Red fox (Vulpes vulpes L.) favour seed dispersal, germination and seedling survival of Mediterranean Hackberry (Celtis australis L.)

Frugivory and seed dispersal by a small carnivore, the Chinese ferret-badger, Melogale moschata, in a fragmented subtropical forest of central China

“…Carnivore gut processes usually enhance or is benign to seed germination, i.e. it generally does not compromise seed viability (Traveset, 1998;Auger et al, 2002;Schaumann and Heinken, 2002;Juan et al, 2006;Varela and Bucher, 2006). The results for H. dulcis are similar to those observed in the other studies, listed above, i.e.…”

Patterns of seed occurrence in corsac and red fox diets in Mongolia

“…Studies that compare germination rates between ingested and uningested seeds similar to Juan et al (2006) and Cypher and Cypher (1999), and those examining dispersal patterns, would be appropriate, practical, and informative.…”

“…Although patterns of seed consumption have not been described in corsacs, experimental studies of seeds consumed by red foxes in other areas indicate that they probably represent important dispersers for some plants. For example, Mediterranean hackberry (Celtis australis) seeds consumed by red foxes had higher and more rapid germination than seeds that did not, and seedlings (from passed seeds) also grew faster and had higher survival rates (Juan et al, 2006).…”

“…Although less protein-rich than other prey items like small mammals (Ball and Golightly, 1992;Willson, 1993), fruit may supplement diet, providing an easily obtainable source of energy and nutrients during periods when other preferred prey are less available (Sargeant et al, 1986;Sovada et al, 2001;Kaunda and Skinner, 2003;Silva et al, 2008). Fruit-consuming canids may also serve as agents of seed dispersal through endozoochorythe process in which plants produce nutritious fleshy fruits that are consumed by animals, which later defecate the seeds (van der Pijl, 1972;Cypher and Cypher, 1999;Juan et al, 2006;Silva et al, 2008). Coyotes (Canis latrans), for example, are highly frugivorous in some areas (Willson, 1993), consuming fleshy fruits from a variety of plants, and are considered important seed dispersers of some species like persimmons (Diospyros spp.…”

Seeds Recovered from the Droppings at Latrines of the Raccoon Dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides viverrinus): The Possibility of Seed Dispersal

“…Most studies of seed dispersal by these mammals have shown that they favor fleshy fruit seeds. Examples include (see a review by Traveset, 1998) the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and Celtis australis (Juan et al, 2006); the badger (Meles meles) and the fox and the Iberian pear (Pyrus bourgaeana; Fedriani et al, 2010); several mammals in Argentina and Prosopis flexuosa (Campos and Ojeda, 1997); and the Chinese ferret-badger (Melogale moschata) and eight plant species (Zhou et al, 2008). For plants, the destination of seeds is important for germination and growth (Herrera, 1998;Jordano, 2000;Matías et al, 2008;Jordano et al, 2011).…”