Biological invasions are one of the leading causes of global biodiversity loss. Invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are ecological generalists that threaten numerous taxa and ecosystems worldwide. Amphibians and islands are among groups and systems sensitive to impacts from wild pigs but with limited research in many regions across wild pig’s range. In this thesis, I used DNA metabarcoding to characterize wild pig diets in SC, USA and GA barrier islands, USA, quantified differences between sexes (Chapter 2), islands (Chapter 3), and seasons, and identified taxa vulnerable to wild pig predation in the study region. My results revealed wild pigs in the southeastern US exhibit opportunistic, plastic diets that vary temporally and spatially, and that wild pigs primarily consume vertebrate species with fossorial habits likely encountered while rooting, such as amphibians. Collectively, my research informs management of wild pigs by highlighting potentially vulnerable taxa in the southeastern USA.
