Canis lupus fecal metabarcoding dataset

Although wolves are wide-ranging generalist carnivores throughout their life cycle, during the pup-rearing season wolf activity is focused on natal den sites where pup survival depends upon pack members provisioning food. Because prey availability is influenced by habitat quality within the home range, we investigated the relative importance of prey species for adults and pups and further examined the relationship between habitat characteristics, wolf diet, and litter size on Prince of Wales Island (POW) in Southeast Alaska. During 2012–2020, we detected 13 active den sites within the home ranges of 9 wolf packs. We estimated minimum pup counts using motion-detecting cameras and individual genotypes from noninvasive samples (hair: n = 322; scat: n = 227), and quantified wolf diet composition using fecal DNA metabarcoding (n = 538). We assessed habitat composition, configuration, and connectivity within denning and annual home ranges estimated using wolf GPS-collar data. Contrary to expe..., ,