Diet composition of the golden jackal (Canis aureus, L.) in Bulgaria, where the largest jackal population in Europe occurs, has been studied by scat analysis in a typical and newly occupied agricultural environment. The study was carried out during late summer and early autumn, a period when small mammal density is high. The food of the jackal typically consisted of small-sized and wild-living prey species. Rodents have been found to represent the primary food of the jackal (biomass estimation: 59.3 %, mainly Microtus spp.), and the European brown hare (Lepus europaeus, 20.1 %) and plants (19.7 %, mainly fruits) are secondary foods. Other prey, such as birds (mainly passerines), reptiles and invertebrates had been consumed in a low biomass ratio. No remains of wild ungulate and domestic animals have been detected in the studied scats.

A revision was carried out on 245 adult skull specimens of the common vole (Microtus arvalis sensu lato) kept in the mammal collection of the Hungarian Natural History Museum in Budapest. A highly effective craniometric classification function was used to reveal whether they belonged to the common vole (M. arvalis Pallas, 1778 sensu stricto) or to the East European vole (Microtus levis Miller, 1908). It was found that M. levis specimens were present in the Hungarian mammal fauna; the boundaries of that animal's European range were thus expanded in the west. The distribution of the East European vole and the common vole in Hungary showed that both of these vole species occur together in all of the studied regions, with different predominant presence. M. levis occurred in lower numbers than M. arvalis in the western part of the country while the 2 species were relatively equally present in the central part of the country, with an insignificant preponderance of M. arvalis in the northeastern part. Conversely, M. levis had a clearly expressed predominance over M. arvalis in several regions of the northern part of the country. The craniometrical specificity of the 2 vole species in Hungary was characterized on the basis of craniologically determined samples. Craniometrical characteristics of both species showed similar absolute variability of their corresponding parameters with poorly expressed cranial sexual dimorphism.

The effect of landscape structure on distribution of the Günthers vole in typical and mostly widespread habitats in the region of Strandja Mountain was studied. In the studied region, which represents the most northeastern part of the range of voles of guentheri group in Europe, general trends in distribution and biotopic adherence of M. g. strandzensisin have been outlined. The established distribution of Microtus guentheri in the studied biotopes revealed the presence of Günther's vole only in wet habitats with hydrophilic vegetation. The established relative numbers of the Günther's vole in natural and semi-natural habitats and agricultural areas under autumn crops determined this species as rare in Strandja region, while in the preferred habitat in natural wet zones along Veleka River it was presented as common species. It was recommended to carry out regular examinations of M. g. strandzensis in the region, focused particularly in clover and wheat fields and their neighbouring roadsides; species numbers in these habitats should be used as indicator of its population state.