Figure 1.
Relationships between prey mass and prey preference for hypothetical predator-prey communities.
In (a) prey masses are evenly distributed and one predator prefers prey of all masses equally (crosses), and another predator prefers prey weighing 51 to 55 kg twice as much as those weighing more than 55 kg (diamonds). In (b) prey masses are not evenly distributed and the predator prefers prey weighing 51 to 55 kg twice as much as those weighing more than 55 kg. In this example the break-point is incorrectly detected at 53.15 kg instead of at 55 kg. In (c) prey masses are represented by categorical values to generate even mass distribution and the predator prefers prey weighing 51 to 55 kg twice as much as those weighing more than 55 kg. In this example the break-point is correctly detected at 55 kg.
Table 1.
Minimum species sample size at which all known break-points in prey preference were detected in 75% to 100% of simulations; and the mean (±SD) absolute difference in prey category between known break-points and detected break-points at each minimum sample size.
Figure 2.
Segmented models of the relationship between the mass-rank of each prey species and carnivore preference; for cheetah, leopard, lion, spotted hyaena and wild dog.
Preference is indicated by cumulative Jacobs’ index+1 values. Actual prey species’ masses which correspond to the lowest, break-point, and highest prey mass-ranks are indicated above the figures.
Figure 3.
Prey weight preferences of the five large African carnivores.
Weight ranges (below 650 kg) of prey species found to be preferred (white), killed relative to their abundance (grey) and avoided (black) by the five large African carnivores, determined (A) in this study and (B) in [5]–[9].
Figure 4.
Mean (±SE) proportions of kills falling within the preferred and accessible weight ranges at test sites.
The mean proportion of kills made by each of the five large African carnivores at test sites that fall within this study’s preferred (white) and accessible (grey) prey weight ranges. * - significant difference between the proportion of kills in the weight ranges preferred by and accessible to a carnivore.