Seasonal feeding habits of the Patagonian hog-nosed skunk Conepatus humboldtii in Southern Patagonia

Diet of Patagonian hog-nosed skunk Conepatus humboldtii Gray, 1837 was studied in southeastern Argentinean Patagonia. Faeces from skunks were collected and analysed on a yearly basis. A wide variety of prey ranging from invertebrates (81.6% of occurrences), mammals, reptiles and plant material occurred in the faeces. Though Patagonian hog-nosed skunk was reported as primarily insectivorous regarding its feeding anatomy and behaviour, vertebrate prey predominated over invertebrates when results were expressed as consumed biomass. The consumption of invertebrate prey increased during summer, probably due to an increase in its abundance. The increase in the consumption of rodents and carrion by skunks during autumn-winter could be due to a shift from open grassy areas to other habitats to find alternative prey.