Food habits of raccoon dogs，Nyctereutes procyonoides Gray, in Kagoshima Prefecture

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  • 鹿児島県におけるホンドタヌキの食性
  • カゴシマケン ニ オケル ホンドタヌキ ノ ショクセイ

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Abstract

We examined the fecal contents of the raccoon dog，Nyctereutes procyonoides Gray，collected in three evergreen broad-leaved forests of Takakuma University Forest of Kagoshima University，Tarumizu，and an evergreen broa-leaved forest at Shiroyama，Kagoshima，from May to December 2001. Feces contained seeds，sarcocarp，plant fragments，insects and other arthropods，shells of molluscs，animal bones，and others. In summer，insects occupied the majority of the fecal contents，while，in autumn and early winter，seeds and sarcocarp became dominant. Species composition of the insects and trees extracted from the feces varied among the forests and seasons. The feces collected at Shiroyama，surrounded by the urban district of Kagoshima，contained seeds of prune and Japanese apricot and fragments of vinyl，aluminum sheet，and cloth. These results suggest that raccoon dogs have a flexible food habits and can change their food items in response to food composition in their habitats. We discussed how to conserve raccoon dog populations urban forests where the interference between raccoon dogs and human activity has been increasing.

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