Comparison Study on the Trophic Niche of Red Pandas Using Stable Isotope Analysis.

ABSTRACT: The red panda (Ailurus), a rare and endangered mammal native to the Himalayan-Hengduan Mountains, has a specialized bamboo diet. Combining morphological and genomic evidence, red pandas have been classified as Ailurus fulgens and Ailurus styani. However, previous studies focused on ecological aspects such as foraging behaviors, habitat use and threats within specific distributions; hence, there is still a gap in quantitative comparative studies on the trophic niches of these two species. In this study, we calculated and compared the isotopic trophic niche widths of A. styani and A. fulgens by measuring carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in hair keratin of 102 red pandas, then conducting a fecal analysis to explore the diet of a population. The results showed th

SUBMITTER: Zhang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11639846 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature