Diet of the South american gray fox Lycalopex griseus in an agroecosystem of southern-central Chile

Abstract

Lycalopex griseus is a canid distributed in Chile and part of Argentina. Although its food habits have been extensively documented, data for anthropized environments are missing. Understanding the response of this species in these habitats is key, given the progressive modification of the landscape throughout its range. The study area is an agroecosystem of southern-central Chile. Scats were collected throughout the study area and analyzed in the laboratory. Food remains in scats were identified to species and quantified, considering the percentage of the various prey categories in terms of both relative frequency and relative biomass. Thirteen categories were found, with rodents dominating in terms of both relative frequency and percent biomass, followed by birds and arthropods. The presence of exotic species in the food spectrum is highlighted, represented by orders Lagomorpha and Rodentia. Plant material was found to a lesser extent. The diversity of preys evidences that Lycalopex griseus is mainly generalist in this type of habitat, as arboreal species were scarce in the diet, an expected finding considering the predominance of herbaceous vegetation in the study area. Lagomorphs were poorly represented compared to other latitudes, suggesting segregation with other species. Lycalopex griseus es un cánido presente en Chile y parte de Argentina. Aunque sus hábitos alimentarios han sido ampliamente documentados, existen vacíos en lo que respecta al conocimiento de la ecología de esta especie en ambientes antropizados. Comprender la respuesta de esta especie a estos hábitats es relevante debido a la progresiva modificación del paisaje a lo largo de su distribución, siendo el área de estudio un agroecosistema del centro-sur de Chile. Excretas de la especie fueron colectadas a lo largo del área de estudio para su posterior análisis en laboratorio. Los restos de las excretas fueron identificados a nivel de especie y cuantificados, considerando la representación de las distintas categorías de presa tanto en términos de frecuencia relativa como de aporte de biomasa. Se registraron 13 categorías, predominando los roedores tanto en términos de frecuencia relativa como de aporte total de biomasa, seguido por aves y artrópodos. Se destaca la presencia de especies exóticas en este espectro, representados en los órdenes Lagomorpha y Rodentia. En una baja representación se encontró material vegetal. La diversidad de las presas observadas da cuenta de que éstas constituyen principalmente especies generalistas de hábitat, con una mínima representación de especies de hábitos arbóreos, considerando la predominancia de vegetación herbácea en el área de estudio. La representación de lagomorfos es menor en comparación con otras latitudes, por lo que se sugiere su segregación con otras especies.

Landscape use and food habits of the chilla fox (Lycalopex griseus, Gray) and domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) in a peri-urban environment of south-central Chile

“…This shows the importance that this item occupied in dietary terms. This fi nding is consistent with what was observed in agroecosystems (ZÚÑIGA et al, 2018;ZÚÑIGA et al, 2021), which suggests that this prey is acquiring more relevance as the environment is transforming (SIMONETTI, 1986). The incorporation of murids in the intermediate position of the isoclines is consistent with the aforementioned study of agroecosystems, which indicating that this group also presents importance in the diet of chilla fox, with a decrease of native prey (NOVARO et al, 2000).…”

Native Carnivore Diversity and Relative Abundance in Landscapes of the Coast Range in Central Chile: Insights for Conservation Decision-Making

“…This result shows that this genus is the most abundant of the native carnivores in the Coast Range of central Chile. The Lycalopex species did not show any significant differences among the study areas, suggesting that they are generalists in terms of habitat use and diet [34,[71][72][73]. From the total photographs of foxes that could be confidently identified, L. griseus was recorded as the most abundant species of native carnivores across our study sites in the Coast Range of central Chile.…”

Support for the size‐mediated sensitivity hypothesis within a diverse carnivore community

“…rodents, deer) can be restricted by colder temperatures and deep snow during winter (Pozzanghera et al, 2016). Consequently, variation in seasonal and annual food availability can result in carnivores shifting their diet according to availability (Azevedo et al, 2006; Parsons et al, 2013; Zúñiga et al, 2018), and can influence the strength of intra‐ and inter‐specific competition within a carnivore guild (Gigliotti et al, 2020; Palomares & Caro, 1999; Ritchie & Johnson, 2009). Fourth, in addition to the abiotic and biotic factors, anthropogenic factors can have differing impacts on carnivores.…”