Sussex PHD student reveals what foxes like to eat

Owen Middleton, a PhD student at the University of Sussex, has created a database of animal diets, ranging from stoats to tigers.

It catalogues the food preferences of 103 species in different places around the world.

By selecting the animals’ family, species and location on an interactive map, researchers can see their favourite snacks.

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Red foxes in the south west of England, for example, have an appetite for small mammals, as well as birds and plants.

Tigers in southern India, on the other hand, prefer bigger beasts such as cattle and wild boar.

Owen, whose online database is free, said: “There is so much information out there that is useful for conservation, but much of it isn't digitised, or it may be difficult for people to access.

“Typically, anybody interested in species' diets would have to go through an extensive body of literature, but through CarniDIET, there's now an easy way to access this information with all the original references cited."

The tools work by bringing together past peer-reviewed studies on what animals like to eat.

The main purpose is to help researchers access information on the ecological requirements and effects of many endangered species.

A PHD student from the University of Sussex carried out the research

The database lists 11 species of fox living at opposite ends of the world, from the Arctic to Tibet.

Seeing what animals endangered species like to eat could help researchers make better decisions when it comes to protecting them.

Dr Chris Sandom, a senior lecturer at the university, said: “Understanding the diets of animals is hugely important for conservation, you can't protect animals in isolation, they're connected in food webs.

“If prey species are under threat or have dwindling numbers, it will have a knock-on effect on their predators and leave those species threatened too.

“CarniDIET will be a useful tool to help demonstrate this by clearly showing which prey species carnivores are eating, and to an extent, are reliable in particular geographical locations."

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But the tool could also be used by teachers, students and “citizen scientists” for educational purposes, the researchers say.

Owen said: “It will be invaluable for younger school students learning about the food chain, or older students delving into a bit more depth about endangered species or working on geographical case studies."

Dr Sandom added: “CarniDIET is a really exciting new tool for conservationists, researchers and educators.”

The findings were published in the journal Global Ecology and Biogeography.