Zsákmány és ragadozó együttélése agrárkörnyezetben: a mezei hörcsög (Cricetus cricetus) és a molnárgörény (Mustela eversmanii) napi és szezonális aktivitásmintázata kotorékoknál

Abstract

. The spring and summer activity patterns of the Common hamster and its specialized predator, the Steppe polecat were investigated using camera traps in a 2 km long section of baulk sur-rounded by ploughlands in the southern part of Békés County, Hungary. No similar study on steppe polecats has been conducted yet, so we present several completely novel results. At least 4–5 polecats occupied this section of baulk during the study period, which is considered to be an exceptionally high density. The hamster is also common here, even though it is subjected to eradication campaigns. Seasonal activity peaked in spring for both species, which may be due to the mating season. In spring, the daily activity of hamsters and polecats overlapped more than in summer ( ∆ 1=0.66 in spring, ∆ 1=0.3 in summer). The beginning of the polecats' active period was ahead of the hamster’s activity in both seasons and ended later, so it covered the whole active phase of the prey. In summer, fewer observations were recorded, probably due to the fact that arable fields covered by taller vegetation were increasingly used by both species, and they did not rely on the shelter provided by the baulk. In summer, the polecat activity retained its bimodal character, whereas the hamster showed a 'comple-mentary' unimodal pattern, presumably aimed to avoid the predators. The Red fox, a significant predator of both hamsters and polecats, has been registered as a rare visitor in the study area due to active hunting. The low number of red foxes may contribute to the survival of the viable steppe polecat population in Békés County.