Temporal and individual variation in the feeding habits of Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus)
Abstract Foraging plays a vital role in the survival of wildlife, and shifts in food availability can impact species fitness and survival. Ursids are known to consume a wide variety of foods and are known to be opportunistic omnivores. Consequently, seasonal shifts in diet, which correspond to tempo...
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Wiley
2024-07-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.11562 |
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| author | Tomoki Mori Saki N. Mori Shigeyuki Izumiyama |
| author_facet | Tomoki Mori Saki N. Mori Shigeyuki Izumiyama |
| author_sort | Tomoki Mori |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Foraging plays a vital role in the survival of wildlife, and shifts in food availability can impact species fitness and survival. Ursids are known to consume a wide variety of foods and are known to be opportunistic omnivores. Consequently, seasonal shifts in diet, which correspond to temporal and spatial shifts in the availability of food resources, have long captivated researchers studying the foraging behavior of Ursidae. Nevertheless, comprehensive dietary studies encompassing both the population and individual levels remain scarce. In this study, we investigated the dietary patterns of Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) at both the population and individual levels, using data collected through GPS collars and field surveys of individual bear scat samples in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, from 2016 to 2020. From early April to late June, bears mainly foraged on green vegetation. During this period, male and large‐bodied female bears showed a strong preference for green vegetation. Small‐bodied female bears also ate mostly green vegetation but tended to consume more fruit than other bears towards the end of this period. From June to October, bears' diets included a substantial amount of fruit, with notable peaks in fruit consumption in late June and early September. During the summer months, female bears often incorporated social insects into their diet compared to the population‐level trend. In mid‐September, the consumption of seeds from the Fagaceae family surged, becoming the primary dietary component during this period. This trend was consistently observed across the population. These findings underscore the importance conducting in‐depth dietary analyses that take into account individual characteristics such as sex, age, and body weight. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-39e75b1ec8eb46e2a1e2fa8715e43dec |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-07-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj-art-39e75b1ec8eb46e2a1e2fa8715e43dec2025-08-20T03:55:58ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582024-07-01147n/an/a10.1002/ece3.11562Temporal and individual variation in the feeding habits of Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus)Tomoki Mori0Saki N. Mori1Shigeyuki Izumiyama2Institute for Mountain Science Shinshu University Minami‐minowa, Kami‐Ina JapanGraduate School of Science and Technology Shinshu University Minami‐minowa, Kami‐Ina JapanInstitute for Mountain Science Shinshu University Minami‐minowa, Kami‐Ina JapanAbstract Foraging plays a vital role in the survival of wildlife, and shifts in food availability can impact species fitness and survival. Ursids are known to consume a wide variety of foods and are known to be opportunistic omnivores. Consequently, seasonal shifts in diet, which correspond to temporal and spatial shifts in the availability of food resources, have long captivated researchers studying the foraging behavior of Ursidae. Nevertheless, comprehensive dietary studies encompassing both the population and individual levels remain scarce. In this study, we investigated the dietary patterns of Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) at both the population and individual levels, using data collected through GPS collars and field surveys of individual bear scat samples in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, from 2016 to 2020. From early April to late June, bears mainly foraged on green vegetation. During this period, male and large‐bodied female bears showed a strong preference for green vegetation. Small‐bodied female bears also ate mostly green vegetation but tended to consume more fruit than other bears towards the end of this period. From June to October, bears' diets included a substantial amount of fruit, with notable peaks in fruit consumption in late June and early September. During the summer months, female bears often incorporated social insects into their diet compared to the population‐level trend. In mid‐September, the consumption of seeds from the Fagaceae family surged, becoming the primary dietary component during this period. This trend was consistently observed across the population. These findings underscore the importance conducting in‐depth dietary analyses that take into account individual characteristics such as sex, age, and body weight.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.11562dietsindividual characteristicsscatseasonal shiftsUrsus thibetanus |
| spellingShingle | Tomoki Mori Saki N. Mori Shigeyuki Izumiyama Temporal and individual variation in the feeding habits of Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) Ecology and Evolution diets individual characteristics scat seasonal shifts Ursus thibetanus |
| title | Temporal and individual variation in the feeding habits of Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) |
| title_full | Temporal and individual variation in the feeding habits of Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) |
| title_fullStr | Temporal and individual variation in the feeding habits of Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Temporal and individual variation in the feeding habits of Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) |
| title_short | Temporal and individual variation in the feeding habits of Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) |
| title_sort | temporal and individual variation in the feeding habits of asiatic black bears ursus thibetanus |
| topic | diets individual characteristics scat seasonal shifts Ursus thibetanus |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.11562 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT tomokimori temporalandindividualvariationinthefeedinghabitsofasiaticblackbearsursusthibetanus AT sakinmori temporalandindividualvariationinthefeedinghabitsofasiaticblackbearsursusthibetanus AT shigeyukiizumiyama temporalandindividualvariationinthefeedinghabitsofasiaticblackbearsursusthibetanus |