Diet of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in south-western Queensland.

Abstract

Examination of the stomach contents of 74 foxes from a south-western Queensland sheep grazing property revealed a diverse range of prey. Mammals formed the bulk of the diet representing 64% of the total weight of food items and occurred in 80% of stomachs. Sheep and kangaroo carrion were the main mammalian prey. Insects and other invertebrates were an important but lesser component of the diet. Dietary trends were heavily influenced by human activity, rainfall, and season. These results differ from those of other studies conducted in southern parts of Australia due to the large proportions of scavenged food items in the diet (63% by weight) and relatively high consumption levels of non-mammalian prey. The lack of a small to medium sized staple prey source in the study area, which were available in southern areas appears to be the reason for the foxes reliance on such a varied prey base.