Diet of South American Gray fox (Lycalopex griseus) in an agricultural landscape in Central Chile

Abstract Agroecosystems are ecological systems with low species diversity, a product of their structural homogenization, which implies a simplification of space and a decrease in available food. As a consequence, resident species must adjust their trophic and movement responses according to existing availability. The feeding ecology of the South-american gray fox Lycalopex griseus was studied through two seasons. Feces were collected through transects in sites with different vegetation cover, which were subsequently processed in the laboratory, through the identification and quantification of prey remnants. Variations were found in the frequency of consumption of rodents by L. griseus, account the capture of cricetid rodents (natives) is higher in relation to murine (exotics). A longer time horizon for sampling is necessary for a clearer visualization of the variations in the composition of the rodent assemblage.