A record of Horned viper Vipera ammodytes (L.) in the diet of the Stone marten Martes foina (Erxl.) (Mammalia: Mustelidae) in Bulgaria

• Main Author: Dilian Georgiev
• Format: Article
• Language: Bulgarian
• Published: Plovdiv University 2009-08-01
• Series: ZooNotes
• Subjects: venomous snake; mustelid; trophic spectrum
• Online Access: http://nature.uni-plovdiv.bg/uploads/bechev/zoonotes/Zoonotes_5_2009_Georgiev_Raychev.pdf

Among undigested prey remains in Stone marten’s Martes foina (Erxl.) faeces (n=47), collected in Sakar Mountain (near Sladun Village) a single lower jaw from a Horned viper (Vipera ammodytes) was found. The rest of taxa registered in the Rock marten’s diet among the faecas were: Insceta indet., Lacerta sp., Pseudopus apodus, Aves indet., Dryomis nitedula, Sylvaemus sp., Arvicola terrestris, Microtus sp., and fruits of Rosa sp., Rubus sp., and Pyrus sp. The percent frequency of the main prey groups in the faeces were as follows: Mammalia (n=35, 74.5%), Aves (n=16, 34.0%), Reptilia (n=4, 8.5%), Insecta (n=4, 8.5%), and fruits (n=5, 10.6%).