Fishing behavior in the red fox: Opportunistic‐caching behavior or surplus killing?

Tobajas, Jorge; Díaz‐Ruiz, Francisco

doi:10.1002/ecy.3814

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 15 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Wolves in British Columbia were observed carrying salmon into nearby forests or estuaries, but whether fish were immediately consumed was unknown [16]. Similar behaviour was observed in red foxes ( Vulpes vulpes ), where an individual left, hid or buried captured European carp ( Cyprinus carpio ) approximately 20–30 m from the shore of a reservoir [53]. We only observed three video events of wolves caching fish, so it is unclear whether the behaviour is common.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

The ethology of wolves foraging on freshwater fish in a boreal ecosystem

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Through global positioning system (GPS) collar locations, remote cameras, field observations and the first wild wolf to be GPS-collared with a camera collar, we describe when, where and how wolves fish in a freshwater ecosystem. From 2017 to 2021, we recorded more than 10 wolves ( Canis lupus ) hunting fish during the spring spawning season in northern Minnesota, USA. Wolves ambushed fish in creeks at night when spawning fish were abundant, available and vulnerable in shallow waters. We observed wolves specifically targeting sections of rivers below beaver ( Castor canadensis ) dams, suggesting that beavers may indirectly facilitate wolf fishing behaviour. Wolves also cached fish on shorelines. We documented these findings across five different social groups at four distinct waterways, suggesting that wolf fishing behaviour may be widespread in similar ecosystems but has probably remained difficult to study given its annual brevity. Spawning fish may serve as a valuable pulsed resource for packs because the spring spawning season coincides with low primary prey (deer Odocoileus virginianus) availability and abundance, and when packs have higher energetic demands owing to newly born pups. We demonstrate the flexibility and adaptability of wolf hunting and foraging behaviour, and provide insight into how wolves can survive in a myriad of ecosystems.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

The ethology of wolves foraging on freshwater fish in a boreal ecosystem

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Both species hunt a range of small vertebrates (Doherty, Davis, et al., 2015 ; Fleming et al., 2021 ; Woolley et al., 2019 ), whereas foxes are also capable of predating larger mammalian herbivores, such as kangaroos and deer—particularly in open environments (Banks, 2001 ; Banks & Dinnel, 2000 ; Panzacchi et al., 2009 ). Although foxes are typically cursorial predators and cats typically ambush, both species can be opportunistic and adaptive hunters (Moseby & McGregor, 2022 ; Tobajas & Díaz‐Ruiz, 2022 ) and may experience improved hunting efficiency in burnt compared to unburnt areas (i.e., habitat‐specific predator lethality), likely due to increased prey visibility and availability of edge habitat (Doherty et al., 2022 ; McGregor et al., 2015 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How do invasive predators and their native prey respond to prescribed fire?

Watchorn,

Doherty,

Wilson

et al. 2024

Ecology and Evolution

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Fire shapes animal communities by altering resource availability and species interactions, including between predators and prey. In Australia, there is particular concern that two highly damaging invasive predators, the feral cat (Felis catus) and European red fox (Vulpes vulpes), increase their activity in recently burnt areas and exert greater predation pressure on the native prey due to their increased exposure. We tested how prescribed fire occurrence and extent, along with fire history, vegetation, topography, and distance to anthropogenic features (towns and farms), affected the activity (detection frequency) of cats, foxes, and the native mammal community in south‐eastern Australia. We used camera traps to quantify mammal activity before and after a prescribed burn and statistically tested how the fire interacted with these habitat variables to affect mammal activity. We found little evidence that the prescribed fire influenced the activity of cats and foxes and no evidence of an effect on kangaroo or small mammal (<800 g) activity. Medium‐sized mammals (800–2000 g) were negatively associated with prescribed fire extent, suggesting that prescribed fire has a negative impact on these species in the short term. The lack of a clear activity increase from cats and foxes is likely a positive outcome from a fire management perspective. However, we highlight that their response is likely dependent upon factors like fire size, severity, and prey availability. Future experiments should incorporate GPS‐trackers to record fine‐scale movements of cats and foxes in temperate ecosystems immediately before and after prescribed fire to best inform management within protected areas.

show abstract