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The manuscript provides an overview of the mid-term results of the citizen science campaign activities conducted within the Life CONCEPTU MARIS project (LIFE20 NAT/IT/001371) whose aim is to improve the conservation status of cetaceans and pelagic sea turtles by addressing information gaps, setting up an internationally agreed-upon approach for surveillance, and identifying appropriate conservation measures. It fosters a cooperative effort by engaging the scientific community, stakeholders, policy makers and citizens in a common effort to support biodiversity.

Since the discovery that rhythmic abilities are universal in humans, temporal features of vocal communication have greatly interested researchers studying animal communication. Rhythmic patterns are a valuable tool for species discrimination, mate choice, and individual recognition. A recent study showed that bird songs and human music share rhythmic categories when a signal's temporal intervals are distributed categorically rather than uniformly. Following that study, we aimed to investigate whether songs of indris (Indri indri), the only singing lemur, may show similar features. We measured the inter-onset intervals (tk), delimited by the onsets of two consecutive units, and the rhythmic ratios between these intervals (rk), calculated by dividing an interval by itself plus its adjacent, and finded a three-cluster distribution. Two clusters corresponded to rhythmic categories at 1:1 and 1:2, and the third approached a 2:1 ratio. Our results demonstrated for the first time that another primate besides humans produces categorical rhythms, an ability likely evolved convergently among singing species such as songbirds, indris, and humans. Understanding which communicative features are shared with other species is fundamental to understanding how they have evolved. In this regard, thanks to the simplicity of data processing and interpretation, our study relied on an accessible analytical approach that could open up new branches of the investigation into primate communication, leading the way to reconstruct a phylogeny of rhythm abilities across the entire order.

Vocal and gestural sequences of many primate species conform to two principles of compression: the compensation between the length of a construct and that of its constituents (Menzerath-Altmann law) and an inverse relationship between signal length and occurrence (Zipf's law of abbreviation). Although Zipf's law is considered a universal in animal communicative systems, evidence for the adherence of non-human primate vocal behavior to linguistic laws is debated, and information on strepsirrhines is absent. We investigated the vocal behavior of the only singing lemur (Indri indri) to test whether the song of this species shows indication for compression. Because roars have a chaotic structure that prevents the recognition of each individual emission, and long notes are mainly emitted by males, we relied on the core part of the song (i.e., descending phrases, composed of two to six units). Our results indicate that songs conform to both laws. Indeed, shorter phrases are more likely included in the songs, in conformity to Zipf’s law, and unit length decreases with increasing phrase size, in line with Menzerath-Altmann law. Furthermore, despite a sexual dimorphism of both units and phrases duration, these laws characterize the vocal sequences of both sexes. In conclusion, we provide the first evidence for a compromise between signal duration and occurrence in the vocal system of a strepsirrhine species, suggesting that, in primates, selective pressures for compression are more ancestral than previously assumed.

Scent-marking through odours from excreta and glandular secretions is widespread in mammals. Among primates, diurnal group-living lemurs show different deployment modalities as part of their strategy to increase signal detection. We studied the diademed sifaka (Propithecus diadema) in the Maromizaha New Protected Area, Eastern Madagascar. We tested whether the scent-marking deposition occurred using a sequential rubbing of different body parts. We also tested if glands (i.e., deposition of glandular secretions) were more frequently rubbed than genital orifices (i.e., deposition of excreta) by comparing different kinds of rubbing behaviour. We then investigated if the depositor’s rank and sex affected the sequence of rubbing behaviour, the height at which the scent-marking happened, and the tree part targeted. We found that glandular secretions were often deposited with urine, especially in dominant individuals. The probability of anogenital and chest marking was highest, but chest rubbing most frequently occurred in dominant males. Markings were deposited at similar heights across age and sex, and tree trunks were the most used substrate. Males exhibited long and more complex scent-marking sequences than females. Our results indirectly support the idea that diademed sifakas deploy a sex-dimorphic mixture of glandular secretions and excreta to increase the probability of signal detection by conspecifics.

