Food Habits of Brown Bears (Ursus arctos) in the Cantabrian Mountains, Spain

Abstract

The diet of the European brown bear (Ursus arctos) was studied in the Cantabrian Mountains, Spain, by analyzing the frequency of occurrence and percent volume of 929 feces collected 1983-1988. Plant material was the predominant food during spring and summer (84.1 and 44.8% of total volume, respectively) until more nutritious foods became available. During autumn and winter, hard mast formed the greatest part of the diet constituting 61.5 and 49.9% of the total volume, respectively. Livestock and wild ungulates were supplementary foods for bears, usually obtained by scavenging rather than predation. Insects were consumed year-round, ranging from 19.5% volume in summer to 0.1% in winter. Remnant deciduous forests and upland creek drainages were prime feeding areas of bears.

Temporal changes in the population density and diet of brown bears in eastern Hokkaido, Japan

“…The sizeable presence of herbaceous plants in the early summer of 1978, and from spring to early summer of 1998-2000, corroborates earlier studies of Hokkaido brown bears (Aoi 1985;Ohdachi and Aoi 1987;Yamanaka and Aoi 1988;Sato 2002) and those of other regions of the world (Cicnjak et al 1987;Mattson et al 1991;Clevenger et al 1992;Elgmork and Kaasa 1992;McLellan and Hovey 1995;Persson et al 2001).…”

“…In contrast, ripened corn is available only from late August to early September. The large amount of berries, acorns, and nuts in the bear diets in the fall of 1998-2000 corresponds with other areas of Hokkaido (Aoi 1985;Ohdachi and Aoi 1987;Yamanaka and Aoi 1988;Sato 2002), as well as with other areas of the world (Cicnjak et al 1987;Mattson et al 1991;Clevenger et al 1992;Elgmork and Kaasa 1992;McLellan and Hovey 1995).…”

Brown bear Ursus arctos predation on livestock in the Cantabrian Mountains, Spain

“…Cantabrian bears were reported to be efficient scavengers of wild and domestic ungulates (Clevenger et al 1992). Livestock densities are high and provide bears a steady supply of carrion throughout the year.…”

“…Livestock densities are high and provide bears a steady supply of carrion throughout the year. Although bear predation on livestock was infrequent , livestock formed a relatively important part of the bears diet (Clevenger et al 1992).…”

Behaviour of brown bears killing wild ungulates in the Cantabrian Mountains, Southwestern Europe

“…In the three major studies on bear feeding habits conducted in the Cantabrian Mountains (Spain), few wild ungulates remains were found in scat. Roe deer only appeared in 1.7 and red deer (Cervus elaphus) in 1.5% of 929 scats analysed by Clevenger et al (1992a). The authors suppose that most ungulates were taken as carrion because roe deer hardly appeared in scats found in spring, when the females give birth.…”