The impact of human activities on the food of Red fox and Wolf in Old Castille, Spain

Abstract

An attempt is made to describe the role of anthropogenic factors on the food habits of the Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and the Wolf (Canis lupus). Two zones differing in habitats and types of land use were chosen in North-Western Spain. A total of 444 and 118 gut contents, from foxes and wolves respectively, was collected. Presence/absence data were obtained and a possible relationship between categories of human activities and food items was looked for by establishing a trophic matrix (gut contents = columns, human activities = rows) to which the Simpson index was applied. The results showed differences between the species in the amount of anthropogenic food, 86 % and 85 % in the Wolf, and 47 % and 48 % in the Fox, for the A and B zones respectively. However, comparing both zones, no significant differences were obtained, suggesting that the main human activity affecting food habits is that brought about by the presence of human settlements ; waste, garbage and associated fauna represent more than 50 % of the total amount of anthropogenic food in both species.