Comparative diet and habitat selection of puku and lech we in northern Botswana

Abstract

Abstract Differences in resource selection (i.e., habitat selection and diet composition) may allow for coexistence of interspecific competitors. Two congeneric floodplain antelope with broadly similar habitat use are puku (Kobus vardonii) and lechwe (K. leche). In Botswana, puku are restricted to a narrow band of floodplains along the Chobe River, whereas lechwe are far more abundant, with a distribution encompassing the Chobe Riverfront, the Linyanti Swamps, Kwando River, and the Okavango Delta. We investigated factors to try to explain the contrasting distribution patterns of puku and lechwe, including seasonal diet composition and overlap, seasonal nutritional status as indicated by fecal nitrogen and phosphorus, and habitat selection. Dietary overlap ranged from 84% to 90% across seasons. Cynodon dactylon was the greatest contributor to the diets of both puku and lechwe, but there were differences in the relative contributions of particular grass species associated with uplands or floodplains. Fecal ...