Detecting bird’s eggs in the diet of raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides)


 Diet studies of carnivores are often based on analysis prey remains found in scats or stomachs. In these analyses differences decomposition rate and the degree digestion item must be taken into consideration. raccoon dog diets, eggshells rarely found. This may due to three possible scenarios, which act combination: 1) dogs eat bird´s eggs wild, 2) without swallowing shell parts, 3) rapid swallowed eggshells, so that they only present briefly stomach contents. this study, feeding behaviour different sizes was observed under semi-natural conditions an enclosure dissolution time examined. Dissolution thicknesses tested experimentally using concentrations hydrochloric acid. The study showed a negative relationship between egg size/shell thickness amount ingested by dog. No eggshell, independent bird species, degraded beyond detectability after 12 hours acid at pH 3.3. A correction factor estimating mass eggshell (g) calculated from dry scat. Also estimated gastric is given. ranged 14 282 depending size. From it can concluded do ingest some detect stomachs dogs, suggesting lack diet samples probably reflects low proportion and/or preying more heavily large cracked open have their contents eaten, rather than small eaten shell-and-all.