Dravsko polje - another observation of the raccoon
dog Nyctereutes procyonoides (Gray, 1834) in Slovenia
Dravsko polje - ponovno opažanje rakunastega psa Nyctereutes procyonoides (Gray, 1834) v Sloveniji
Nino KIRBIŠ, Starše 17, 2205 Starše; E-mail: ninokirbis911@gmail.com
In the early hours of 27. 6. 2012, I was driving from Podova to Brunšvik. When I was approximately 3 km SE of Rače (Dravsko polje), in close vicinity of the Gauss-Krüger coordinates Y: 555690, X: 144030 (lat: 46.4383, long.: 15.7199), a raccoon dog crossed the road in front of the car. The animal was about the size of a red fox (VuPpes vulpes), but had a shorter tail. The colour of the fur was mostly grey and brown. The most reliable sign that I was indeed dealing with a raccoon dog was the dark face mask on its head. It was different than the face mask of a badger (Meies me/es), since the badger has black stripes placed vertically over the eyes, while the raccoon dog has a dark mask around the eyes. Also, the animal had a dark coloured head and not white, like a badger. The landscape where I spotted the raccoon dog was highly agricultural and thus different from its preferred habitat, which is wet and open: damp meadows and forests, with sparse canopy but abundant undergrowth, marshlands, river valleys and gardens (Kauhala & Kowalczyk 2001). However, raccoon dog may occupy various habitats from continuous forests to open agricultural landscapes as well as suburban areas (Kauhala & Kowalczyk 2001). The few kilometres distant wetland forest around Rače Fishponds may provide quite suitable habitat for the species.
Whether the observed putative raccoon dog was a vagrant, a resident in this area, or if it escaped from captivity still needs to be verified. According to Vrezec (2007), this observation is fourth confirmed record of the raccoon dog occurring in Slovenia, and since all sightings have been made in different parts of the country, we may expect more encounters in the future. The raccoon dog is an invasive species in some parts of Europe and
locally may be a significant threat to waterfowl and amphibian populations (Kauhala & Auniola 2001). It may also be an important vector of rabies, sarcoptic mange and trichinellosis, and is a potential carrier of Echinococcus multilocularis, a parasite dangerous to humans (Kauhala & Kowalczyk 2001). Therefore we must carefully monitor reports on its distribution as well as signs of its reproductive population. If necessary, appropriate measures to prevent further spreading of this non-native species should be taken as well.
Acknowledgement
I would like to thank Primož Presetnik (Centre for Cartography of Fauna and Flora) for furnishing me with data and literature on the occurrence of the raccoon dog in Slovenia.
References
Kauhala K., Auniola M. (2001): Diet of raccoon dogs in summer in the Finnish archipelago. Ecography 24: 151-156.
Kauhala K., Kowalczyk R. (2001): Invasion of the raccoon dog Nyctereutes procyonoides in Europe: History of colonization, features behind its success, and threats to native fauna. Curr. Zool. 57(5): 584-598.
Vrezec A. (2007). Rakunasti pes ali enok (Nyctereutes procyonoides) na Krimu (osrednja Slovenija) - drugi podatek za Slovenijo. (SL) The racoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) on Mt Krim (Central Slovenia) -second record for Slovenia. Nat. Slo. 9(1): 47.
NATURA SLOVENIAE 15(1): 43