Salivary DNA evidence convicts breeding male coyotes of killing sheep
Salivary DNA evidence convicts breeding male coyotes of killing sheep
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DOI：
10.2193/0022-541x(2006)70
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发表时间：
2006-08-01
影响因子：
2.3
通讯作者：
Jaeger, Michael M.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Blejwas, Karen M.;Williams, Christen L.;Jaeger, Michael M.
解决掠食者和牲畜生产者之间的冲突取决于获得有关杀死牲畜的掠食者的可靠信息。我们利用从家羊尸体上的攻击伤口中获得的唾液 DNA 来识别造成杀戮的捕食者的物种，以及杀死羊的郊狼 (Canis latrans) 的性别和个体身份。郊狼杀死了 37 只被掠夺的羊中的 36 只。领地与绵羊放牧区重叠的繁殖对是家羊的主要捕食者，只有繁殖对才能杀死多只羊。 25 起猎杀事件中，有 21 起是单独或与配偶一起进行繁殖的雄性造成的。繁殖雌性参与了 13 次捕杀，但只有 1 只繁殖雌性独自杀死羊。短暂的雌性不会杀死绵羊，而短暂的雄性的两次捕杀都发生在有繁殖空缺的地区。我们的结果表明，捕食者控制应针对繁殖雄性土狼。唾液 DNA 是一种潜在的强大手段，既可以调查捕食模式，也可以评估针对杀死牲畜的个体的控制有效性。
Resolving conflicts between predators and livestock producers depends on obtaining reliable information about the predators that kill livestock. We used salivary DNA obtained from attack wounds on domestic sheep carcasses to identify the species of predator responsible for the kill, as well as the sex and individual identity of coyotes (Canis latrans) that killed sheep. Coyotes killed 36 of 37 depredated sheep. Breeding pairs whose territories overlapped sheep grazing areas were the primary predators on domestic sheep, and only breeding pair's killed multiple sheep. Breeding males, acting alone or with their mate, were involved in 21 of 25 kills. Breeding females participated in 13 kills, but only 1 breeding female killed sheep on her own. Transient females did not kill sheep, and both kills by transient males occurred in territories with a breeding vacancy. Our results suggest that predator control should be targeted at breeding male coyotes. Salivary DNA is a potentially powerful means of both investigating predation patterns and evaluating the effectiveness of control at targeting individuals that kill livestock.