Diet of raccoon dogs in summer in the Finnish archipelago

The diet of raccoon dogs in summer was examined in the Finnish archipelago and compared with their diet on the mainland. Faeces were collected from la trines in the outer archipelago and the inhabited islands in May-July 1998 and 1999. Remains of waterfowl, especially those of female elder, occurred frequently in the faeces of raccoon dogs on the uninhabited islands, but le ss frequently on the inhabited islands and only occasionally on the mainlan d. Since many female elder died of disease during the summer in 1998 and 19 99, and white-tailed eagles are known to prey on brooding elder, it is prob able that raccoon dogs did not themselves kill all the elder they consumed. Even if they did, they would only take a few percent of female elder popul ation each year. It is thus improbable that raccoon dogs affect the size of the elder population in the Finnish archipelago. Frogs, reptiles, shrews a nd carrion occurred frequently in the diet on the mainland, but only occasi onally in the outer archipelago. It is possible that raccoon dogs have deci mated frog populations on small islands, as they are easy prey and occur fr equently in the diet of raccoon dogs on the mainland. Small rodents are imp ortant prey for raccoon dogs on the mainland and on inhabited islands, but less important in the outer archipelago in early summer.