AGE DISTRIBUTION, SEX-RATIO AND MORTALITY OF THE RED FOX VULPES-VULPES IN TOCHIGI, CENTRAL JAPAN - AN ESTIMATION USING A MUSEUM COLLECTION

One hundred and thirty carcasses of the red fox were collected in Toch igi Prefecture, by the Tochigi Prefectural Museum, from 1981 to 1991. The young/adult ratio of sample was 1.60, which suggests that the hunt ing pressure has been relatively low in this area. Six percent of the animals were 5 years or older which compares to those taken in Hokkaid o, but is higher than those in Europe and North America. The sex ratio for all specimens had a tendency towards male bias (0.587), but this bias was higher for the adult (0.605) than for the young (0.576). Amon g young (0 year-old) foxes, more individuals were killed on roads than by trapping or shooting (P<0.02, chi-square test). This mortality pat tern was caused by high mortality of young males (P<0.02). The proport ions of adults killed by the three mortality factors were similar, tho ugh only one of the 14 foxes older than 4 years old was shot, probably due to age-linked activity patterns. Most road-kills of young foxes o ccurred in May when juveniles began exploiting and in November when su b-adults began dispersal. The ratios of road-kills for the whole sampl e and for adults alone were 42% and 34%, respectively. These high rate s of road-kills suggest that the mortality pattern in Tochigi has been affected by factors characteristic of urban environments.