Dietary flexibility promotes range expansion: the case of golden jackals in Eurasia József Lanszki 1, Matt W. Hayward 2, Nathan Ranc 3, Andrzej Zalewski 4 1 Department of Nature Conservation, Hungarian University of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Kaposvár, Hungary 2 School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia 3 Université de Toulouse, INRAE, CEFS, Castanet‑Tolosan, France 4 Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieża, Poland ORCID József Lanszki https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2067-6601 Matt W. Hayward https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5574-1653 Nathan Ranc https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3167-2251 Andrzej Zalewski https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4518-2787 Journal of Biogeography Datasets: Table S1 Golden jackal (Canis aureus) diets as described in the reviewed studies across Eurasia, 1 – selected studies. Selected studies (1-25 studies considered in the assessment; calculation method: percentage relative frequency of occurrence; the selection criteria see in the Materials and Methods). Season: Cold – winter and spring, Warm – summer and autumn. Sample type: St – stomach, Sc – scat, n – sample size. Food types: S – small mammals, M – medium-sized herbivorous mammals, C – carnivores, U – wild ungulates, D – domestic animals, B – wild birds, E – bird eggs), R – reptiles, A – amphibians, F – fish, I – invertebrates, P – plants, O – other (inorganic materials). BA – standardized measure of trophic niche breadth. For locations, the niche breadth was calculated by using Levins (1968) index B = 1/Σpi2, where pi = is the relative frequency of the ith food taxa, and standardized across thirteen main food taxa (Krebs, 1989Hurlbert, 1978): BA = (B – 1)/(n – 1), where n is the number of potential food taxa. Empty cells mean that the given taxon was not detected. Sources – the numbered publications are presented in the following supplement (References to Table S1 and Table S2). Table S2 Golden jackal (Canis aureus) diets as described in the reviewed studies across Eurasia, 2 – non-selected studies. Non-selected studies (studies non-considered in the assessment; the criteria see in the Materials and Methods). Lat. – latitude; Long. – longitude. Season: Cold – winter and spring, Warm – summer and autumn, Y – year-round, U – unknown; Sample type: St – stomach, Sc – scat, Pr – prey remains (uneaten remains of prey found in the field); Calc. – calculation method: RFO – relative frequency of occurrence, FO – frequency of occurrence, B – calculated biomass, V – volumetric diet composition, n – sample size. Food types: S – small mammals, M –medium-sized herbivorous mammals, C - carnivores, U – wild ungulates, D – domestic animals, B – wild birds, E - bird eggs), R – reptiles, A – amphibians, F - fish, I – invertebrates, P – plants, O – other (inorganic materials), + – consumption occurred. BA – Levins standardized measure of trophic niche breadth. Sources – the numbered publications are presented in the following supplement (References to Table S1 and Table S2). References to Table S1 and Table S2 Selected studies 1. Raichev, E. G., Tsunoda, H., Newman, C., Masuda, R., Georgiev, D. M., & Kaneko, Y. (2013). The reliance of the golden jackal (Canis aureus) on anthropogenic foods in winter in Central Bulgaria. Mammal Study, 38(1), 19–27. 2. Tsunoda, H., Raichev, E. G., Newman, C., Masuda, R., Georgiev, D. M., & Kaneko, Y. (2017). Food niche segregation between sympatric golden jackals and red foxes in central Bulgaria. Journal of Zoology, 303(1), 64–71. 3. Tsunoda, H., Peeva, S., Raichev, E., Ito, K., & Kaneko, Y. (2019). Autumn dietary overlaps among three sympatric mesocarnivores in the central part of Stara Planina Mountain, Bulgaria. Mammal Study, 44(4), 1–7. 4. Stoyanov, S. (2012). Golden jackal (Canis aureus) in Bulgaria. Current status, distribution, demography and diet. International Symposium on Hunting. Zemun-Belgrade, pp. 22–24. 