Feeding habits and trophic niche overlap in a Carnivora community of Hungary

The seasonal feeding habits of the red fox Vulpes vulpes (Linnaeus, 1758), the stone marten Martes foina (Erxleben, 1777), the stoat Mustela erminea L innaeus, 1758, the badger Meles meles (Linnaeus, 1758) and the otter Lutra lutra (Linnaeus, 1758) were studied in south-west Hungary, in the course of four years. The habitat conditions, because of human influences, were diff erent in the first and second two years. Diet was examined by seat analysis (238, 262, 67, 50 and 1033 samples, respectively). Small mammals, mainly r odents, were the most important prey for foxes, stone martens and stoats in winter and spring. In summer and autumn insects and fruit were added to fo x and marten diet, while birds were added to stoat diet. The badger's main food resources were invertebrates (mainly insects) and maize and, in autumn , rodents. Domestic animals (mainly poultry and rabbit) occurred in the die t of the foxes and martens in all seasons, carcasses (mainly Cervidae) in t he diet of these predators and in that of the badgers. The predominant prey of otters was fish, but when the abundance of fish declined, the consumpti on of amphibians increased. Predation on game birds and hare was not signif icant. In all seasons, niche overlap was high between foxes, martens and st oats. Niche overlap between these species and the badger increased from spr ing to autumn. Niche overlap between terrestrial predators and the otter wa s low. The diet of predators were different between the Ist and 2nd periods .