The digestive tract of a Japanese Green Pigeon Sphenurus sieboldii collected on the Hariusu coast of western Hokkaido was found to contain various plant species. Among them, the Vitaceae were most remarkable. Prunus sp. was also present, but most Prunus seeds were damaged, whereas Vitis sp. seeds retained their original form in the crop.

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In a previous report (Kadosaki et al. 2002) the authors reported the capture of three Crocidura dsinezumi during August 2001 in the area of the Koibokushushibichari River at approximately 320 meters above sea level. Following this report, in August 2002, a female Crocidura dsinezumi was captured at 320 meters above sea level and a further two males were captured between 400〜470 meters above sea level in the area of the Koibokushushibichari River. This was the first reported capture of a female Crocidura dsinezumi in Hokkaido. The six specimens captured by the authors differed a little morphologically from and the five specimens captured by others in that the head and the body lengths of those captured by the authors were shorter, and the tail and teeth row lengths were longer.

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A faunal survey of the bats of the western area of Hidaka, central Hokkaido, was carried out in August 2001 and September 2002. Four species were collected: Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, Murina leucogaster, Murina ussuriensis and Myotis macrodactylus. Rhinolophus ferrumequinum was found using two deserted houses in Hobetsu as their roosts. It was thought that they had been using them as breeding sites for two or more years. Murina leucogaster and M. ussuriensis were caught in mist nets in riparian forests in Shimukappu. Records of M. leucogaster from western Hokkaido are rare. A non-breeding colony of Myotis macrodactylus was discovered in an underpass in Shimukappu.

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A bat survey was carried out during July, August and September 2002, at Kitafushiko (42°52'N;143°8'E), Memuro-cho, in central Hokkaido. Five species of bats were caught in mist nets: Myotis macrodactylus, M. daubentonii, M. frater, Eptesicus nilssonii and Nyctalus aviator. M. frater used tree hollows for their daytime and maternity roosts during July and August.

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We investigated on any inclinations of Japanese hare selecting vegetation as environment. We used fecal pellet method for grasping hare numbers in some hectare area where hares could move freely. The area includes some different plant communities like deforested bush, Japanese red pine forest, artificial Japanese cedar forest, and secondary oak forest. We checked the relationships between the number of fecal pellets and plant volumes within four belts (2×50 m in each) that were set from the central deforested bush to the forests. On the whole, as a result, both plant volume and the number of fecal pellets were more in deforested bush than those in the forests. It suggested that volume of grasses and herbs, as food, were much in deforested bush. Regardless of pellet number, the frequency of the fecal pellets were higher in red pine forests. That would be because there were moderate grasses and herbs for food, and pine tree canopies had a role of shelter against predators like eagles. On the other hand, there were few fecal pellets under the artificial Japanese cedar forests with less plant cover. Thus we reconfirmed that Japanese hares selected vegetation environments as their habitat positively.

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Until recently, the most westerly habitat of Clethrionomys rex was thought to be Kuromatsunaicho-utasai in the Shiribeshi-shicho Kannai area of Hokkaido. However, eleven Clethrionomys rex have been recently captured 18kms southwest of the upper reaches of the Kunnui River in Oshamanbe-cho, 120 meters above sea level. Thereby the authors have confirmed that the habitat of Clethrionomys rex extends further west than previously thought.

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Surveys of the population of feral raccoons and their habitat use, begun in 2000 and 2001, were continued in 2002. Four study locations in the Yufutsu Hills were added to 11 study locations in Maoi-Nopporo Hills, and Iwamisawa-Kurisawa Hills. From May to October live traps were set at 400-500m intervals at each location for 21 consecutive nights. A total of 280 raccoons were caught, including 173 adults (104 females, 65 males) and 107 young. The number of raccoons caught has decreased from year to year, except in Nopporo Hills in 2001 and in Maoi Hills, Iwamisawa-Kurisawa Hills. The continued reduction in numbers is thought to be related to the catching effort in recent years. The total population was estimated to be 352 (204 adults and 107 young), being 25% greater than the numbers caught. In Hokkaido, yearling raccoons are considered to leave their mothers during late June, thus controlling raccoons, including removing nursing females by June, is deemed effective in causing the death of yearlings by starvation. Raccoon habitat use was analyzed using the Quantification II method, with data from 1,057 samples in 2000, 2001, and 2002. Outside variables were divided into three categories: 1) no catch; 2) one catch, and 3) two or more catches. The general environmental factors considered were land use, forest type, vegetation type, vegetation density, water availability, distance from sheds or houses, catching periods and years. Factors with the greatest influence, though differing from year to year, were: land use, water availability, distance from sheds, and catching periods. Among these, the most important were: the extent of borders between forests and rice fields; the extent of forest borders in rice field areas within the land use factor; the presence of large ponds within the water availability factor; and being within 100m of sheds or houses.

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