dietary niche with high overlap between snow leopards and Himalayan wolves indicates potential for resource competition in Shey Phoksundo National Park, Nepal

description: Understanding species' dietary ecology and inter-specific
 interactions is crucial for multi-species conservation planning. In
 Central Asia and the Himalayas, wolves have recolonized snow leopard
 habitats, raising considerable concern about resource competition between
 these apex predators. Using micro-histological analysis of prey species
 remains (e.g., hair) in their fecal samples, we determined the prey
 composition, dietary niche breadth, and the extent of diet overlap between
 these two apex predators in Shey Phoksundo National Park,
 Nepal.  We analyzed 152 scat samples collected along 89
 survey transects from April to June 2021. Our findings reveal a
 significant overlap in their diets (Pianka’s index= 0.93), with snow
 leopard and wolf scats containing the remains of 11 and 10 prey species,
 respectively. However, the interspecific difference in prey selection was
 apparent with significant deviations between observed and expected prey
 use indicating non-random prey selection relative to availability: snow
 leopards exhibited a higher occurrence of wild prey items in their diet
 (55.28%), primarily blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) (24.83%), whereas wolves
 relied predominantly on domestic livestock (67.89%), with goats (Capra
 hircus) accounting for over one-fourth of their diet
 (29.15%).  Yaks (Bos grunniens) comprised a significant
 portion of the biomass consumed by both predators, with higher for wolves
 (43.68%) than snow leopards (36.47%). Overall, the narrow dietary niche
 breadth with high overlap indicates potential resource competition between
 snow leopards and wolves.  However, a comprehensive
 understanding of resource competition will require further study on other
 axes of niche partitioning, including habitat and time. Nevertheless, the
 region's low prey richness means that, with increasing human
 influence, any reduction in wild prey or increase in livestock could
 intensify competition between snow leopards and wolves, which could have
 implications for livestock depredation.
description: The scat samples of snow leopards and Himalayan wolves were
 collected from the field surveys in Shey Phoksundo National Park, Dolpa,
 Nepal. From those collected scats, micro-histological analysis was done in
 the laboratory. 
description: # Narrow dietary niche with high overlap between snow leopards and
 Himalayan wolves indicates potential for resource competition in Shey
 Phoksundo National Park, Nepal
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.2280gb623](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.2280gb623) ## Description of the data and file structure This datasheet includes Total number the dietary pattern of the snow leopards andscats: 152 (in rows) Himalayan wolves. The scat samples of snow leopards and Himalayan wolves were collected from the field surveys in Shey Phoksundo National Park, Dolpa, Nepal. From those collected scats, micro-histological analysis was done in the laboratory. a. Total number of scats: 152 (in rows) b. Binary digits (0 and 1) from column (B) to column (L) refer to:           0: Absence           1: Presence c. Column (N) indicates the number of species recorded in a single scat.