Selection for introduced prey and conservation of culpeo and chilla foxes in Patagonia.

NOVARO, A. J.; M. C. FUNES; J. E. JIMENEZ

Biology and conservation of wild canids.

Oxford University Press

Año: 2004; p. 243 - 254

The culpeo and the South American grey zorro or chilla are closely related canids that live in western and southern South America. Both canids feed primarily on small mammals but frequently consume introduced lagomorphs and livestock or its carrion wherever these have become abundant. The mechanisms that allow coexistence between culpeos and chillas have been the subject of debate, but the patterns of prey selection by culpeos and chillas are little known because most studies of their diets did not include evaluations of prey availability or did not test for prey selection. We assessed patterns of prey selection by culpeos and chillas in areas where sheep were abundant and the main wild prey, lagomorphs, had different densities and in an area where both canids were protected and sheep density was low. We used these comparisons to evaluate the competitive relationships between the culpeo and chilla and the factors that determine predation on livestock.