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1 April 2013 Effect of Reproductive Status on the Diet Composition of Wolverines (Gulo gulo) in Boreal Forests of Eastern Finland
Anni Koskela, lipo Kojola, Jouni Aspi, Marja Hyvärinen
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Abstract

Sex differences in foraging ecology have been found in a variety of taxa. We tested the hypothesis that breeding female wolverines (Gulo gulo), probably due to their smaller home ranges and higher energy demands because of gestation and lactation, are forced to rely more on food caches and carrion than other wolverines. The diet composition, as the percentage occurrence, was estimated for four breeding females and six males and non-breeding females by analyzing scat samples, all collected in eastern Finland. The most important food source for breeding female wolverines was human- and wolfkilled moose (55%), while the diet also comprised mountain hare (13%), domestic pig (13%) and grouse (11%). Mountain hare (52%) was the most utilized food source for males and non-breeding females. Moose (22%) and grouse (15%) were also important components of the diet. Our study highlights the importance of human- and wolf-killed carrion for breeding female wolverines in areas where the density of medium-sized ungulates is low.

© Finnish Zoological and Botanical Publishing Board 2013
Anni Koskela, lipo Kojola, Jouni Aspi, and Marja Hyvärinen "Effect of Reproductive Status on the Diet Composition of Wolverines (Gulo gulo) in Boreal Forests of Eastern Finland," Annales Zoologici Fennici 50(1-2), 100-106, (1 April 2013). https://doi.org/10.5735/086.050.0109
Received: 6 July 2012; Accepted: 5 December 2012; Published: 1 April 2013
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