Winter diet composition of the golden jackal (Canis aureus L., 1758) in Serbia

The winter diet composition of golden jackals was determined by analysing the stomach contents of 248 specimens collected between December and February 2005–2009 at six localities in Serbia. The average weight of stomach contents was 189.9 ± 137.3 g. At all localities, livestock carcasses were the primary food category (frequency 56.1%, biomass 77.7%). The secondary food category consisted of small mammals taken as live prey (frequency 20.7%, biomass 5.2%). Other food categories were present less frequently (roe deer, wild boar, hare, and birds), and rarely (plant material, dogs, carnivores, lizards, and inedible inorganic material). No statistically significant differences were found in diet between jackals from different localities. The only difference was found between yearlings and adults with regard to the consumed biomass (%B). The analysis of the winter diet of golden jackals in Serbia indicates that the species has opportunistic feeding habits consisting primarily of easily accessible food sources.