Winter and early spring food of some carnivores in the Białowieża National Park, eastern Poland

Abstract

Data on the food of the wolf Canis lupus, the lynx Lynx lynx, the red fox Vulpes vulpes, the raccoon dog Nyctereutes procyonoides, and the pine marten Martes martes living in the temperate primeval forest are presented from one winter and early spring season. 91.5% of the biomass consumed by the five species was made up by mammalian prey. Wolf and lynx specialized in ungulates (red deer and wild boar), the other three species utilized a wide spectrum of resources, with rodents as a staple food. Birds and medium-sized mammals were of small importance in the carnivores' diet. No clear differences occurred between the winter and spring food of foxes and martens. The diet of foxes and martens was compared with data from other regions of Poland.