Can cattle ranching and game activities shape European badger (Meles meles, L. 1758) diet: evidences from Southwestern Europe

Mediterranean native ecosystems have been disturbed by human activities for millennia and nowadays these landscapes are highly dependent of anthropic management actions which are also responsible for the maintenance of high biodiversity and conservation value. Among the activities that shaped western Mediterranean areas, in particular the “montado” landscapes, agriculture, cattle raising and game activities, have an important role. In this study we aimed to assess if cattle ranching and hunting management might influence European badgers (Meles meles) diet. Results show that badger’s diet is based on the consumption of wheat (Triticum sp.) and insects, whose availability is related with cattle and game management. While wheat is used as supplementary food for game species (e.g. wild rabbit), insects, and especially coprophogous beetles, are associated with cattle dung. This results demonstrate the uses the resources made available by the dominant human activities in the area. No seasonal variation was detected in terms of biomass ingested although the frequency of occurrence of some prey varied along the year, with a higher predation of grasshoppers the dry season, and of crickets, arthropods larvae and acorns in the wet season, a pattern probably related with prey-items availability. We also registered an unusual consumption of mushrooms, also associated with their higher abundance due to climate conditions. This study confirms the opportunistic feeding character of badgers and that in our study area cattle ranching and game activities are being influential in shaping local badger diet.