Landscape use and food habits of the chilla fox (Lycalopex griseus, Gray) and domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) in a peri-urban environment of south-central Chile

Abstract

Cities intensely modify natural environments and impose pressures on biodiversity. In this sense, carnivorous mammals are one of the groups most affected due to their food and space requirements. The feeding and spatial behavior of the chilla fox (Lycalopex griseus, G., 1837) and dogs were studied in the vicinity of a peri-urban protected area in south-central Chile. The diet of both canids was compared seasonally, for which feces were collected along trails in three habitats: native forest, exotic plantations and scrublands. Dog feces were collected at the same site to establish whether they were avoided by foxes. Chilla fox has been highlighted for consuming a high proportion of hares followed by rodents of the Muridae family, both being exotic mammals in Chile, whereas dogs showed a predominant consumption of anthropogenic food. Significant differences were observed for chilla fox in dietary diversity, mainly in summer and fall. No spatial segregation was observed with the domestic dog, which was evidenced in a high overlap in the use of all habitats. This scenario, together with continuous human presence, are elements that must be considered in the medium-term to evaluate the effects of anthropogenic pressures on native carnivores in the study area.

Temporal activity and detection rates of chilla (Lycalopex griseus) in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina

“…Beside their status as an invasive species, there remains a notable gap in our understanding of the ecology and population dynamics of chillas on Tierra del Fuego Island (Zurita et al., 2023 ) and throughout their range (Lucherini, 2016 ; Muñoz‐Pedreros et al., 2018 ). Although lagomorphs often make up a substantial part of the diet of chillas (Muñoz‐Pedreros et al., 2018 ; Zúñiga et al., 2022 ), lagomorphs are now relatively rare in their diet on Tierra del Fuego Island due to the dramatic decline in European rabbit populations since the introduction of the myxoma virus (Zurita et al., 2023 ). On the Chilean side of the island, chilla were found to feed on native rodents, birds, reptiles and invertebrates, with ~40% of individuals also feeding on carrion from domestic livestock, mainly Ovis aries (Jaksić & Yáñez, 1983 ).…”