Gut Microbiomes of Ex Situ African Painted Dogs ( <i>Lycaon pictus</i> ) Reflect Social Group and Variation in Dietary Whole Prey

Understanding the factors that structure animal microbiomes across different species and environments is increasingly valuable to wildlife care and conservation efforts. Diet is a well-established driver of gut microbiome structure and function, and formulating nutritionally balanced diets is vital to ex situ animal care and management. Prebiotic dietary items can promote beneficial microbial communities in the guts of ex situ wildlife. Animal fibers (skin, hair, and connective tissue) can act as prebiotics for carnivores, influencing gut microbiome structure and function. Social interactions and differing environmental exposures can further shape animal microbiomes, with evidence of group and environmental signatures in the microbiomes of some social species. To test for respective patterns of diet and social group, we used 16S rRNA sequencing to track the gut microbiomes of two groups of African painted dogs (Lycaon pictus) housed at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. The diet of one group was shifted to include increased whole prey (e.g., rabbits), representing an uptick in animal fiber intake. We found that, despite both groups sharing a diverse set of core microbes, there were distinct group signatures in the dogs' microbiomes, a pattern that grew stronger over time. Furthermore, although the diversity of gut bacteria showed minimal variation between groups and over time, the overall microbial composition and the abundance of specific taxa varied significantly between groups and with increased dietary whole prey. The results of this study further demonstrate the value of zoo populations for understanding the factors that drive animal microbiome structure and highlight the influence of management decisions in shifting animal microbiomes.