Summer food composition and food niche overlap of the raccoon dog, red fox and badger in Finland

Arctic foxes (Alopex lagopus) in Fennoscandia have retreated to higher altitudes on the mountain tundra, possibly because of increased competition with red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) at lower altitudes. In this study we compare summer food niches of the two species in mountain tundra habitat. Arctic foxes consumed lemmings more often than red foxes did, while red foxes consumed field voles and birds more often. Yet despite substantial variation in the diet of each species among summers, food-niche overlaps between the species were consistently high in most summers, as arctic and red foxes responded similarly to temporal changes in prey availability. Occurrences of field voles and birds in fox scats were negatively correlated with altitude, while the occurrences of lemmings tended to increase with altitude. Since arctic foxes bred at higher altitudes than red foxes, the differences between arctic and red fox diets were better explained by altitudinal segregation than by differences between their fundamental food niches. Arctic foxes should therefore endeavour to use the more productive hunting grounds at the lower altitudes of their former range, but interference competition with red foxes might decrease their access to these areas, and consequently cause a decrease in the size of in their realised niche.

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Kebiasaan Makanan Belangkas, Tachypleus gigas (Müller 1785) dan Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda (Latreille 1802) di Perairan Pesisir Balikpapan, Kalimantan Timur

Jurnal Pengelolaan Sumberdaya Alam dan Lingkungan (Journal of Natural Resources and Environmental Management) ◽

10.29244/jpsl.10.2.153-162 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 153-162

Author(s):

Rani Nuraisah ◽

Naila K Aini ◽

Ali Mashar ◽

Zairion Zairion ◽

Yuni P Hastuti ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Coastal Waters ◽

Food Habit ◽

Niche Overlap ◽

Food Composition ◽

The Body ◽

Gut Contents ◽

East Kalimantan ◽

Living Fossils ◽

Horseshoe Crabs ◽

Food Niche

Horseshoe crabs are living fossils found in Indonesia. This study examined the food habit of horseshoe crabs (Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda and Tachypleus gigas) collected from Balikpapan coastal waters, East Kalimantan. Horseshoe crabs were captured using gill nets and picked by hand along the Balikpapan coast. The width of the prosoma and the body weight of each individual were measured, and the gut contents were analysed to determine the preponderance index, food niche breadth, and niche overlap. Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda prosoma widths ranged from 4.1 to 15.4 cm and those of Tachypleus gigas ranged from 2.8 to 24 cm. Eight food items were found in the gut of the horseshoe crabs, namely: bivalves, gastropods, scaphopoda, polychaetes, echinoderms, crustaceans, leaf litter and others. Based on the preponderance index, gastropods were the main food item of the two horseshoe crab species. In accordance to the food composition the horseshoe crabs inhabiting Balikpapan coastal waters are categorized as benthivores.

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Garbage in the diet of carnivores in an agricultural area

European Journal of Ecology ◽

10.1515/eje-2016-0009 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 81-86 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Łukasz Jankowiak ◽

Anna W. Malecha ◽

Agata J. Krawczyk

Keyword(s):

Urban Areas ◽

Red Fox ◽

American Mink ◽

Natural Food ◽

Nyctereutes Procyonoides ◽

Raccoon Dog ◽

Eurasian Otter ◽

Spatial Changes ◽

Mammalian Predators ◽

Agricultural Areas

AbstractHuman food waste is considered to be richer in carbohydrates, lipids and proteins than most natural food supplies; however, it is very well digested in scats. So, as an indication of this kind of food in the diet, we have used each indigestible, anthropogenic origin element found in faeces (e.g., glass, plastic, rubber, etc.). There are few studies discussing the importance of garbage in the diet of mammalian predators living in farmland; definitely, most focus on this issue in urban areas. We studied the contribution of garbage in the diet of raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), marten (Martessp.), polecat (Mustela putorius), stoat (Mustela erminea), American mink (Neovison vison) and Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) in the agricultural areas of western Poland in 2006-2010. In addition, we examined the spatial changes in the diet of red fox and polecat. The largest contribution of garbage was found in scats of raccoon dog (8.8%), red fox (4.8%) and marten (4.3%). The diet of polecat, stoat and Eurasian otter contained 2.5%, 1.7% and 0.2% garbage items respectively. The most frequent item was plastic. Our analysis showed that garbage consumption by red fox and polecat was greater closer to human settlements. The results reveal a continuous gradient in the garbage consumption that corresponds with the degree of synanthropization of particular species.

