Molecular analysis for investigating dietary habits: genetic screening of prey items in scat and stomach contents of leopard cats Prionailurus bengalensis euptilurus

摘要

Background Among the Felidae recorded on the Korean Peninsula, the tiger Panthera tigris, leopard Panthera pardus, and lynx Lynx lynx are now endangered, while the leopard cat Prionailurus bengalensis, the remaining feline, is a globally threatened carnivore. Herein, we investigated the dietary habits of leopard cats by analyzing prey DNA in scat and stomach contents. We also tested whether prey DNA in scat samples collected from natural habitats could accurately identify prey species from stomach contents.