Wolf Dietary Diversity in an Island Archipelago

Photo 1. Alexander Archipelago wolf (Canis lupus ligoni), Southeast Alaska, USA. This subspecies of inhabits a vast island archipelago that is naturally fragmented by steep terrain and expanses ocean. These elements contribute to variation in species distribution assemblages between mainland areas this region. credit: Bjorn Dihle. 2. An foraging the intertidal zone, Pleasant Island, Despite near absence ungulates, wolves continued occupy small (49 km2) during our study period. Marine mammals were most prevalent diet category for on with sea otters (Enhydra lutris) dominant Stellar lions (Eumetopias jubatus) harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) proportions. 3. after successfully acquiring flat fish, Glacier Bay National Park Preserve, Access marine environments can provide wider variety forage species, mammals, invertebrates available zone. Increased consumption these could be advantageous because reduced handling times risk, allowing individually. Jessie Klump. 4. wolf-tracks Gretchen H. Roffler. 5. The author (G. Roffler) collecting scat samples, Bartlett River, Previous research efforts have described diets visual identification prey remains scat. work demonstrates use novel method (DNA metabarcoding fecal remains) has improved capacity identify applied here 860 scats collected 2010–2018 across 12 Alaskan sites. Natalie Dawson. photographs illustrate article “Metabarcoding DNA shows dietary diversification substitutes ungulates an archipelago” Roffler, G. H., J. M. Allen, A. Massey, T. Levi. Ecosphere. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3297