5. Stoyanov, S. (2013). Studies on the golden jackal (Canis aureus Linnaeus, 1758) population ecology in Bulgaria. PhD thesis dissertation, University of Forestry, Bulgaria. 6. Vlasseva, A., Chassovnikarova, T., & Atanassov, N. (2017). Autumn-Winter Diet and Food Niche Overlap between Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes L., 1758) and Golden Jackal (Canis aureus L., 1758) in Two Regions in Bulgaria. Acta Zoologica Bulgarica, 8, 217–220. 7. Bošković, I., Speranda, M., Florijančić, Sprem N., Ozimec S., Degmecic, D., & Jelkić, D. (2013). Dietary habits of the golden jackal (Canis aureus L.) in the Eastern Croatia. Agriculturae Conspectus Scientificus, 78(3), 245–248. 8. Bošković, I. (2012). Morphological and genetic characteristic of golden jackal (Canis aureus L.) on East Croatian. PhD thesis dissertation, University of Josip Juraj Strossmayer, Croatia. 9. Giannatos, G., Karypidou, A., Legakis, A., & Polymeni, R. (2010). Golden jackal (Canis aureus L.) diet in Southern Greece. Mammalian Biology, 75(3), 227–232. 10. Lanszki, J., Giannatos, G., Heltai, M., Legakis, A. (2009). Diet composition of golden jackals during cub-rearing season in Mediterranean marshland, in Greece. Mammalian Biology, 74(1): 72–75. 11. Lanszki, J., Giannatos, G., Dolev, A., Bino, G., & Heltai, M. (2010). Late autumn trophic flexibility of the golden jackal (Canis aureus). Acta Theriologica, 55(4), 361–370. 12. Lanszki, J., & Heltai, M. (2002). Feeding habits of golden jackal and red fox in south-western Hungary during winter and spring. Mammalian Biology, 67(3), 128–136. 13. Lanszki, J., Heltai, M., & Szabó, L. (2006). Feeding habits and trophic niche overlap between sympatric golden jackal (Canis aureus) and red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in the Pannonian ecoregion (Hungary). Canadian Journal of Zoology, 84(11), 1647–1656. 14. Lanszki, J., Kurys, A., Heltai, M., Csányi, S., & Ács, K. (2015). Diet composition of the golden jackal in an area of intensive big game management. Annales Zoologici Fennici, 52(4), 243–255. 15. Lanszki, J., Hayward, M. W., & Nagyapáti, N. (2018). Feeding responses of the golden jackal after reduction of anthropogenic food subsidies. PLoS One, 13(12), e0208727. 16. Lanszki, J., Kurys, A., Szabó, L., Nagyapáti, N., Porter, L. B., & Heltai, M. (2016). Diet composition of the golden jackal and the sympatric red fox in an agricultural area (Hungary). Folia Zoologica, 65(4), 310–322. 17. Cirovic, D., Penezic, A., Milenkovic, M., & Paunovic, M. (2013). Winter diet composition of the golden jackal (Canis aureus L., 1758) in Serbia. Mammalian Biology, 79(2), 132–137. 18. Penezić, A., & Ćirović, D., (2015). Seasonal variation in diet of the golden jackal (Canis aureus) in Serbia. Mammal Research, 60(4), 309–317. 19. Penezić A., & Ćirović D. (2015). Diet of adult and juvenile golden jackals (Canis aureus) during cubs` dependency stage. Balkan Journal of Wildlife Research, 2, 27–32. 20. Farkas, A., Fodor, J.T., & Jánoska, F. (2015). Examination of trophic competition between red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and golden jackal (Canis aureus) in Southern Romania. In A. Bidló, F. & Facskó (Eds.), 5th Scientific Faculty Conference, University of West Hungary, Faculty of Forestry, Sopron, pp. 167–173. 21. Farkas, A. (2019). Trophic relationships between red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and golden jackal (Canis aureus) in Southern Romania. PhD thesis dissertation, Sopron University, Hungary. 22. Khan, K. A., Khan, J. A., & Mohan, N. (2017). Winter food habits of the Golden Jackal Canis aureus (Mammalia: Carnivora: Canidae) in Patna Bird Sanctuary, Uttar Pradesh, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa, 9(9), 10656–10661. 23. Borkowski, J., Zalewski, A., & Manor, R. (2011). Diet composition of golden jackals in Israel. Annales Zoologici Fennici, 48(2), 108-118. 