New insights into the prey spectrum of Darwin's fox on Chiloe Island, Chile

Emma I. Elgueta, J. Valenzuela and J.R. Rau

Key words: Pseudalopex fulvipes, food- habits, coastal temperate rainforest

The Pacific coastal range of Chiloe´ Island, southern Chile, is covered with dense oldgrowth Valdivian rainforests. These forests in pristine areas reach down to the shoreline, interrupted only by occasional sandy beaches, this represent part of the native habitat of Darwin’s fox or Chilote fox Pseudalopex fulvipes, the only native canid present on Chiloe´ Island. This canid is endemic in Chile and until recently, thought to inhabit only on Chiloe´ Island (461S) and in Nahuelbuta National Park (371S) on the mainland 600km further north, however, new indirect evidence suggests that a third population may exist on the mainland in coastal forests (391210S, 731140W) (Vila` et al. 2004). Darwin’s fox is considered the second most endangered mammal in Chile (Cofre´ and Marquet 1999) and is classified as Critically Endangered, CR C2a (ii), in the Red List of the IUCN (Jime´ nez and McMahon 2004; Jime´ nez et al. 2004).

The studies on the ecology and feeding behaviour of this species, in forested areas (Medel et al. 1990; Jaksic et al. 1990; Jime´ nez et al. 1991; Yahnke et al. 1996) show the Darwin’s fox has an omnivorous diet (small mammals, reptiles, insects, and fruits) (Jaksic et al. 1990; Jime´ nez et al. 1991), however, our field observation records along the shore on Chiloe´ includes sightings of foraging behaviour (digging) in the intertidal of sandy beaches where the macrofauna consists of sand crabs, talidrid amphipods and isopods (Brown and McLachlan 1990; Jaramillo et al. 1993). There are no systematic studies about its diet in coastal areas (Rau and Jime´ nez 2002) and the aim of this study was to investigate the diet of Darwin’s fox when foraging on sandy beaches on Chiloe´ Island during two different seasons.

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