The diet of red fox (Vulpes vulpes) cubs living in a moor in Hungary was studied by scat analysis (n = 77) during the rearing period. The main food source of foxes consisted of small mammals (preferred Microtus voles) which was supplemented with brown hare and gamebirds rarely. Cubs ate remains of carrions (domestic animals, ungulates and carnivores) and invertebrates frequently but in low quantity. The food consisted of characteristically terrestrial, occasionally aquatic and rarely arboreal prey

Lanszki, József

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213Folia Zool. – 54(1–2): 213–216 (2005)Diet composition of red fox during rearing in a moor: a case studyJózsef LANSZKIUniversity of Kaposvár, Faculty of Animal Science, Ecological Research Group, P.O. Box 16, H-7401 Kaposvár, Hungary; e-mail: lanszki@mail.atk.u-kaposvar.huReceived 11 October 2004; Accepted 23 May 2005A b s t r a c t . The diet of red fox (Vulpes vulpes) cubs living in a moor in Hungary was studied by scat analysis (n = 77) during the rearing period. The main food source of foxes consisted of small mammals (preferred Microtus voles) which was supplemented with brown hare and gamebirds rarely. Cubs ate remains of carrions (domestic animals, ungulates and carnivores) and invertebrates frequently but in low quantity. The food consisted of characteristically terrestrial, occasionally aquatic and rarely arboreal prey. Key words: Vulpes vulpes, cubs, Microtus preference, HungaryIntroductionRed fox Vulpes vulpes (L.) is a generalist predator, widely spread and common species in Europe (L l o y d  1980). In Hungary, the red fox population has increased in recent years (in 1988: 4.9 ind./1000 ha, in 2001: 12.8 ind./1000 ha, H e l t a i  2002). The diet in spring and summer is primarily composed of small mammals, and in addition to these, also birds, hare, fruits and carrion are important e.g. on meadows, woods and agricultural landscapes in central Europe (S u c h e n t r u n k  1984, G o s z c z y n s k i  1986, K o ž e n á  1988, J e d r z e j e w s k a  & J e d r z e j e w s k i  1998). Compared to other habitats, the feeding habits of fox in the shrinking moor areas (L e c k i e  et al. 1998), especially in the Pannonian region are less known. Moreover, the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the food that the vixen supply the cubs with (K o l b  & H e w s o n  1980, L l o y d  1980) are also described to a lesser extent. The aim of this case study was to investigate the diet and feeding habits of red fox living in a moor during the cubs’ dependency stage. Material and MethodsThe study area, named Nagybereki Fehérvíz Moor Nature Conservation Area is situated in western Hungary (46°38’ N, 17°32’ E, 99 m a.s.l.). The typical vegetations of this area are mire willow scrubs (Salicetum spp.), large sedge communities (Carex spp.) and alder swamp wood (Cariceti elongatae-Alnetum). A rich fen is located on the area, which is periodically used as cow pasture.The diet of the red fox were studied by scat analysis. Samples (n = 77) were collected between 14 April 2002 to 18 July 2002 around a fox den. Prey determination was performed by microscope on the basis of feather, bone, dentition and hair characteristics (more detail: L a n s z k i  2003). Diet composition was expressed as the relative frequency of occurrence and as an estimate of the percentage fresh weight (biomass) of food consumed (J e d r z e j e w s k a  & J e d r z e j e w s k i  1998). Survey of the small mammal food N O T E214resources of primary importance was carried out in wetland habitats in August 2002; this involved live trapping (four nights, 149 traps), by mark-recapture method (K r e b s  1989).Standardized trophic niche breadth was calculated in accordance with Hurlbert (K r e b s 1989). The following food taxa were used in the calculation: voles, mice, brown hare, carcasses of domestic animals and carnivores, carcasses of ungulates, birds, other vertebrates, invertebrates and plant matter. Ivlev’s index of preference (Ei, varies from – 1.0 to +1.0.) according to small mammal taxon was applied (K r e b s  1989). SPSS 10 (1999) statistics program was used for processing data.Table 1. Diet composition of red fox during raising period in the Nagybereki Fehérvízi Moor, Hungary. O%: percentage relative frequency of occurrence, B%: biomass (%), +: occurring in proportions lower than 0.05%, n = 77 samples.Item N O% B%Microtus voles 46 24.3 37.3Bank vole Clethrionomys glareolus 1 0.5 2.1Water vole Arvicola terrestris 12 6.3 19.3Muskrat Ondatra zibethicus 1 0.5 0.6Field mouse Apodemus spp. 4 2.1 2.3Rat Rattus spp. 1 0.5 0.2Ground squirrel Spermophilus citellus 5 2.6 5.8Brown hare Lepus europaeus 3 1.6 8.0Brown hare Lepus europaeus, juv. 5 2.6 5.1Stoat/weasel Mustela spp. 2 1.1 0.6Otter Lutra lutra 1 0.5 2.1Domestic cat 2 1.1 7.3Cattle 1 0.5 1.7Medium-sized mammals 1 0.5 1.5Wild boar Sus scrofa, adult 8 4.2 1.1Wild boar Sus scrofa, juv. 10 5.3 1.2Red deer Cervus elaphus, juv. 1 0.5 0.2Small passerines Passeriformes spp. 8 4.2 1.3Medium-sized birds 2 1.1 0.5Bird eggs 1 0.5 0.5Snakes Colubridae spp. 1 0.5 +Lizards Sauria spp. 5 2.6 0.1Unidentified Cyprinidae spp. 1 0.5 +Carabid beetles Carabidae spp. 23 12.2 0.1Cockchafer Melolontha spp. 7 3.7 0.1Other invertebrates 31 16.4 0.2Maize Zea mays 1 0.5 0.7Other plant matter 5 2.6 0.2215Results and DiscussionThe study of samples collected near the den focused mainly on the investigation of the food supply of