1. Feeding habits of stone martens in a Hungarian village and its surroundings
- Creator:
- Lanszki, József
- Type:
- article and TEXT
- Subject:
- Martes foina, diet analysis, agricultural environment, and Hungary
- Language:
- English
- Description:
- The feeding habits of the stone marten (Martes foina) were studied by scat analysis in a village (n = 423 samples) and its surrounding agricultural environment (n= 572), during a six-year study (three periods), in southwest Hungary. Birds (relative frequency 20%, mainly small perching birds) and plants (35%, mainly orchard fruit) were the most important foods for the martens living in the village. Small mammals (29%, mainly voles) and plants (34%, mainly fruit) were the main food resources for the stone martens living in the agricultural environment. With respect to diet composition environment-dependent difference proved significant, but intra-environment difference did not. In comparison with those living in the agricultural environment the stone martens studied living in the village consumed more frequently: 1) heavier prey (greater consumption of domestic animals), 2) arboreal prey (e.g. birds) and 3) prey associated with human settlements (e.g. house mouse, house sparrow, domestic animals).
- Rights:
- http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/