Feeding habits of golden jackal and red fox in south-western Hungary during winter and spring

Abstract

Summary From sporadic sightings and recorded observations over the past hundred years, in the last decade of the 20 th century the golden jackal ( Canis aureus ) seems to have settled in the south-western part of Hungary. The winter-spring feeding habits of the golden jackal and the overlapping of its trophic niche with the red fox ( Vulpes vulpes ) were studied in parallel by scat analysis, in two adjoining areas on the north-western edge of the golden jackal range in the county of Somogy. Small mammals, mainly rodents, were dominant in the diet of the golden jackal (43% based on frequency of occurrence and 55% based on biomass); whereas, the carcasses of ungulates, mainly wild boar, played a secondary role (24% and 41%, respectively, based on the same parameters). Birds, reptiles, amphibians, arthropods and plant matter did not occur in substantial proportions; neither fish nor domesticated animals were present. Predation on small game (hare and pheasant) did not occur on a significant scale. In the diet of red fox in the overlapping area with jackal, most important food species were small mammals (35% based on frequency of occurrence and 36% based on biomass) and carcasses (35 and 48%, respectively, based on the same parameters). The trophic niche of the two predators studied was similar.