Predation impacts of invasive raccoons on rare native species

In Japan, there are concerns that invasive alien raccoons prey on rare native species during their spawning season from late winter to early summer. We investigated raccoon predation impact by examining the predation presence using DNA metabarcoding and extent of predation on rare native species usi...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scientific reports 2020-11, Vol.10 (1), p.20860-20860, Article 20860
Main Authors: Oe, Sakura, Sashika, Mariko, Fujimoto, Ayako, Shimozuru, Michito, Tsubota, Toshio
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
631/158/2178
631/158/2466
631/158/672
Amphibians
Animal behavior
Animals
Astacoidea - physiology
Bayes Theorem
Bayesian analysis
Cambaroides japonicus
Crustaceans
Deoxyribonucleic acid
DNA
Endangered Species
Food resources
Humanities and Social Sciences
Indigenous species
Japan
multidisciplinary
Native species
Predation
Predatory Behavior - physiology
Prey
Procyonidae
Raccoons - physiology
Rare species
Reptiles & amphibians
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Seasons
Spawning
Stable isotopes
Urodela - physiology
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:In Japan, there are concerns that invasive alien raccoons prey on rare native species during their spawning season from late winter to early summer. We investigated raccoon predation impact by examining the predation presence using DNA metabarcoding and extent of predation on rare native species using stable isotope analysis. We captured raccoons in Hokkaido, Japan from April to August in 2018 and 2019. We analysed raccoon faeces and gastric contents by DNA metabarcoding to detect the rare native Hokkaido salamander and Japanese crayfish. Hokkaido salamanders were detected from gastric contents, but Japanese crayfish were not detected in any samples. Stable isotope analysis of raccoon muscle samples and the Bayesian mixing model were used to estimate each food resource’s contribution to the raccoon diet. Animal food resources accounted for 70% of total consumed food. The foraging ratios of amphibians and crustaceans were about 9% and 5%, respectively. Raccoons have been found to use amphibians at a higher rate than previously reported, including a rare endangered species, the Hokkaido salamander. Hokkaido salamander and Japanese crayfish spawn in the spring, and increased predation pressure by raccoons may directly impact populations of these rare native species.
ISSN:2045-2322
2045-2322
DOI:10.1038/s41598-020-77016-y