Preliminary observations on the food of the Fox ( Vulpes vulpes L.) in the Camargue, with special reference to Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus L.) predation

Abstract

A 6 mo. study showed that mammals were consistently important in the diet, the rabbit being the most important single mammal species. The diet was highly varied: mammals, birds, cold-blooded vertebrates [snakes, lizards, frogs and fish], insects and plant-matter were represented. The observed monthly variations in the diet show the fox to be an opportunistic predator, capable of adapting to fluctuating prey populations. The question of biological control exerted by the fox upon the rabbit population is considered.