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The causes and consequences of partial prey consumption by wolves preying on moose

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Abstract

For a wide range of taxa, partial prey consumption (PPC) is a frequent occurrence. PPC may arise from physiological constraints to gut capacity or digestive rate. Alternatively, PPC may represent an optimal foraging strategy. Assessments that clearly distinguish between these causes are rare and have been conducted only for invertebrate species that are ambush predators with extra-intestinal digestion (e.g., wolf spiders). We present the first strong test for the cause of PPC in a cursorial vertebrate predator with intestinal digestion: wolves (Canis lupus) feeding on moose (Alces alces). Previous theoretical assessments indicate that if PPC represents an optimal foraging strategy and is not caused by physiological limitations, then mean carcass utilization is negatively correlated with mean kill rate and the utilization of individual carcasses is uncorrelated with time between kills. Wolves exhibit exactly this pattern. We explore how the typical portrayal of PPC by wolves has been not only misleading but also detrimental to conservation by promoting negative attitudes toward wolves.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the US National Science Foundation (DEB-0918247) and the US National Park Service for financial support.

Ethical Standards

This work complies with the current Michigan Technological University Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee guidelines, which are guided by the US federal regulations and ethical principles, intended to ensure the humane care and use of animals in research.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, 49931, USA

    John A. Vucetich, Leah M. Vucetich & Rolf O. Peterson

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  1. John A. Vucetich
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  2. Leah M. Vucetich
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  3. Rolf O. Peterson
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Correspondence to John A. Vucetich.

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Communicated by M. Festa-Bianchet

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Vucetich, J.A., Vucetich, L.M. & Peterson, R.O. The causes and consequences of partial prey consumption by wolves preying on moose. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 66, 295–303 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-011-1277-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-011-1277-0

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