the cubs of the vixen living on the moor. The cubs (at least two individuals) lived predominantly around the den during the three months period investigated. The study was terminated in the partial dependence period of the cubs (L l o y d  1980), when the food was still mainly provided by the vixen. According to the investigation of K o l b  & H e w s o n (1980), cubs eat essentially the same foods as the adults, in this period. On the basis of biomass calculations, two-thirds of the diet consisted of open field living small mammals (Table 1). Foxes preferred Microtus species (Ei = 0.88), primarily common vole Microtus arvalis (M a c d o n a l d  1977), living in terminally dry large sedge communities and in dry grass; avoided bank voles (Ei = -0.80), field mouse species (Ei = -0.82) and insectivores (Ei = -1.00). Foxes mark territorial boundaries predominantly with faeces in the geometric centre of their territory (M a c d o n a l d  1980). Faeces scattering by adults around the central den is not typical; this was supported by the fact that scats were not to be found near the den, neither before the birth of cubs, nor after the period of independence. The dry weight of washed and dried scats were only one-third of those found for adult foxes (L a n s z k i  & H e l t a i 2002) in a winter-early spring study in the region studied (mean±SE: 0.50±0.41, n=77, vs. 1.52±0.86, n=76, P<0.001, two samples t-test). It can hypothesize that the scats of the vixen could only be poorly represented in the samples analyzed. The remains of medium and larger animals (from hunting or scavenging, Table 1) are brought to the den, which the cubs often play with (L l o y d  1980), though they also consume from this source to some degree. The high frequency of occurrence, but low biomass proportion of wild boar also indicates this. The relatively high insect and lizard consumption may mainly be attributed to the learning of hunting techniques. Due to the large distance of the moor from settlements (3.1 km) and agricultural areas (1.1 km), spring and summer consumption of domestic animals and brown hare was lower than in other studies in Hungary (E r d e i  1977, L a n s z k i  et al. 1999). Lagomorphs and gamebirds were less important food taxa of fox than on Scottish moorlands (K o l b  & H e w s o n  1979, 1980, L e c k i e  et al. 1998) in opposition to small rodents. In spite of the dominance of wetland habitats, foxes consumed species associated to wetlands infrequently. The food consisted of characteristically terrestrial (86%), occasionally aquatic (10%) and rarely arboreal (4%) prey. The trophic niche was narrow (Bsta = 0.38 and 0.17, on the basis of frequency of occurrence and biomass estimation), due to the dominance of Microtus voles, although the diet of fox contained numerous species (Table 1). This provided the cubs the opportunity to recognize various prey species and to use them effectively when becoming adults. This may, at least in part, explain the feeding and habitat generalism of fox, and also its quick expansion (H e l t a i  2002).A c k n o w l e d g e m e n t sThis work was supported by the Hungarian Ministry of Environment and Water (K043969/2001), and the Bolyai Scholarship.L I T E R A T U R EERDEI M. 1977: Food biological investigation on the fox populations in southern Hungary. Acta Biologica, Szeged 23: 97–107.GOSZCZYNSKI J. 1986: Diet of foxes and martens in central Poland. Acta Theriol. 31: 491–506.216HELTAI M. 2002: The status and distribution of mammal predators in Hungary. Doctoral thesis, St. Stephen University, Gödöllő, Hungary.JEDRZEJEWSKA B. & JEDRZEJEWSKI W. 1998: Predation in vertebrate communities. The Bialowieza Pri-meval Forest as a Case Study. Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg, New York.KOLB H.H. & HEWSON R. 1979: Variation in the diet of foxes in Scotland. Acta Theriol. 24: 69–83.KOLB H.H. & HEWSON R. 1980: The diet and growth of fox cubs in two regions of Scotland. Acta Theriol. 25: 325–331.KOŽENÁ I. 1988: Diet of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in agrocoenoses in southern Moravia. Acta Sc. Nat. Brno 22(7): 1–24.KREBS C.J. 1989: Ecological Methodology. Harper Collins Publishers, New York.LANSZKI J., KÖRMENDI S., HANCZ C. & ZALEWSKI A. 1999: Feeding habits and trophic niche overlap in a Carnivora community of Hungary. Acta Theriol. 44: 429–442. LANSZKI J. & HELTAI M. 2002: Feeding habits of golden jackal and red fox in south-western Hungary during winter and spring. Z. Säugetierkd. 67: 128–136.LANSZKI J. 2003: Feeding habits of stone martens in a Hungarian village and its surroundings. Folia Zool. 52: 367–377.LECKIE F.M., THIRGOOD S.J., MAY R. & REDPATH S.M. 1989: Variation in the diet of red foxes on Scottish moorland in relation to prey abundance. Ecography 21: 599–604.LLOYD H.G. 1980: The red fox. B.T. Batsford Ltd., London.MACDONALD D.W. 1977: On food preference in the red fox. Mammal Rev. 7: 7–23.MACDONALD D.W. 1980: Patterns of scent marking with urine and faeces amongst carnivore communities. Symp. Zool. Soc. London 45: 107–139.SPSS 10 for Windows. 1999: SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA.SUCHENTRUNK F. 1984: Aspects of food ecology of some Austrian red fox populations (Vulpes vulpes) and possible consequences for the spread of rabies. Doctoral thesis, University of Wien, Wien, Austria.

Diet composition of red fox during rearing in a moor: a case study

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