Abstract
Since 1982, a field team from the Centre national d'études vétérinaires et alimentaires, Laboratoire d'études sur la rage et la pathologie des animaux sauvages (Laboratory for the Study of Rabies and Diseases of Wild Animals of the National Centre for Veterinary and Food Studies) has undertaken a detailed study of the ecology and ethology of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes Linnaeus, 1758) in the Lorraine region of France, as part of a campaign against two zoonoses: rabies and alveolar echinococcosis. The purpose of the study was to determine the diet of this carnivore in relation to availability of prey within the study area. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of faeces was used for this purpose. Analysis of 160 faeces samples collected between January 1988 and October 1990 showed that rodents were the main food source for foxes, which showed a marked preference for the genus Microtus (voles). The frequency of appearance and quantity of the remains of Microtus spp. in the faeces were much greater than those of all other foods. However, foxes consumed quite a wide variety of food: plants, birds, insectivores, lagomorphs and many species of rodents. The foxes studied therefore presented characteristics intermediate between "generalists" and "specialists" in their choice of mammalian prey.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