Abstract Background Prioritizing groupings of organisms or ‘units’ below the species level is a critical issue for conservation purposes. Several techniques encompassing different time-frames, from genetics to ecological markers, have been considered to evaluate existing biological diversity at a sufficient temporal resolution to define conservation units. Given that acoustic signals are expressions of phenotypic diversity, their analysis may provide crucial information on current differentiation patterns within species. Here, we tested whether differences previously delineated within dolphin species based on i) geographic isolation, ii) genetics regardless isolation, and iii) habitat, regardless isolation and genetics, can be detected through acoustic monitoring. Recordings collected from 104 acoustic encounters of Stenella coeruleoalba, Delphinus delphis and Tursiops truncatus in the Azores, Canary Islands, the Alboran Sea and the Western Mediterranean basin between 1996 and 2012 were analyzed. The acoustic structure of communication signals was evaluated by analyzing parameters of whistles in relation to the known genetic and habitat-driven population structure. Results Recordings from the Atlantic and Mediterranean were accurately assigned to their respective basins of origin through Discriminant Function Analysis, with a minimum 83.8% and a maximum 93.8% classification rate. A parallel pattern between divergence in acoustic features and in the genetic and ecological traits within the basins was highlighted through Random Forest analysis. Although it is not yet possible to establish a causal link between each driver and acoustic differences between basins, we showed that signal variation reflects fine-scale diversity and may be used as a proxy for recognizing discrete units. Conclusion We recommend that acoustic analysis be included in assessments of delphinid population structure, together with genetics and ecological tracer analysis. This cost-efficient non-invasive method can be applied to uncover distinctiveness and local adaptation in other wide-ranging marine species.

Parent-offspring interactions are essential to interpret animal social evolution and behavior, but their role in mediating acoustic communication in animals that interact vocally is still unclear. Increasing evidence shows that primate vocal communication is way more flexible than previously assumed, and research on this topic can provide further information on how the social environment shaped vocal plasticity during the evolution of the Primate order. Indris communicate through elaborated vocal emissions, usually termed songs. Songs are interactive vocal displays in which all members of the family group alternate their emissions, taking turns during chorusing events. We aimed to understand whether specific rules regulate the turn-taking of different group members and investigate the flexibility of indris’ vocal behavior when co-singing with their offspring. We found that social factors can influence the turn-taking organization in a chorus, as offspring were more likely to drop out from the parents’ duet than join in, and we speculate that overlap might signal competition by members of the same-sex. The duet between the reproductive pair was the most common type of singing organization, followed by a duet between mothers and sons and the triadic interaction between mother, father, and son. Interestingly, parents’ solo singing seems to stimulate offspring to vocalize, and we also found that mothers and fathers simplify, at least in part, song elaboration when chorusing with offspring. Our results indicate that indris can perform short-time adjustments to the number of co-emitters and their identity: our approach is advantageous in highlighting the multilevel influences on primate vocal flexibility. Moreover, it provides evidence that some aspects of our vocal plasticity were already present in the lemur lineage.

We investigated the presence and diversity of cetaceans in the Mediterranean Sea, analysing the data collected by 32 different research units, over a period of 15 years (2004–2018), and shared on the common web-GIS platform named Intercet. We used the encounter rate, the species prevalence, and the Shannon diversity index as parameters for data analysis. The results show that cetacean diversity, in the context of the Mediterranean basin, is generally quite low when compared with the eastern Atlantic, as few species, namely the striped dolphin, the bottlenose dolphin, the fin whale, and the sperm whale, dominate over all the others. However, some areas, such as the Alboran Sea or the north-western Mediterranean Sea, which includes the Pelagos Sanctuary (the Specially Protected Area of Mediterranean Interest located in the northern portion of the western basin), show higher levels of diversity and should be considered hotspots to be preserved. Primary production and seabed profile seem to be the two main drivers influencing the presence and distribution of cetaceans, with the highest levels of diversity observed in areas characterized by high levels of primary production and high bathymetric variability and gradient. This collective work underlines the importance of data sharing to deepen our knowledge on marine fauna at the scale of the whole Mediterranean Sea and encourages greater efforts in the networking process, also to accomplish the requirements of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, with particular reference to Descriptor 1: biological diversity is maintained.

