The Foods of Fur Animals of the Patuxent Research Refuge, Maryland

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Abstract
Material was collected for the study from 1943 to 1949 from the 2650 acre Patuxent Research Refuge. The four outstanding habitats where most of the fur animals were taken were hedgerows, wood margins and roads; bottomland forests; marshy lake-border; and cultivated fields. The food habits of eight fur animals, (raccoon, red and gray foxes, mink, New York weasel, skunk, opossum, muskrat, and feral house cat) are discussed. The foods are given in % and vol. of plant and animal material for the different seasons. Important foods of the raccoon included insects, crayfish, snails, corn, acorns, wild cherry, grapes and persimmon. Rodents and rabbits were the important animal material in the food of red and gray foxes while beechnut, pokeberry, and persimmon were much used plant foods. Insects comprised the main food items of skunks followed by rodents, persimmon, and millipedes. Only a few mink samples were available and most of these contained small rodent remains. The opossum ate everything available, but insects, crayfish, millipedes, snails, birds, rodents, and berries make up most of its diet. Muskrat food habits are discussed from observation only and contains a wide variety of plants and some animal material. The house cat is included because preda-tion by both feral and domestic house cats is often claimed to be significant to wildlife populations. The major item found was rodents with the only other significant item being rabbit.

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