Autumn diet of the Red Fox Vulpes vulpes (Linnaeus, 1758) (Mammalia: Carnivora: Canidae) in Limber Wildlife Sanctuary, Kashmir Himalaya, India

This study provides the first systematic assessment of the autumn diet of the Red Fox Vulpes vulpes (Linnaeus, 1758) within the Limber Wildlife Sanctuary (LWS) in the Kashmir Himalaya, India. As a widely distributed mesocarnivore, the Red Fox plays a pivotal role in Himalayan food webs; however, its regional feeding ecology remains understudied. A total of 33 scats were collected from various habitats, including grasslands, coniferous forests, riverine zones, and shrubland of LWS. Laboratory analysis involved microscopic examination of hair samples using cuticular and medullary patterns compared against reference slides prepared from known prey species. The diet comprised 12 food categories, of which rodents constituted the primary prey, followed by plant matter, birds, and insects, respectively. Shannon diversity index (H’ = 2.283) and standardized Levin’s niche breadth (BA = 0.668) indicate a broad dietary spectrum. The analysis revealed a notable integration of anthropogenic materials, suggesting that the species leverages human-derived subsidies to supplement its natural foraging patterns during the autumn season, potentially mitigating resource scarcity during the transition to winter. These findings underscore the species’ high degree of trophic plasticity, which may enable it to persist in heterogeneous environments by shifting between wild prey and opportunistic food sources.