FOOD HABITS OF THE MADAGASCAR LONG-EARED OWL ASIO MADAGASCARIENSIS IN TWO HABITATS IN SOUTHERN MADAGASCAR

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Abstract
Goodman, S. M., Langrand, O. & Raxworthy, C. J. 1993. Food habits of the Madagascar Long-eared Owl Asio madagascariensis in two habitats in southern Madagascar. Ostrich 64:79-85. Food remains recovered from regurgitated pellets of the Madagascar Long-eared Owl Asio madagascariensis were collected at two sites on Madagascar with different habitats and weather regimes. The localities are Beza Mahafaly, a sub-arid thorn scrub area in the southwest, and Bezavona Forest, a lower montane rain forest in southeastern Madagascar. At Beza Mahafaly prey composition varied according to season. Vertebrate prey included: frogs, lizards, birds, terrestrial insectivores, bats, lemurs and rodents. The total biomass of lemurs (Microcebus) represented varies from approximately 8 to 40%. Two samples from the Bezavona Forest included: frogs, geckos, birds, bats, lemurs and rodents. Lemurs (Microcebus and either Hapalemur or Avahi) made up a total biomass of 24 % at this locality. At both sites a significant proportion of the diet is composed of introduced rodents.