Trophic interaction and livestock dependence of snow leopard and sympatric carnivores in Tianshan, Northwest China

Diets of carnivores provide insights into predator-prey relationship and intra-guild competition, and contribute to drafting fruitful conservation strategies. However, few high-resolution dietary dataset of carnivores exist in Central Asia, hindering deep understanding of their coexistence in grazing landscape. Here, we present detailed trophic interaction among four carnivores in Tianshan Mountains of Northwest China deriving from 179 fecal samples.
Using DNA metabarcoding, we identified 20 prey items across 5 orders. High dietary overlap (Ojk = 0.995) was found between snow leopard (Panthera uncia) and wolf (Canis lupus), which mainly preyed on large mammals (%PR = 85%, 91%). Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) mainly consumed large and small mammals (%PR = 43%, 31%). Significant differences (P<0.001, P<0.05) and lower dietary overlaps (Ojk = 0.761, 0.756) were observed between red fox and snow leopard/wolf.
Wild animals such as ibex (Capra sibirica) were detected in the diet of dog (Canis ..., , , # Data from: Trophic interaction and livestock dependence of snow leopard and sympatric carnivores in Tianshan, Northwest China

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.02v6wwqcf](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.02v6wwqcf)

## Description of the data and file structure

Raw data for diet analysis by high-throughput sequencing.

### Files and variables

#### File: RF.forward.fastq.gz

**Description:** Redfox rawdata

#### File: RF.reverse.fastq.gz

**Description:** Redfox rawdata

#### File: SL1.forward.fastq.gz

**Description:** Snow leopard rawdata

#### File: SL1.reverse.fastq.gz

**Description:** Snow leopard rawdata

#### File: SL2.forward.fastq.gz

**Description:** Snow leopard rawdata

#### File: SL2.reverse.fastq.gz

**Description:** Snow leopard rawdata

#### File: WD.forward.fastq.gz

**Description:** wolf and dog rawdata

#### File: WD.reverse.fastq.gz

**Description:** wolf and dog rawdata

## Code/software

qiime2 can be used for data analysis.