The growing concern for the ongoing biodiversity loss drives researchers towards practical and large-scale automated systems to monitor wild animal populations. Primates, with most species threatened by extinction, face substantial risks. We focused on the vocal activity of the indri (Indri indri) recorded in Maromizaha Forest (Madagascar) from 2019 to 2021 via passive acoustics, a method increasingly used for monitoring activities in different environments. We first used indris’ songs, loud distinctive vocal sequences, to detect the species’ presence. We processed the raw data (66,443 10-min recordings) and extracted acoustic features based on the third-octave band system. We then analysed the features extracted from three datasets, divided according to sampling year, site, and recorder type, with a convolutional neural network that was able to generalise to recording sites and previously unsampled periods via data augmentation and transfer learning. For the three datasets, our network detected the song presence with high accuracy (>90%) and recall (>80%) values. Once provided the model with the time and day of recording, the high-performance values ensured that the classification process could accurately depict both daily and annual habits of indris‘ singing pattern, critical information to optimise field data collection. Overall, using this easy-to-implement species-specific detection workflow as a preprocessing method allows researchers to reduce the time dedicated to manual classification.

Chemical pollution, i.e. the release of anthropogenic chemical substances into the environment, is a driver of biodiversity loss. Although this issue has been widely investigated in high-income countries of temperate regions, there is a lack of data for tropical areas of middle- or low-income countries, such as those in Eastern Africa. Some of the world’s richest biomes that are affected by multiple pressures, including chemical pollution, are hosted in this macro-region. However, few studies have addressed the impact of the release of anthropogenic chemical pollutants on the biodiversity, and the related potential implications for the deterioration of ecosystem goods and services in this area. A contribution in systemising the scientific literature related to this topic is, therefore, urgently needed. We reviewed studies published from 2001 to 2021, focusing on the chemical pollution impact on Eastern African wildlife. Despite an extensive literature search, we found only 43 papers according to our survey methods. We focused on wildlife inhabiting terrestrial ecosystems and inland waters. According to our search, Kenya and Uganda are the most represented countries accounting for about half of the total number of reviewed articles. Moreover, 67.4% of the studies focus on inland waters. The spread of anthropogenic chemicals into tropical areas, e.g. Eastern Africa, and their effects on living organisms deserve greater attention in research and politics. We report a weak increasing trend in publishing studies addressing this topic that might bode well. The combined effort of science and governments is crucial in improving the management of chemical pollutants in the environment for achieving the goals of biodiversity conservation. Significance: • Chemical pollution represents an underestimated risk for the health of tropical ecosystems in middle- and low-income countries, such as those of Eastern Africa. • There is a lack of data on chemical pollution effects on wildlife of Eastern African biomes. • The anthropogenic release of chemical substances affects the health of biodiversity and humans, negatively influences ecosystem services in Eastern Africa, and makes conservation and protection measures less effective. • There is an urgent need for improving research on chemical pollution effects and promoting a sustainable use of natural resources in Eastern Africa along with better management of farming and mining activities.

Research on the gut microbiome may help with increasing our understanding of primate health with species’ ecology, evolution, and behavior. In particular, microbiome-related information has the potential to clarify ecology issues, providing knowledge in support of wild primates conservation and their associated habitats. Indri (Indri indri) is the largest extant living lemur of Madagascar. This species is classified as “critically endangered” by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, representing one of the world’s 25 most endangered primates. Indris diet is mainly folivorous, but these primates frequently and voluntarily engage in geophagy. Indris have never been successfully bred under human care, suggesting that some behavioral and/or ecological factors are still not considered from the ex situ conservation protocols. Here, we explored gut microbiome composition of 18 indris belonging to 5 different family groups. The most represented phyla were Proteobacteria 40.1 ± 9.5%, Bacteroidetes 28.7 ± 2.8%, Synergistetes 16.7 ± 4.5%, and Firmicutes 11.1 ± 1.9%. Further, our results revealed that bacterial alpha and beta diversity were influenced by indri family group and sex. In addition, we investigated the chemical composition of geophagic soil to explore the possible ecological value of soil as a nutrient supply. The quite acidic pH and high levels of secondary oxide-hydroxides of the soils could play a role in the folivorous diet’s gut detoxification activity. In addition, the high contents of iron and manganese found the soils could act as micronutrients in the indris’ diet. Nevertheless, the concentration of a few elements (i.e., calcium, sulfur, boron, nickel, sodium, and chromium) was higher in non-geophagic than in geophagic soils. In conclusion, the data presented herein provide a baseline for outlining some possible drivers responsible for the gut microbiome diversity in indris, thus laying the foundations for developing further strategies involved in indris’ conservation.

