A Genet Drive-Through: Are Large Spotted Genets Using Urban Areas for "fast Food"? A Dietary Analysis

Knowledge of an urban carnivore's foraging behavior is vital to understanding its ecology. This is particularly important as urbanization continues to convert natural habitats into human-altered landscapes. Over the past few years there have been increasing reports of large spotted genets (Genetta tigrina) foraging within suburbs of towns and cities in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Consequently, we investigated the dietary composition of urban G. tigrina using scat analyses, and the influence of predictable supplementary feeding stations on their feeding behavior in the suburbs of Kloof/Hillcrest, KwaZulu-Natal. Prey items with the highest relative frequency of occurrence were invertebrates (42.5 %). In particular, their scats found in anthropogenic structures such as roofs and out buildings were dominated by cockroaches (Blattodea). Small mammals also formed an important component of the diet. Significant seasonal variation in diet was recorded. The highest recorded relative frequency of occurrence of reptiles in scats was during spring (8.6 %). The highest recorded relative frequency of occurrence of anthropogenic refuse in the scats was in winter (12.7 %) with pieces of plastic, elastic bands and cardboard present in the scats. Uncommon genet behavior recorded at artificial feeding stations included diurnal feeding patterns and multiple individuals feeding with no signs of aggression. The presence of pet food, invertebrates associated with anthropogenic structures, and anthropogenic pollution/waste in the diet of urban genets, as well as their ability to use supplemental feeding stations highlights their adaptability to make use of temporally or locally available food resources within the urban environment.