Fruit consumption by carnivores in Mediterranean Europe

Abstract

1. We reviewed patterns of fruit consumption amongst 10 species of mesocarnivores: red fox Vulpes vulpes, weasel Mustela nivalis, stoat Mustela erminea, polecat Mustela putorius, stone marten Martes foina, pine marten Martes martes, Eurasian badger Meles meles, common genet Genetta genetta, Egyptian mongoose Herpestes ichneumon and wildcat Felis silvestris in Mediterranean Europe. 2.The 65 reviewed studies recorded 79 different fruits eaten by carnivores, 58 of which were identified to species. Most records (63%) were of fleshy fruits with high pulp content. The frequency of occurrence of fruit items varied widely amongst species and regions. Four of the carnivore species (red fox, stone marten, badger and common genet) included more than 30 fruit species in their diet. 3. A longitudinal pattern was detected in the consumption of fruit in the Mediterranean region, with the frequency of occurrence of fruit consumption increasing towards the east.

Burrowing by badgers (Meles meles) and foxes (Vulpes vulpes) changes soil conditions and vegetation in a European temperate forest

“…Studies on the animals' diets show that badgers and foxes can consume substantial amounts of fruits during summer and autumn (Goszczyn´ski et al 2000;Sidorovich et al 2006;Jankowiak et al 2008;Fedriani and Delibes 2009;Rosalino and Santos-Reis 2009;Kurek 2012), so they are important seed vectors for fleshy-fruited shrubs and trees. Since feces are used to mark territory, a great number of seeds must be spread around burrows.…”

“…There is some evidence that a substantial part of the animal manure is deposited in the close vicinity of burrows (Neal and Roper 1991;Hutchings et al 2001;Kowalczyk et al 2004) and that this may lead to local eutrophication. Deposition of feces may also be associated with seed dispersal of plants producing fleshy fruit, which during some periods are an important component of the carnivore diet (Goszczyn´ski et al 2000;Sidorovich et al 2006;Fedriani and Delibes 2009;Fedriani et al 2010;Rosalino and Santos-Reis 2009;Rost et al 2012).…”

Testing remotely-sensed predictors of meso-carnivore habitat use in Mediterranean ecosystems

“…; Matos et al 2008;Pereira and Rodriguez 2010), and are also attractive resting locations in the summer because of their cool microclimates Loureiro et al 2007). One of badgers main diet component are fruits which are found in orchards (Rosalino et al 2003;Santos et al 2007;Rosalino and Santos-Reis 2008). Many orchards are abandoned, representing a past legacy of when the area was highly productive and farms, today abandoned, were inhabited by montado workers and their families (Antrop 1993;PintoCorreia and Fonseca 2009).…”

Frugivore carnivores: preferences and contribution to seed dispersal of red fox Vulpes vulpes (Linnaeus, 1758) and stone marten Martes foina (Erxleben, 1777) in Carrascal de la Font Roja Natural Park (Alicante, Spain)

“…Many carnivorous and omnivorous mammals play this role, as they ingest large quantities and varieties of fleshy fruits in Mediterranean habitats (Herrera 1989, Willson 1993. Due to their feeding habits, red foxes Vulpes vulpes (Linnaeus, 1758), stone martens Martes foina (Erxleben, 1777), badgers Meles meles (Linnaeus, 1758) and common genets Genetta genetta (Linnaeus, 1758) stand out among carnivores (Herrera 1989, Rosalino & Santos-Reis 2009.…”