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A Key for Identifying the Prey of Snow Leopard in Nepal Using Features of the Structure of the Hair of Their Prey Present in Their Faeces

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Snow Leopards in Nepal

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Abstract

Large carnivores like snow leopard are solitary and elusive species, which makes observing their hunting and feeding behaviour difficult. In addition, small prey are completely consumed and it is not easy to determine where they were killed (Oli et al. in J Zool Lond 231:365–370, 1993). However, as the hair of prey is not damaged during mastication and digestion and is passed in the faeces of predators, it could be a reliable way of identifying their prey. Since the end of the nineteenth century there have been a number of publications on the microstructure of the hair of mammals. However, there are only a few such publications (Oli et al. in J Zool Lond 231:365–370, 1993; Khatoon, Diet selection of snow leopard (Uncia uncia) in Chitral area, Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi Pakistan, M. Phil, 2010; Anwar et al. in Pak J Zool 44:737–743, 2012) that are on the prey of snow leopard, and therefore there is a lack of detailed information. The aim of this chapter is to provide details of the microstructure and measurements of hair of Himalayan mammals collected in snow leopard habitats in Nepal, and digital photographs of the medulla, cuticle (scales) and cross-sections of the guard hairs that can be used to identify the prey of this predator.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    it extends as far as to the cuticle, see Fig. 4.4

  2. 2.

    medulla reaches to half of cortex, see Fig. 4.5

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biodiversity Research, Global Change Research Institute, Czech Academy of Sciences, Bělidla 4a, 60300, Brno, Czech Republic

    Bikram Shrestha, Soňa Vařachová & Pavel Kindlmann

  2. Faculty of Science, Institute for Environmental Sciences, Charles University, Benátská 2, 12801, Prague, Czech Republic

    Bikram Shrestha, Soňa Vařachová & Pavel Kindlmann

Authors
  1. Bikram Shrestha
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  2. Soňa Vařachová
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  3. Pavel Kindlmann
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bikram Shrestha .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biodiversity Research, Global Change Research Institute, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno, Czech Republic

    Pavel Kindlmann

Box 4.1—Appendix

Box 4.1—Appendix

Fig. 4.6
4 microphotographs and a table related to a guard hair of Himalayan tahr. A, pattern of scales on hair. B, longitudinal section. C and D, cross sections. At the bottom, a table with 5 columns depicts details with regard to guard hair.

Microphotographs (all 400×) of a guard hair of Himalayan tahr: a pattern of scales on hair; b longitudinal section; c, d cross-sections

Full size image
Fig. 4.7
4 microphotographs and a table depict guard hairs of blue sheep. A, scales on tip. B, whole mount. C, main scale pattern. D and E, cross sections. At the bottom, a table with 5 columns depicts features with regard to guard hair.

Microphotographs (all 400×) of guard hairs of blue sheep: a scales on tip; b whole-mount; c main scale pattern; d, e cross-sections

Full size image
Fig. 4.8
4 microphotographs and a table depict guard hairs of musk deer. A, main scale pattern. B and C, whole mount. D, cross section. At the bottom, a table contains details in 5 columns.

Microphotographs (all 400×) of guard hairs of musk deer: a main scale pattern; b, c whole-mount; d cross-section

Full size image
Fig. 4.9
5 microphotographs and a table depict guard hairs of red fox. A, pattern of scales on proximal part. B, pattern of scales on the middle part. C, whole mount. D and E, cross sections. A table of 5 columns is depicted with details of guard hair.

Microphotographs (b 200×; all other 400×) of guard hairs of red fox: a pattern of scales on proximal part; b pattern of scales on the middle part; c whole-mount; d, e cross-sections

Full size image
Fig. 4.10
3 microphotographs and a table depict guard hairs of snow leopard. A, main pattern of scales. B, whole mount. C, cross section. At the bottom, a table with 5 columns depicts features with regard to guard hair.

Microphotographs (all 400×) of guard hairs of snow leopard: a main pattern of scales; b whole-mount; c cross-section

Full size image
Fig. 4.11
3 microphotographs and a table depict guard hairs of yak. A, main pattern of scales. B, whole mount. C, cross section. At the bottom, a table with 5 columns depicts features with regard to guard hair. At the bottom, a table with 5 columns depict features with regard to guard hair.

