FRUGIVORY AND SEED DISPERSAL BY THE EUROPEAN BADGER IN A MEDITERRANEAN HABITAT

Frugivory and seed dispersal by the European badger (Meles meles) was investigated in a Mediterranean coastal habitat. Analysis of 1,230 feces indicated that exploitation of fleshy fruits was highly seasonal, and the number of fleshy-fruit species exploited by badgers was highest in autumn and lowest in spring. Individual feces contained seeds from one to four different fleshy-fruited plants, but most (77%) contained seeds from one plant species. Only a small proportion of the seeds ingested by badgers was damaged (< 1%).