RANGING BEHAVIOR OF THE RED FOX (VULPES-VULPES) IN RURAL SOUTHERN JAPAN

Six red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) were radiotracked from May to September 1989 in central Kyushu, on the southern slopes of Mt. Aso. Size of home range was 357-631 ha (minimum-convex polygon) or 288-518 ha (95% harmonic mean), without apparent differences between sexes. Every night the foxes covered 29% of their ranges, moving about 6 km. Foxes spent from 18 to 50% of their activity time around houses, moving quickly from one village to another. A few scats collected in the area revealed that >50% of the diet is of human origin. The range overlap was substantial, both among females (as reported for urban foxes) and among males (not previously reported). The distribution of food scraps is therefore a likely factor influencing the ranging behavior of foxes not only in urban environments, but also in rural areas.