Prey identification of free-ranging domestic cats (Felis catus) from rural and natural areas of Spain through scat analysis

This dataset includes information on the prey consumed by free-ranging domestic cats with different care/nourishment conditions, obtained from the analysis of scats. Most of the samples have been collected in two different regions (north of Palencia province and northeastern of the Sierra Nevada, Almer?a province), although opportunistic samples from volunteers from other localities of Spain are also included. The remains used to identify prey to the most specific taxonomic level are stored in the holdings of Do?ana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC) and they are mainly composed of mandibles, teeth, feathers, scales and hard parts of arthropod exoskeletons. Scat samples were collected during 2022 in the framework of the project Feral Cats - WP4 SUMHAL with the goal of exploring the diversity of species that free-roaming domestic cats hunt and assessing which species or animal groups predominate in their catches. This dataset can be used to study the predatory activity of domestic cats and relate it to their environment, the conditions in which they live or their feeding regime, among other things.本数据集收录了不同饲养/营养条件下的散养家猫所捕食的猎物相关信息，数据通过分析其粪样（scats）获取。绝大多数样本采集自两个区域：帕伦西亚省北部，以及阿尔梅里亚省内华达山脉东北部；此外还纳入了西班牙其他地区志愿者采集的偶发性样本。用于将猎物鉴定至最精细分类学水平的残骸样本，均保存于多尼亚纳生物站（EBD-CSIC）的馆藏中，此类残骸主要由下颌骨、牙齿、羽毛、鳞片以及节肢动物外骨骼的硬质组分构成。本次粪样采集工作于2022年开展，隶属于项目"Feral Cats - WP4 SUMHAL"，旨在探究散养家猫的捕猎物种多样性，并评估其捕获物中占主导的物种或动物类群。本数据集可用于研究家猫的捕食活动，并可将其与家猫所处的环境、生存条件或摄食模式等多种因素相关联。

搜集汇总

背景与挑战

背景概述

该数据集通过粪便分析，记录了西班牙农村和自然区域自由放养家猫捕食的猎物信息，包含483条记录，覆盖2022年全年数据。样本主要来自帕伦西亚省和内华达山脉两个主要区域，并扩展至西班牙其他地区，旨在研究家猫捕食活动对生物多样性的影响，作为SUMHAL项目的一部分，以评估人类活动对生态系统的效应。