Analysis of Scat for Gut Microbiome Identification in Wolves from a Mediterranean and an Alpine Area

The gut microbiome can play a fundamental role in several processes associated with an organism's ecology, and research on the microbiota of wild animals has flourished in the last decades. Microbiome composition can vary across and within species according to taxonomy and environmental variability, including the availability of food resources. Species with a large distribution may exhibit spatial patterns acting at local/regional scales. We considered one of the most widespread and ecologically important predators in the world, i.e., the grey wolf Canis lupus, for which microbiome data is unduly limited. We studied four packs in different ecological conditions in Italy-two packs from a Mediterranean coastal area and two packs from an Alpine range-using an amplicon sequencing barcoding approach. Overall, our results are consistent with food habits entailing a diet largely based on wild prey and agree with findings obtained on other species of canids. If confirmed through a larger sample, they would support the hypothesis of an influence of the shared evolutionary history across canids on the composition of the gut microbiome. Some emerging differences were observed among packs in terms of species composition (Jaccard) and diversity, providing partial support to recent indications on pack identity as a significant determinant of microbiome composition. These results should be considered preliminary results of gut microbiome composition in our study areas.

Automated summary

The gut microbiome plays a crucial role in various ecological processes, and research on wild animal microbiota has thrived in recent years. Microbiome composition varies across and within species due to taxonomy and environmental factors such as food availability. We investigated the gut microbiome of the grey wolf, an ecologically important predator, using amplicon sequencing in different ecological conditions in Italy. The results suggest a diet primarily consisting of wild prey and indicate potential influence of shared evolutionary history on gut microbiome composition among canids. Differences in species composition and diversity were observed among packs, supporting the role of pack identity in shaping microbiome composition.