Dieta da população de gatos abandonados (Felis catus) residentes na UFMS (Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso do Sul)

Abstract

Invasive species are considered one of the most causes of biodiversity loss in the global scenario. The domestic cat (Felis catus) is an invasive mammal carnivorous with high predatory capacity and great food generalism, threatening the diversity of native prey like birds, mammals and reptiles. There are indications that 175 vertebrate taxa are threatened or extinct. In the Americas, in addition to extinguishing native species, cats also generate cascade effects by decreasing nitrogen levels in the soil. There are expressive data regarding the risk that cats can bring to native species, from that, my objective with this paper was to identify the abandoned cats diet components in the region that surrounds the RPPN/UFMS, identify if there is predation of animal species. The abandoned cats diet was studied through their feces analysis. The campus extension was covered to search for feces, which after being collected, were washed and sorted. The analysis was performed through different animal and plant groups presence and absence. Fifty-two feces were collected containing 12 samples of birds, 38 of invertebrates and 42 of plant species. Predation was higher in the invertebrate group, however, the bird group may be suffering population losses due to its low rate of reproductive success and predation carried out by native organisms. The abandoned cats monitoring must be continuous to ensure local biodiversity protection.