Foraging of lynxes in a managed boreal-alpine environment

Foraging of Eurasian lynxes Lynx lynx was studied with telemetry and snow t racking in central Norway. In all habitats and at all seasons, medium-sized ungulates (roe deer Capreolus capreolus, reindeer Rangifer tarandus and do mestic sheep Ovis aries) dominated the diet (81% of ingested biomass estima ted from faeces). Mountain hares Lepus timidus and galliform birds comprise d the remainder of the diet (15% and 3%, respectively). Lynxes with differe nt life history status did not differ in prey choice, but adult males utili sed carcasses of ungulate prey considerably less (16% of the edible parts) than did females with offspring (80%) and subadults (58%). Forest habitats in lowlands and adjacent to cultivated fields were the most favourable fora ging habitats (indexed as the prey encounter rate per km lynx track) primar ily owing to the presence of roe deer. Two family groups tracked in winter killed 0.2 ungulate per day. The importance of agricultural land as a forag ing habitat and the dominance of livestock in the diet in remoter areas ind icate that the lynx has responded to agriculture and reindeer husbandry dur ing the past century by switching from small game to ungulates.