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ACTA ZOOLOGICA BULGARICA
Short Communication
Acta Zool. Bulg., 74 (4), December 2022: 627-629
Published online 17 October 2022
http://www.acta-zoologica-bulgarica.eu/2022/002618
Scavenging Behaviour of Red Deer Cervus elaphus Linnaeus,
1758 (Artiodactyla: Cervidae) in Eastern Spain
Irene Estellés-Domingo1, Olga Egea-Casas1, Javier Martínez2, Andrés López-Peinado1,
Javier Ruiz De La Cuesta1, Clara García-Ripollés3 & Pascual López-López1
1 Movement Ecology Lab, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia. C/ Catedrático
José Beltrán 2, E-46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain; E-mail: ireneestellesdomingo@gmail.com
2 VAERSA, Valenciana de Aprovechamiento Energético de Recursos S.A., Avinguda de les Corts Valencianes 20, 46015 Valencia,
Valencia, Spain; E-mail: javier.marvalle@gmail.com
3 Environment Science and Solutions S.L., Valencia, Spain; E-mail: clara.ripolles@gmail.com
Abstract:
of the red deer being recorded by means of camera traps. Scavenging behaviour of herbivores may have
implications for wildlife biologists and managers.
Key words: Camera-trap, golden eagle, herbivores, mammals, scavenging.
Introduction
Herbivory plays a key role in maintaining key eco-
system services and in structuring food webs in both
terrestrial and aquatic communities. Herbivores
are primary consumers in the base of food chains
( 2008). However, there are exceptional
events, in which herbivores consume meat and even
exhibit carnivore behaviour ( 1989). In this
situation, scavenging might occur when there is a
lack of minerals in the diet. Previous studies have
reported red deer (Cervus elaphus L., 1758) feeding
on Manx shearwater Punus punus (Brünnich,
1764) chicks in 1987 in Rhum, United Kingdom
( 1988). Other studies have reported simi-
lar scavenging behaviour of herbivorous species, e.
g. Hermann’s tortoise Testudo hermanni (et
al. 2016), crested porcupine Hystrix cristata (-
et al. 2020), Egyptian spiny-tailed lizard Uro-
mastyx aegyptia microlepis ( et al. 2011)
and domestic sheep (Ovis sp.) ( 1988, -
1989). Herbivores are adapted to digest plants
using particular digestive enzymes such as cellulase
as well as symbiotic microbiota ( 2018).
Nonetheless, this diet cannot provided all the miner-
als needed for their development and reproduction
( 1989).
Fig. 1. The Iberian Peninsula and the Valencia Province
highlighted in grey (left); the study area (black dot), east
of Spain (right).
628
Estellés-Domingo I., Egea-Casas O., Martínez J., López-Peinado A., De La Cuesta J. R., García-Ripollés C. & López-López P.
Fig. 2. A–C. Red deer scavenging on rabbit carrion. D–H. Red deer scavenging on a chicken carrion.
Scavenging Behaviour of Red Deer Cervus elaphus Linnaeus, 1758 (Artiodactyla) in Eastern Spain
629
In this note, we report our camera-based obser-
vations on the scavenging behaviour of a red deer in
a habitat in Spain.
Materials and Methods
The study area was located in the Valencia Prov-
ince, east of Spain (Fig. 1). Remains of rabbit,
chicken and wild boar Sus scrofa were left as baits
in a selected area for trapping golden eagles Aquila
chrysaetos for studies of movement ecology (see
e.g. et al. 2022). Two camera traps
(Moultrie M-999i model, 20 Megapixels) were
placed in the area; they were programmed to take
three consecutive pictures each time they were trig-
gered, with no delay and all day-round (24 h/day).
Cameras were installed to detect if targeted eagles
visited carrion disposal. They were checked every
Results
On August 4th, August 26th and September 7th 2020,
on small carcasses of rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus
and chicken Gallus gallus domesticus (Fig. 2). Af-
ter detailed observation of all camera-trap pictures,
the attendance of eagles and other carnivores such
as stone marten Martes foina, red fox Vulpes vulpes
and wild boars were also recorded. We also observed
having carrion with bones. All observations corre-
sponded to the same individual in the same location.
Discussion
Scavenging by herbivorous species might take place
-
sium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium and proteins.
This is particularly important for the former three
compounds as they are crucially important mineral
elements for the development and growth of antlers
( 1989); these elements might be scarce in
the limestone soils of the study area. In this con-
text, scavenging could be an adaptation of deer for
providing minerals through bones intake. Thereby,
scavenging could help them to compensate the sea-
trapping several golden eagles and Bonelli’s eagles
in the study area ( et al. 2019), this was the
There are not many studies reporting this unusual
behaviour and, to the best of our knowledge, none
of them includes camera trap documents that evi-
dence this behaviour. Therefore, this study empha-
sises the usefulness of camera traps for exploring
of animal behaviour (see review in et al.
2017). Our observations could also be of interest for
other researchers working on herbivory and species
interactions. Camera traps can add new information
that allows understanding conditions determining
this rare behaviour on ruminant biology. The use of
well as the disturbance to wildlife in the course of
the observations.
References
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Received: 10.02.2022
Accepted: 17.04.2022
