Using DNA barcoding and species distribution models to characterize the trophic ecology of Geoffroy’s cat in the Brazilian Pampa

Geoffroy’s cat ( Leopardus geoffroyi ) is a small neotropical felid that has been the focus of a few dietary studies in the Brazilian Pampa. In order to better understand its trophic ecology, it is essential to accurately determine its diet and to evaluate potential relationships between prey composition and habitat suitability. To achieve this, we employed both DNA barcoding and morphology to identify prey items and compared the effectiveness of these methods. We then estimated the habitat suitability of Geoffroy’s cat and compared it with the suitability of the most important prey species in the region. DNA barcoding was found to be more accurate at identifying prey species. Analysis of the most important prey species revealed that Geoffroy’s cat in the Brazilian Pampa has a diverse diet preying primarily on small mammals, with Cavia aperea , Oligoryzomys nigripes , and Oligoryzomys flavescens being the most important species. Geoffroy’s cat had higher suitability in habitats with intermediate vegetation cover. Our best-fit model in the GLM analysis suggested that the habitat suitability of the three prey species combined explain better the variations in suitability of the predator, with two species positively and one negatively related to the predator’s suitability. This suggests that Geoffroy’s cat exhibits a generalist behavior, preying on available species within its distribution. By combining a dietary study with efficient prey identification and habitat suitability analysis, we were able to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the complex ecological network of this felid.