An Experimental Study in Wild Wood Mice Testing Elemental and Isotope Analysis in Faeces to Determine Variations in Food Intake Amount.

The analysis of carbon and nitrogen elemental (C, N) and isotopic compositions (δC, δN) in faeces are considered reliable methodologies for the study of diet in wildlife. Here, we tested the suitability of these techniques to detect variations in the amount of food intake. We captured wild wood mice ( with Sherman live traps where bait access was initially free, and later it was experimentally limited inside by four different devices to cause intended variations in the amount ingested. The total C and N (%) and stable δC and δN isotopic values were determined for the bait and in mice faecal samples. Faecal values were lower than bait ones except for N, likely due to animal matter ingested before capture. No significant differences in total C, N and δC were found due to individual traits. However, breeding males showed higher δN values than breeding females, probably due to differences in energy and protein demands between both sexes during the breeding season. Only δC detected food intake variations (≥2 g). Despite further research being needed, these results initially support the potential of δC to provide information on the amount ingested, thus being useful to complement trophic ecology studies.