Animal communication has long been thought to be subject to pressures and constraints associated with social relationships. However, our understanding of how the nature and quality of social relationships relates to the use and evolution of communication is limited by a lack of directly comparable methods across multiple levels of analysis. Here, we analysed observational data from 111 wild groups belonging to 26 non-human primate species, to test how vocal communication relates to dominance style (the strictness with which a dominance hierarchy is enforced, ranging from ‘despotic’ to ‘tolerant’). At the individual-level, we found that dominant individuals who were more tolerant vocalized at a higher rate than their despotic counterparts. This indicates that tolerance within a relationship may place pressure on the dominant partner to communicate more during social interactions. At the species-level, however, despotic species exhibited a larger repertoire of hierarchy-related vocalizations than their tolerant counterparts. Findings suggest primate signals are used and evolve in tandem with the nature of interactions that characterize individuals' social relationships.

The patterns of movement of the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus (Linnaeus, 1758)) in the Mediterranean Sea are still a matter of debate. Feeding aggregations are well known in the Corso-Liguro-Provençal Basin from July to September, but little is known for the autumn and winter seasons. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) was implemented in the Ligurian Sea to overcome this gap and to investigate the temporal and spatial variation of fin whale acoustic presence. From July to December 2011, five autonomous recorders were deployed at between 700 and 900 m depths. Fin whale calls were automatically detected almost every day, with higher vocalization rates in October, November, and December. Furthermore, daily vocalization rates were higher during light hours, and closer to the coast. These outcomes suggest that not all the individuals migrate, staying in the area also during autumn for feeding or breeding purposes. The dial cycle of vocalization might be related to feeding activities and zooplankton vertical migration, whereas the proximity to the coast can be explained by the morphology of the area that promotes the upwelling system. Although this work only represents a six-month period, certainly it suggests the need for a larger spatial and temporal PAM effort, crucial for species management and for mitigating possible impact of anthropogenic activities at the basin level.

Despite the growing interest in human-made noise effects on marine wildlife, few studies have investigated the potential role of underwater noise on elasmobranch species. In this study, twelve specimens of small-spotted catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula) were exposed to biological and anthropogenic sounds in order to assess their behavioural changes in response to prey acoustic stimuli and to different amplitude levels of shipping noise. The sharks, individually held in aquariums, were exposed to four experimental acoustic conditions characterized by different spectral (Hz) components and amplitude (dB re 1 µPa) levels. The swimming behaviour and spatial distribution of sharks were observed. The results highlighted significant differences in swimming time and in the spatial use of the aquarium among the experimental conditions. When the amplitude levels of biological sources were higher than those of anthropogenic sources, the sharks’ swimming behaviour was concentrated in the bottom sections of the aquarium; when the amplitude levels of anthropogenic sources were higher than biological ones, the specimens increased the time spent swimming. Moreover, their spatial distribution highlighted a tendency to occupy the least noisy sections of the aquarium. In conclusion, this study highlighted that anthropogenic noise is able to affect behaviour of catshark specimens and the impact depends on acoustic amplitude levels.

