Table 7 Criteria used in the association of information obtained from macroscopic analysis of faeces, trichology of guard-hair and DNA sequencing for the final classification of hosts

Host species

 1) Association of the 3 techniques when they completely agreed with each other.

 2) Association of 2 techniques when one of the methods does not provide taxonomic information about the host.

 3) Trichology + DNA sequencing when macroscopy provides taxonomic information that does not agree with the obtained by other techniques.

 4) Macroscopy + DNA sequencing DNA when:

  - Trichology provided information on small carnivores (mustelids and procionids), which are incompatible with the morphology of samples with large fecal volume.

  - Different species of small felids were identified by trichology and sequencing.

Unindentified species of Carnivores / Artiodactyls

 1) Complete disagreement with all information obtained by the techniques.

 2) Taxonomic information from the host obtained only by a single identification technique.

 3) Identification of a feline and a canine by trichology and sequencing.

 4) Absence of information on gene sequencing and information on small carnivores (mustelids and procionids) by trichology, which are incompatible with the morphology of samples with large fecal volume.

 5) Absence of taxonomic information on the host species.