Microphotographs (all 400×) of guard hairs of yak: a main pattern of scales; b whole-mount; c cross-section

Full size image
Fig. 4.12
6 microphotographs and a table depict guard hairs of dog. A, main pattern of scales. B and C, whole mount of a hair of Tibetan black dog. D, whole mount of a small white dog. E and F, cross sections. A table with 5 columns depicts features of the hairs.

Microphotographs (all 400×) of guard hairs of dog: a main pattern of scales; b, c whole-mount of a hair Tibetan black dog; d whole-mount of a small white dog; e, f cross-sections

Full size image
Fig. 4.13
4 microphotographs and a table depict hairs of cow or ox. A, main pattern of scales. B, predominant whole mount. C and D, cross sections. A table with 5 columns depicts features of the hair.

Microphotographs (all 400×) of guard hairs of cow/ox: a main pattern of scales pattern; b predominant whole-mount; c, d cross-sections

Full size image
Fig. 4.14
3 microphotographs and a table depict guard hairs of horse. A, main pattern of scales. B, whole mount. C, cross section. A table with 5 columns depicts details of the hair.

Microphotographs (all 400×) of guard hairs of horse: a main pattern of scales; b whole-mount; c cross-section

Full size image
Fig. 4.15
5 microphotographs and a table depict guard hairs of domestic goat. A and B, pattern of scales. C, whole mount. D and E, cross sections. At the bottom, a table with 5 columns depicts details of the hair.

Microphotographs (a 200×; all other 400×) of guard hairs of domestic goat: a, b pattern of scales; c whole-mount; d, e cross-sections

Full size image
Fig. 4.16
7 microphotographs and a table depict guard hairs of woolly hare. A and B, main pattern of scales. C, whole mount. D and E, cross sections. At the bottom, a table with 5 columns depicts details of the hair.

Microphotographs (a 200×; all other 400×) of guard hairs of woolly hare: a, b main pattern of scales; c whole-mount; d, e cross-sections

Full size image
Fig. 4.17
4 microphotographs and a table depict guard hairs of mountain weasel. A, main pattern of scales. B and D, whole mount. C, whole mount of distal end. At the bottom, a table with 5 columns depicts features of the hair.

Microphotographs (all 400×) of guard hairs of mountain weasel: a main pattern of scales; b, d whole-mount; c whole-mount of distal end

Full size image
Fig. 4.18
7 microphotographs and a table depict guard hairs of shrew. A, transitional pattern of scales. B, scale pattern on proximal part. C and D, whole mount. E and F, cross sections. G, scale pattern on distal part. At the bottom, a table with 5 columns depicts features of the hair.

Microphotographs (a, b, e, f, g 400×; c, d 200×) of guard hairs of shrew: a transitional pattern of scales; b scale pattern on proximal part; c, d whole-mount; e, f cross-sections; g scale pattern on distal part

Full size image
Fig. 4.19
6 microphotographs and a table depict guard hairs of rat. A, main pattern of scales on proximal end. B, scale pattern on distal part. C, whole mount. D, and F, cross sections. At the bottom, a table with 5 columns depicts features of the hair.

Microphotographs (a 200×; all other 400×) of guard hairs of rat: a main pattern of scales on proximal end; b scale pattern on distal part; c whole-mount; d–f cross-sections

Full size image
Fig. 4.20
4 microphotographs and a table depict guard hairs of pika. A, pattern of scales on distal part. B, pattern of scales on proximal part. C, whole mount. D, cross sections. At the bottom, a table with 5 columns depicts features of the hair.

Microphotographs (a, c 200×; b, d 400×) of guard hairs of pika: a pattern of scales on distal part; b pattern of scales on proximal part; c whole-mount; d cross-sections

Full size image

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Shrestha, B., Vařachová, S., Kindlmann, P. (2022). A Key for Identifying the Prey of Snow Leopard in Nepal Using Features of the Structure of the Hair of Their Prey Present in Their Faeces. In: Kindlmann, P. (eds) Snow Leopards in Nepal. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-11355-0_4

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