Estimating the number of animals participating in a choral display may contribute reliable information on animal population estimates, particularly when environmental or behavioral factors restrict the possibility of visual surveys. Difficulties in providing a reliable estimate of the number of singers in a chorus are many (e.g., background noise masking, overlap). In this work, we contributed data on the vocal chorusing of the indri lemurs (Indri indri), which emit howling cries, known as songs, uttered by two to five individuals. We examined whether we could estimate the number of emitters in a chorus by screening the fundamental frequency in the spectrograms and the total duration of the songs, and the reliability of those methods when compared to the real chorus size. The spectrographic investigation appears to provide reliable information on the number of animals participating in the chorusing only when this number is limited to two or three singers. We also found that the Acoustic Complexity Index positively correlated with the real chorus size, showing that an automated analysis of the chorus may provide information about the number of singers. We can state that song duration shows a correlation with the number of emitters but also shows a remarkable variation that remains unexplained. The accuracy of the estimates can reflect the high variability in chorus size, which could be affected by group composition, season and context. In future research, a greater focus on analyzing frequency change occurring during these collective vocal displays should improve our ability to detect individuals and allow a finer tuning of the acoustic methods that may serve for monitoring chorusing mammals.

Comoros Union presents a considerable biodiversity of food resources that are neglected or still not valorised, as breadfruit. This study aimed to evaluating nutritional and nutraceutical traits of Artocarpus altilis (Parkinson) Fosberg by characterizing its main bioactive compounds, nutritional traits, and antioxidant properties in order to contribute to the development of traditional and innovative uses of this species as functional food (e.g., infant flour). Bioactive compound composition, antioxidant properties, protein and sugar content, lipids, fibre, and macro- and microelements were observed in these fruits after a specific drying process. Breadfruit showed positive nutritional traits. The main identified phenolic groups were cinnamic acids (with a maximum of 51.88 ± 2.63 mg/100 gDW for chlorogenic acid) and tannins. The highest value of antioxidant activity was 6.40 ± 1.02 mmol·Fe2+/kgDW. This preliminary phytochemical investigation may provide a contribution to the identification and quantification of lead compounds responsible for traditional nutritional and therapeutic claims.

Data on the age at sexual maturity and longevity of some mantellid species of the genera Boophis, Gephyromantis, and Mantidactylus that inhabit the low altitude rainforest of Masoala (northeastern Madagascar) are presented. Counts of lines of arrested growth (LAGs) were used to calculate longevity in these species; these data contribute to assessment of the threat level of the studied anurans. Boophis includes species of mediumto large-sized frogs (SVL = 30–65 mm) that attain sexual maturity in 1–3 years and live 3–9 years (i.e., mid-longevity). Mantidactylus and Gephyromatis include small- to largesized species (SVL = 22–107 mm and 35–49 mm, respectively) that attain sexually maturity in 1–3 years and live 1–8 and 3–7 years, respectively

Madagascar is characterized by one of the highest rates of endemism and biodiversity in the world. Brachylaena preparations are extensively used in Malagasy folk medicine for treating gastrointestinal diseases and blenorrhagia. The aim of this study was a preliminary phytochemical fingerprint of Brachylaena ramiflora leaves infusions and bark decoctions, in order to characterize this species as source of biologically active compounds and their relative antioxidant activity by high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector. Sixteen and twenty-three biomarkers (molecules with health properties selected for their demonstrated positive role on human organism) were identified in B. ramiflora leaf infusions and bark decoctions, respectively: the main compounds identified in the infusions were quinic acid (334.55±0.99 mg/100 gFW), chlorogenic acid (208.27±7.74 mg/100 gFW), and g-terpinene (144.19±1.00 mg/100 gFW), while the major components in the decoctions were castalagin (2002.64±13.96 mg/100 gFW), citric acid (1171.81±1.05 mg/100 gFW), and chlorogenic acid (646.44±2.31 mg/100 gFW). B. ramiflora could be considered as a promising source of natural antioxidants that may provide health-benefits. The development of pharmaceuticals based on a sustainable exploitation of wild medicinal plants or their cultivation by local villagers could offer a number of benefits to a wide range of people as an alternative source of income and a natural and accessible health remedy. The online version of this article (doi: 10.5073/JABFQ.2017.090.026) contains supplementary files.

