What's for dinner? Diet and trophic niche overlap in two sympatric carnivores in agricultural and near-natural habitats in Bulgaria

The feeding behavior and trophic niche overlap between Stone Marten (Martes foina Erxleben, 1777) and Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes Linnaeus, 1758) in two regions of Bulgaria with different human influence were determined. A total of 1,440 fecal samples were collected from agricultural area in the Upper Thracian Plain and from near-natural habitat in Central Stara Planina Mts. In agricultural area, both predators preferred fruits in all seasons, while rodents dominated in winter diets in the mountain area. Our results showed that the Stone Marten and the Red Fox had high trophic niche overlap in both habitats.