Seasonal food habits of the raccoon dog at a western suburb of Tokyo

Abstract

ABSTRACT Food habits of the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes orocyonoides) at a western suburb of Tokyo were analyzed by the point-frame method by use of 344 fecal samples for a year. The food habits were omnivorous, but plants, particularly plant leaves and seeds, were predominant. The seasonal foods were characterized by leaves and flowers in spring, insects in summer, seeds in autumn, and birds/mammals and artificial foods in winter. Dependency on artificial foods was not strong. The raccoon dogs fed on various fruits and nuts, among which those of planted fruit trees like ginkgo and persimmon were particularly important. The raccoon dog seems to have adapted themselves to “satoyama”, a traditional Japanese landscape.