Although there is a growing number of researches focusing on acoustic communication, the lack of shared analytic approaches leads to inconsistency among studies. Here, we introduced a computational method used to examine 3360 calls recorded from wild indris (Indri indri) from 2005–2018. We split each sound into ten portions of equal length and, from each portion we extracted spectral coefficients, considering frequency values up to 15,000 Hz. We submitted the set of acoustic features first to a t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding algorithm, then to a hard-clustering procedure using a k-means algorithm. The t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE) mapping indicated the presence of eight different groups, consistent with the acoustic structure of the a priori identification of calls, while the cluster analysis revealed that an overlay between distinct call types might exist. Our results indicated that the t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE), successfully been employed in several studies, showed a good performance also in the analysis of indris’ repertoire and may open new perspectives towards the achievement of shared methodical techniques for the comparison of animal vocal repertoires.

One goal of the LIFE project “Del.Ta.” (NAT/IT/000163) was the preparation of an Action Plan to protect the bottlenose dolphin community in the Pelagie Archipelago (Sicily, Italy). It stressed the importance of regular monitoring of the spatial and temporal distribution of dolphins in order to evaluate the impact of local activities. This study assesses whether land-based surveys could be an effective alternative to vessel-based surveys. During the summer of 2006, both surveys’ methodologies were used at Lampedusa, with 35 sightings recorded from land and 31 from a boat. Comparison was based on the assessment of the type of information they provided in relation to the presence of the animals and their behavior. Both methodologies were applicable, but there were differences in their requirements, potential information generated, costs, and sensitivity to weather conditions. Vessel-based surveys require well trained observers and enable photo-identification and observation of social interaction and morphology. Animal movements, interactions with anthropogenic elements and group dynamics are better collected from land but spatial data can be documented up to 1 nautical mile from the coast. Weather conditions have a significant platform specific effect on sighting frequencies. The high sighting frequency during land surveys provides support for the development of zero-impact land-based dolphins watching activity.

In the Comoros Islands, as in other developing countries, malnutrition and food insecurity affect a very large percentage of the population. Developing fruit-based products in order to make profit, reduce poverty and improve indigenous people diet could be very important for local population of countries as Comoros Islands. The aim of the present work was to study the chemical composition of jams and jellies produced from seven fruit species harvested in Grand Comore Island. The following parameters were studied sugars and organic acids, total phenolics, total anthocyanins and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprint of the main phytochemicals. Antioxidant activity was also measured. A multivariate approach (Principal Component Analysis) was performed in order to better characterize the products and to set a potential analytical tool for jam characterisation. Results showed that the analysed products are a good source of polyphenolic constituents, as caffeic and gallic acids, catechin and quercetin and volatile compounds, as limonene and γ-terpinene: these molecules may be considered as suitable markers for these fruit-derived products as characterizing the chromatographic patterns. The characterisation of these products and their nutritional and nutraceutical traits is important as valorisation of local food production for poverty reduction and rural development. Further benefits of this approach include the maintenance of local agro-biodiversity as raw material for fruit-based products and the strengthening of food security practices.

An increase in ocean noise levels could interfere with acoustic communication of marine mammals. In this study we explored the effects of anthropogenic and natural noise on the acoustic properties of a dolphin communication signal, the whistle. A towed array with four elements was used to record environmental background noise and whistles of short-beaked common-, Atlantic spotted- and striped-dolphins in the Canaries archipelago. Four frequency parameters were measured from each whistle, while Sound Pressure Levels (SPL) of the background noise were measured at the central frequencies of seven one-third octave bands, from 5 to 20 kHz. Results show that dolphins increase the whistles' frequency parameters with lower variability in the presence of anthropogenic noise, and increase the end frequency of their whistles when confronted with increasing natural noise. This study provides the first evidence that the synergy among SPLs has a role in shaping the whistles' structure of these three species, with respect to both natural and anthropogenic noise.

