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5 December 2023 Food Habits of Raccoon Dogs at An Agricultural Area in Shikoku, Western Japan
Seiki Takatsuki, Masakazu Inaba
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Abstract

The diet of raccoon dogs, which live in close proximity to agricultural fields in Matsuyama, western Japan, was studied throughout the year by the fecal analysis method (n = 114). Fruits were most important, accounting for 30–40% of the diet except in winter. Crops were next in importance, accounting for 10–30%. It was characteristic that the proportion of crops was greater and more stable than in other “satoyama” or rural areas in Japan. Crops included rice (Oryza sativa), wheat, sesame (Sesamum indicum), strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa), kiwi fruit (Actinidia chinensis var. deliciosa), ginkgo nuts (Ginkgo biloba), and persimmon (Diospyros kaki). Crops were important as the food for the raccoon dogs, but the use was not regarded as causing serious damage. Although wild boars (Sus scrofa), sika deer (Cervus nippon), and Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) were culled for pest control in the area, raccoon dogs were not culled. This may be a reason why the raccoon dog has coexisted with people in Japan.

Seiki Takatsuki and Masakazu Inaba "Food Habits of Raccoon Dogs at An Agricultural Area in Shikoku, Western Japan," Zoological Science 41(2), 185-191, (5 December 2023). https://doi.org/10.2108/zs230051
Received: 14 June 2023; Accepted: 3 October 2023; Published: 5 December 2023
KEYWORDS
agricultural area
crop
food habits
raccoon dog
rural area
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