IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Sarmento, P. | |
| Feeding ecology of the European wildcat _Felis silvestris_ in Portugal | |
| 1996 Acta Theriologica (41): 409-411 | |
The feeding ecology of th e European wildcat _Felis silvestris_ Schreber, 1777 was studied by analys ing 220 scats collected between January and December 1994 at Serra da Malcata Nature Reserve (Portugal). Feeding trials, carried out with a captive male and female, allowed the author to relate the dry excreted weight of prey items in the scats with the fresh biomass in gested . Rodents, particularly _Apodemus silvaticus _and _Microtus lusitanicus_, were the dominant component of the diet. Lagomorpha, mostly rabbit _Oryctolagus cuniculus_, were the second most heavily consumed item in terms of consumed biomass, being more preyed upon, in spring and summer. Although insectivores were regularly consumed throughout the year, this group only represented a small fraction of the total consumed biomass. Reptiles, especially species of Lacertidae, were the third most favoured quarry, with higher predator pressure in spring and summer. Bird remains were found at low levels throughout the year. Insects and plants were unimportant items in the diet. The wildcats feeding spectrum showed little variation throughout the year . |
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