Chromis chromis is a key species in the Mediterranean marine coastal ecosystems where, in summer, recreational boating and its associated noise overlap. Anthropogenic noise could induce behavioural modifications in marine organisms, thereby affecting population dynamics. In the case of an important species for the ecosystem like C. chromis, this could rebound on the community structure. Here, we measured nautical traffic during the summer of 2007 in a Southern Mediterranean Marine Protected Area (MPA) and simultaneously the feeding behaviour of C. chromis was video-recorded, within both the no-take A-zone and the B-zone where recreational use is allowed. Feeding frequencies, escape reaction and school density were analysed. C. chromis specimens were also collected from 2007 to 2008 to evaluate their physiological state using the Body Condition Index as a proxy of feeding efficiency. The MPA was more exploited by nautical tourism during holidays than on weekdays, particularly in the middle of the day. Greater traffic volume corresponded with lower feeding frequencies. The escape reaction was longer in duration (>1 min) when boat passed nearby, while moored boats did not induce an escape response. We found no differences in density between schools in the A- and B-zones and worse body conditions among those individuals inhabiting the B-zone in one area only. Overall, our findings revealed a significant modification of the daily foraging habits of C. chromis due to boat noise, which was slightly buffered by no-take zones established within the MPA.

Age profile and body size were studied in three populations of the rare and understudied tomato frog, Dyscophus antongilii, from NE Madagascar. For each individual, a phalanx was clipped and the bone used for skeletochronology. Sexual dimorphism is significantly different between all three populations: females are larger and heavier than males, with males also being distinguishable by a more yellowish throat. Age structure analysis was possible on two populations (Antara, Lampirano). The age within the two populations ranged between 3 and 7 years (mean ± SD = 5.0 ± 0.2) for males, and 3 to 11 years (mean ± SD = 5.8 ± 0.3) for females. Longevity was positively correlated to body size and weight within both sexes and populations. Sexual maturity was reached between 2 and 3 years, with sexual maturity recorded for males signifi- cantly lower than for females.

Il tasso (Meles meles) abita boschi di conifere e latifoglie, boschi misti, alternati a zone aperte e cespugliate ed essendo una specie molto adattabile può vivere anche in aree agricole oppure in ambienti suburbani o urbani. Diversi studi sono stati condotti in Italia sulla distribuzione e sulla caratterizzazione ambientale delle tane di tasso sia in contesti naturali come in aree coltivate in modo più o meno intensivo, mancano, invece, lavori in ambienti dove la specie può vivere a "diretto contatto" con l'uomo. Questo studio si propone di valutare l'importanza di alcuni parametri ambientali nella scelta e selezione dei siti di tana nel Parco Regionale "La Mandria" (Torino), aperto al pubblico a partire dal 1979 e con un afflusso di visitatori pari a 500.000 persone all'anno, secondo stime del tutto indicative. Il Parco si estende per 1665 ha, coperti principalmente da boschi (50%) e prato-pascoli (30%); l'area di studio (772 ha) è caratterizzata da zone boscate ed aperte nelle stesse proporzioni osservate sull'intera superficie del Parco. In quest'area sono stati rilevati per 33 punti tana e 33 punti scelti casualmente, i seguenti dati ambientali: esposizione, pendenza, distanza da strade e/o sentieri, distanza dall'acqua, distanza dal confine del Parco e copertura arbustiva, considerando aree con un raggio di 25 m intorno ai punti. Nell'elaborazione dei dati sono stati utilizzati il test del Χ² e gli intervalli di confidenza di Bonferroni. Il 90% delle tane è risultato attivo. Le entrate (n=219) hanno una larghezza media di 28,15 ± 8,29 cm ed un'altezza media di 24,39 ± 6,87 cm; risultano in maggioranza scavate su di un substrato di terra fine (42%) oppure sotto un albero o un ceppo (43%), più raramente sotto cespugli di rovi (11%) ed occasionalmente sotto lastre di cemento (3%); nel 43% dei casi è stato osservato davanti all'ingresso il tipico anfiteatro formato dalla terra accumulata dallo scavo. Il numero medio delle entrate per tana è 7 ± 11 con un numero massimo di entrate pari a 64. Un numero così elevato di entrate è probabilmente da porre in relazione con l'età dell'insediamento: nel parco si conoscono, infatti, tane attive da oltre 20 anni. I parametri che sembrano condizionare significativamente (p