Dietary overlap of two sympatric African mongoose species in an urban environment

Abstract

Abstract Urbanisation creates challenges and opportunities for wildlife. Globally, small carnivores have colonised urban spaces, but we do not know whether or how sympatric carnivores partition resources in order to co-exist. We studied the diet and degree of dietary overlap of two sympatric herpestid mongooses – yellow, Cynictis penicillata, and slender, Galerella sanguinea mongoose – in a small urban nature area in South Africa. The composition of 2600 yellow and 2000 slender mongoose scats was sampled over a year in an Eco-Estate, where wildlife have contact with humans, and a Nature Estate, where contact is reduced. We analysed the frequency of occurrence of invertebrates, mammals, birds, plants and anthropogenic items in scats. Invertebrates and mammals were most abundant for both species in the Nature Estate and for slender mongoose in the Eco-Estate, while anthropogenic items were more prevalent in yellow mongoose scats in the Eco-Estate. Both species included anthropogenic items in their diet in the Eco-Estate only. Scat components varied seasonally. In summer, invertebrates were more abundant in scats of both species, yet during the colder months, invertebrates decreased and vertebrates (more so in the slender mongoose) and anthropogenic items (more so in the yellow mongoose) increased. Dietary overlap was greatest in summer and lowest in winter. Nonetheless, the specialised slender mongoose diet and a generalist yellow mongoose diet potentially facilitates their co-existence.