Food from faeces: Evaluating the efficacy of scat DNA metabarcoding in dietary analyses

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225805
• Publication Date: 2019-12-18T18:33:10Z
• Authors: David Thuo; Elise Furlan; Femke Broekhuis; Joseph Kamau; Kyle Macdonald; Dianne M. Gleeson
• Keywords: Acinonyx jubatus; Prey detection

Scat DNA metabarcoding is increasingly being used to track the feeding ecology of elusive wildlife species. This approach has greatly increased resolution and detection success prey items contained in scats when compared with other classical methods. However, there have been few studies that systematically tested applicability reliability this study diet large felids species wild. Here we assessed effectiveness cheetah Acinonyx jubatus. We how scat degradation, meal size, consumed day (the a particular was consumed) influenced captive cheetahs. demonstrated it possible obtain information from 60-day old using genetic approaches, but efficiency decreased over time. Probability species-identification highest for food one prior collection probability able identify proportion consumed. Detection varied among not by individual cheetah. Identification methods single consumption event worked samples collected between 8 72 hours post-feeding. Our confirms utility approaches highlight need account systematic bias results control day, size especially wild-collected scats.