Table 1. Detailed protocols of feces collection and extraction for tiger samples.

In the first row we show the country where samples were collected and the method of extraction.

Step	Russia/WM	Russia/DM	Russia/DE	India/DE
1	Samples collection and labelling	Samples collection and labelling	Samples collection and labelling	Samples collection and labelling
2	Freezing at -18°C	Freezing at -18°C	Freezing at -18°C	Freezing at -18°C
3	Transfer of frozen samples to Russian lab	Transfer of frozen samples to Russian lab	Transfer of frozen samples to Russian lab	Transfer of frozen samples to Indian lab
4		Thawing and drying feces at +50°C	Thawing and drying feces at +50°C	Thawing and drying feces at +50°C
5		Powdering feces	Powdering feces	Powdering feces
6	Thawing and weighing 0,1 g of wet feces	Weighing 0,1 g of dry feces	Weighing 0,2 g of dry feces	Weighing 0,2 g of dry feces
7	Addition of 0,9 ml of 90% Methanol	Addition of 0,9 ml of 90% Methanol	Addition of 5 ml of 90% Ethanol	Addition of 5 ml of 90% Ethanol
8	Shaking for 30 min	Shaking for 30 min	Boiling for 20 min	Boiling for 20 min
9	Centrifuged for 10 min	Centrifuged for 10 min	Centrifuged for 10 min	Centrifuged for 10 min
10			Taking all supernatant to clear tube	Taking all supernatant to clear tube
11			Resuspending pellets in 5 ml of 90% ethanol, vortex for 1 min	Resuspending pellets in 5 ml of 90% ethanol, vortex for 1 min
12			Centrifuged for 10 min	Centrifuged for 10 min
13			Combine both supernatants	Combine both supernatants
14			Evaporate supernatants (+40°C)	Evaporate supernatants (+40°C)
15	Taking 0,2 ml of supernatant to clear tube	Taking 0,2 ml of supernatant to clear tube	Add 100% methanol	Add 100% methanol
16	Dilute it with distilled water v/v 1:1	Dilute it with distilled water v/v 1:1	Dilute with distilled water v/v 1:1.5	Dilute with distilled water v/v 1:1.5
17	Keep frozen (-18°C) till measurements	Keep frozen (-18°C) till measurements	Keep frozen (-18°C) till measurements	Keep frozen (-18°C) till measurements
18	Weighing other aliquote of feces sample (0,5–3 g)
19	Drying of feces at +90°C overnight
20	Weighing the dry feces to calculate sample humidity
	Recalculation of GC concentration on 1 g of dry feces	Recalculation of GC concentration on 1 g of dry feces	Recalculation of GC concentration on 1 g of dry feces	Recalculation of GC concentration on 1 g of dry feces