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Cohabitation of Settlements among Crested Porcupine (Hystrix cristata), Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) and European Badger (Meles meles)


Affiliations
1 Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy
2 Studio Agrofauna, Via dell’Artigianato 53/55, 57121, Livorno, Italy
 

In Italy, porcupines, badgers and red foxes share the same settlements. However, there is lack of information concerning their cohabitation. From 2012 to 2019, cohabitation by these three mammals was studied using camera-trapping and was found to occur only between porcupines and badgers, even in the presence of porcupettes. Cohabitation was associated with aggressive interaction between porcupines and badgers. Foxes were found to be scavengers of porcupine carcasses. Cohabitation among these semi-fossorial mammals and scavenging behaviour could play a role in disease transmission, including zoonotic diseases.

Keywords

Burrowing Mammals, Camera-trapping, Cohabitation, Scavenging, Settlements.
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  • Cohabitation of Settlements among Crested Porcupine (Hystrix cristata), Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) and European Badger (Meles meles)

Abstract Views: 327  |  PDF Views: 119

Authors

Francesca Coppola
Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy
Chiara Dari
Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy
Giuseppe Vecchio
Studio Agrofauna, Via dell’Artigianato 53/55, 57121, Livorno, Italy
Daniele Scarselli
Studio Agrofauna, Via dell’Artigianato 53/55, 57121, Livorno, Italy
Antonio Felicioli
Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy

Abstract


In Italy, porcupines, badgers and red foxes share the same settlements. However, there is lack of information concerning their cohabitation. From 2012 to 2019, cohabitation by these three mammals was studied using camera-trapping and was found to occur only between porcupines and badgers, even in the presence of porcupettes. Cohabitation was associated with aggressive interaction between porcupines and badgers. Foxes were found to be scavengers of porcupine carcasses. Cohabitation among these semi-fossorial mammals and scavenging behaviour could play a role in disease transmission, including zoonotic diseases.

Keywords


Burrowing Mammals, Camera-trapping, Cohabitation, Scavenging, Settlements.



DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv119%2Fi5%2F817-822