Food habits of the Lesser grison Galictis cuja (Molina, 1782) in the Huasco coastal desert, Los Choros, northern Chile

The Lesser grison, Galictis cuja, is a carnivorous mammal widely distributed in South America. However, its conservation status and natural history are poorly understood throughout much of its range. In Chile, it is found in all regions of the country from deserts in the north to temperate rainforests in the south. This species is characterized as Rare in most of the habitats where it has been recorded. This study analyzed the diet of G. cuja in the Huasco coastal desert of the Coquimbo Region, northern Chile. Sixty-three fecal samples were collected in September 2010 (spring), which were then analyzed and categorized using keys and reference collections. Its diet was generalist, consisting of imago arthropods, larvae, and pupae, which represented 75 % of the prey consumed. Coleoptera of the family Tenebrionidae were the most frequently found trophic category in the diet. However, the Lesser grison also consumes wild rodents, which accounted for 25 % of its diet, with the Darwin leaf-eared mouse Phyllotis darwini (about 50 g) being the most frequent prey item. This suggests that their diet in this arid ecosystem is generalist, which could also be related to the resources available in a fluctuating environment.