Feeding habits of the stone marten (Martes foina) in villages and farms in Hungary

Abstract

Habitat type dependent feeding habits of the stone marten (Martes foina) was examined in eight villages and four farms of Somogy county on the basis of scat analysis (n=1227). In the studied summer-autumn period plants (mainly pear, plum, cherry/sour-cherry, grape) formed the dominant component of the diet (villages: 35.6-87.4%, farms 54.1-91.3%). Relying on the animal food, in villages primarily birds (42%, mainly with small singing-birds), secondly small mammals (33%), while on farms primarily small mammals (46%, mostly voles), secondly birds (27%) were consumed, but the difference depending on the type of habitat was not significant. Martens in villages compared with the ones which live on farms consumed more prey species living on trees and bushes (43% vs. 27%) and less terrestrial preys (56% vs. 72%, P<0.05). Irrespectively of type of habitat, small prey species, 15-50 g in range of weight primarily (60%, vs. 50%), mainly habitat-generalist prey species, namely also living in open and forest habitat (84% vs. 87%), and prey species living in human habitat (40% vs. 47%), or also existing in wild and human habitat, were consumed. Consumption ratio of domestic animals (poultry and egg, 7-48%), and rodent pests (house mouse and brown rat, 7-29%) were considerable.