Prey Switching: A Case Study from New Guinea

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Abstract
A quantitative seasonal switch occurs in the species of mammalian prey taken by Etolo people of Papua New Guinea. The switch in species of prey is largely a result of shifting from trapping mammals at one time of the year to hunting them at another. It is reinforced by the increased vulnerability of certain species during the period when new gardens are prepared; this period coincides with trapping. Initiation of the trapping program, preparation of new gardens for root crops, processing of sago and hunting are major food-producing activities. They are time-demanding activities that are separated through the year. There is no evidence that the observed switch in prey species is necessitated by the behavior of prey. It is interpreted within a frame of time budgeting. By budgeting their time the Etolo are effective producers of protein and energy.

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