24. Nadeem, M. S., Naz, R., Shah, S. I., Beg, M. A., Kayani, A. R., Mushtaq, M., & Mahmood, T. (2012). Season-and locality-related changes in the diet of Asiatic jackal (Canis aureus) in Potohar, Pakistan. Turkish Journal of Zoology, 36(6), 798–805. 25. Akrim, F., Mahmood, T., Nadeem, M. S., Dhendup, T., Fatima, H., & Andleeb, S. (2019). Diet composition and niche overlap of two sympatric carnivores: Asiatic jackal Canis aureus and Kashmir hill fox Vulpes vulpes griffithii, inhabiting Pir Lasura National Park, north-eastern Himalayan region, Pakistan. Wildlife Biology, 2019(1), 1–9. Non-selected studies 26. Kirkova, Z., Raychev, E., & Georgieva, D. (2011). Studies on feeding habits and parasitological status of red fox, golden jackal, wild cat and stone marten in Sredna Gora, Bulgaria. Journal of Life Sciences, 5(4), 264–270. 27. Markov, G., & Lanszki J. (2012). Diet composition of the golden jackal, Canis aureus in an agricultural environment. Folia Zoologica, 61(1), 44–48. 28. Radović, A., & Kovačić, D. (2010). Diet composition of the golden jackal (Canis aureus L.) on the Pelješac Peninsula, Dalmatia, Croatia. Periodicum Biologorum, 112(2), 219–224. 29. Angelescu, A. (2004). Sacalul auriu. Origine, morfoanatomie, eco-etologie, management. Bucuresti: MMC. 30. Pavlov, M. P. (1953). The effect of carnivores on the number of nutrias in the Trans-Caucasus. Trudy Nauch-Isled Instytuta Okhotn Promysla 12. Moscow. 31. Jaeger, M. M., Haque, E., Sultana, P., & Bruggers, R. L. (2007). Daytime cover, diet and space-use of golden jackals (Canis aureus) in agro-ecosystems of Bangladesh. Mammalia, 71(1-2), 1–10. 32. Poché, R. M., Evans, S. J., Sultana, P., Hague, M. E., Sterner, R., & Siddique, M. A. (1987). Notes on the golden jackal (Canis aureus) in Bangladesh. Mammalia, 51(2), 259–270. 33. Aiyadurai, A., & Jhala, Y. V. (2006). Foraging and habitat use by Golden jackals (Canis aureus) in the Bhal region, Gujarat, India. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 103(1), 1–10. 34. Mukherjee, S., Goyal, S.P., Johnsingh, A. J. T., & Pitman, M. R. P. (2004). The importance of rodents in the diet of jungle cat (Felis chaus), caracal (Caracal caracal) and golden jackal (Canis aureus) in Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan, India. Journal of Zoology, 262(4), 405–411. 35. Chourasia, P., Mondal, K., Sankar, K., & Qureshi, Q. (2012). Food habits of golden jackal (Canis aureus) and striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena) in Sariska Tiger Reserve, Western India. World Journal of Zoology, 7(2), 106–112. 36. Alam, M. S., Khan, J. A., Njoroge, C. H., Kumar, S., & Meena, R. L. (2015). Food preferences of the Golden Jackal Canis aureus in the Gir National Park and Sanctuary, Gujarat, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa, 7(2), 6927–6933. 37. 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Feeding of Canis aureus aureus in the Syrdarja Basin. Zoologiceskij Zhournal, 53, 1539–1547. 47. Volozheninov, N. N. (1972). Feeding of Canis aureus aureus, Vulpes vulpes flavescens and Felis chaus oxianus in south Uzbekistan. Zoologiceskij Zhournal, 51, 1048–1053. 48. Bekenev, A., & Musabekov, K. S. (1987). Peculiarities of the jackal’s diet in the Syr Daria River basin. Byulleten Moskovskogo Obshchestva Ispytatelei Prirody, 92(5), 42–48. Table S4 Summary information to geographical, climatic, and environmental characteristics of golden jackal (Canis aureus) study sites selected from Eurasia. Range: historic (old) distribution range, where the jackal has never extinct, recently colonised (newexpanded) distribution range (including reappearance in decades after extinction). Temp – mean annual temperature (°C), Precip – mean annual precipitation amount (mm), Agric – percentage cover of agricultural land in the study site, Settl – percentage cover of settlement in the study site, NDVI – normalized difference vegetation index. Source – References listed at the end of Table S1 and Table S2.