We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Variation in the diet of red foxes on Scottish moorland in relation to prey abundance
- Authors
Redpath, S. M.; Leckie, F. M.; Thirgood, S. J.; May, R.
- Abstract
The diet of red fox Vulpes vulpes was investigated through analysis of 340 scats collected during 1992-96 from moorland in south-west Scotland. Rodents, gamebirds, lagomorphs, carrion and insectivores were the most frequently occurring food types. Fox diet and prey abundancewere compared between heather dominant and grass dominant habitat types within the study area. Rodents were the most frequently occurringfood type in each habitat and occurred in 63% of scats overall. Rodents occurred more often in scats from grass dominant sites while gamebirds and lagomorphs were more frequent in scats from heather dominant sites. The occurrence of rodents in winter fox scats increased withrodent abundance. In contrast, the occurrence of gamebirds in winterfox scats was unrelated to gamebird abundance but negatively relatedto rodent abundance. It appeared that foxes switched to gamebirds inyears, or habitats, where rodents were uncommon.
- Subjects
SCOTLAND; MAMMALS; PREDATION; RED fox
- Publication
Ecography, 1998, Vol 21, Issue 6, p599
- ISSN
0906-7590
- Publication type
Article