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Diets of three sympatric Neotropical small cats: Food niche overlap and interspecies differences in prey consumption

Mammalian Biology ◽

10.1016/j.mambio.2010.09.001 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 76 (3) ◽

pp. 308-312 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

José E. Silva-Pereira ◽

Rodrigo F. Moro-Rios ◽

Diego R. Bilski ◽

Fernando C. Passos

Keyword(s):

Niche Overlap ◽

Prey Consumption ◽

Interspecies Differences ◽

Food Niche

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Sequencing of Supernumerary Chromosomes of Red Fox and Raccoon Dog Confirms a Non-Random Gene Acquisition by B Chromosomes

Genes ◽

10.3390/genes9080405 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 9 (8) ◽

pp. 405 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Alexey Makunin ◽

Svetlana Romanenko ◽

Violetta Beklemisheva ◽

Polina Perelman ◽

Anna Druzhkova ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Cycle ◽

Red Fox ◽

B Chromosome ◽

Mendelian Inheritance ◽

B Chromosomes ◽

Nyctereutes Procyonoides ◽

Segmental Duplications ◽

Raccoon Dog ◽

Gene Acquisition ◽

Genomic Regions

B chromosomes (Bs) represent a variable addition to the main karyotype in some lineages of animals and plants. Bs accumulate through non-Mendelian inheritance and become widespread in populations. Despite the presence of multiple genes, most Bs lack specific phenotypic effects, although their influence on host genome epigenetic status and gene expression are recorded. Previously, using sequencing of isolated Bs of ruminants and rodents, we demonstrated that Bs originate as segmental duplications of specific genomic regions, and subsequently experience pseudogenization and repeat accumulation. Here, we used a similar approach to characterize Bs of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes L.) and the Chinese raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides procyonoides Gray). We confirm the previous findings of the KIT gene on Bs of both species, but demostrate an independent origin of Bs in these species, with two reused regions. Comparison of gene ensembles in Bs of canids, ruminants, and rodents once again indicates enrichment with cell-cycle genes, development-related genes, and genes functioning in the neuron synapse. The presence of B-chromosomal copies of genes involved in cell-cycle regulation and tissue differentiation may indicate importance of these genes for B chromosome establishment.

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Molecular detection of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in wild carnivores in north-eastern Poland

Parasites & Vectors ◽

10.1186/s13071-019-3734-y ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Tomasz Szewczyk ◽

Joanna Werszko ◽

Anna W. Myczka ◽

Zdzisław Laskowski ◽

Grzegorz Karbowiak

Keyword(s):

Anaplasma Phagocytophilum ◽

Red Fox ◽

Animal Health ◽

Molecular Methods ◽

Nyctereutes Procyonoides ◽

Raccoon Dog ◽

Wild Carnivores ◽

Blood Sucking ◽

Wide Range ◽

Raccoon Dogs

Abstract Background Anaplasma phagocytophilum is an obligate parasitic intracellular bacterium. It is the causative agent of granulocytic anaplasmosis, with effects on human and animal health. In Europe, the pathogen is mainly transmitted among a wide range of vertebrate hosts by blood-sucking arthropods. The aim of this study was to determine the presence of A. phagocytophilum in wild carnivores, viz raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides), badgers (Meles meles), foxes (Vulpes vulpes), martens (Martes sp.) and European polecats (Mustela putorius), using molecular methods. Methods In the present study, 174 spleen samples were collected from adult, wild carnivores hunted in the years 2013–2016. A short fragment (383 bp) of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene partial sequence was used as a marker to identify A. phagocytophilum in spleen samples collected from carnivores using nested PCR. Results The prevalence of A. phagocytophilum in wild carnivores was 31.61% (55/174). Seven sequences of A. phagocytophilum were generated from two raccoon dogs, two badgers, one marten, one red fox and one European polecat. Six identical nucleotide sequences were obtained from one raccoon dog, two badgers, one marten, one red fox and one European polecat (A. phagocytophilum sequences 1: MH328205–MH328209, MH328211), and these were identical to many A. phagocytophilum sequences in the GenBank database (100% similarity). The second sequence (A. phagocytophilum sequence 2: MH328210) obtained from the raccoon dog shared 99.74% identity with A. phagocytophilum sequence 1. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first study to use molecular methods to determine the presence of A. phagocytophilum in wild carnivores, viz raccoon dog, badger, marten and European polecat, in Poland. The detected A. phagocytophilum sequences (1 and 2) were closely related with those of A. phagocytophilum occurring in a wide range of wild and domestic animals and vectors.

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