Search

Biological invasions are a growing threat to biodiversity. The black rat, one of the worst pest in the world, is responsible for extensive population decline of many autochthonous and endemic species, particularly in island ecosystems. A number of rat eradication campaigns have been conducted, however, such endeavors do not always result in a complete removal of the pest. This may be due to the occurrence of individuals resistant to common rodenticides and/or a re-invasion of the same environment from interconnected areas when appropriate eradication units are not defined before starting an eradication campaign. Our study is a multidisciplinary approach whereby genetic and epidemiological methods were used to provide background information for successful eradication of black rats. We investigated the occurrence of mutations in the VKORC1 gene known to confer resistance to rodenticides and evaluated the spread of zoonoses across three islands of the Pontine Archipelago, an Italian hotspot of endemic Mediterranean biodiversity and a possible mainland source of invasion. As part of an eradication campaign, we also assessed patterns of genetic diversity at 10 microsatellite loci in order to identify eradication units. We recorded a strong population structure and revealed at least two distinct eradication units. Some degree of admixture was recorded on Ponza, the largest island and likely the main source of rats invading the other two islands. We did not record the occurrence of rats resistant to anticoagulants, but we revealed transmission of vector-borne pathogens in commensal habitats of the Archipelago.

Disturbance-sensitivity and habitat generalism are two important eco-behavioural traits of species. In this paper, we calculated these traits for a set of 21 common mammal species using two proxies (HSrescaled for disturbance-sensitivity, and HHi, for habitat generalism) here obtained synthesizing the numbers and frequency of differently disturbed habitats where a species occurs. Then, we correlated them to their regional range size in Latium (Central Italy). HSrescaled and HHi resulted correlated between them. Moreover both these metrics resulted (or tend to be) positively correlated with the regional range size of species. A GLM model showed that disturbance-sensitivity of the species is more explicative to predict regional range size when compared to generalism. Although with some limitations, this data deserves attention for its implications both in basic and applied ecology. Indeed, (i) our data corroborate the strictly relationship between niche-width and geographic distribution of species at regional scale, and (ii) we obtained eco-behavioural evidence useful for conservation strategies: indeed many of species yet included in list of disturbance-sensitive taxa at landscape scale can be confirmed as indicators of disturbed habitat types.

Prioritizing the management of invasive alien species (IAS) is of global importance and within Europe integral to the EU IAS regulation. To prioritize management effectively, the risks posed by IAS need to be assessed, but so too does the feasibility of their management. While the risk of IAS to the EU has been assessed, the feasibility of management has not. We assessed the feasibility of eradicating 60 new (not yet established) and 35 emerging (established with limited distribution) species that pose a threat to the EU, as identified by horizon scanning. The assessment was carried out by 34 experts in invasion management from across Europe, applying the Non-Native Risk Management scheme to defined invasion scenarios and eradication strategies for each species, assessing the feasibility of eradication using seven key risk management criteria. Management priorities were identified by combining scores for risk (derived from horizon scanning) and feasibility of eradication. The results show eradication feasibility score and risk score were not correlated, indicating that risk management criteria evaluate different information than risk assessment. In all, 17 new species were identified as particularly high priorities for eradication should they establish in the future, whereas 14 emerging species were identified as priorities for eradication now. A number of species considered highest priority for eradication were terrestrial vertebrates, a group that has been the focus of a number of eradication attempts in Europe. However, eradication priorities also included a diverse range of other taxa (plants, invertebrates and fish) suggesting there is scope to broaden the taxonomic range of attempted eradication in Europe. We demonstrate that broad scale structured assessments of management feasibility can help prioritize IAS for management. Such frameworks are needed to support evidence-based decision-making. ispartof: GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY vol:26 issue:11 pages:6235-6250 ispartof: location:England status: published

Savi’s pine vole,Microtus savii, is the most widespread Italian vole species, an important rodent pest in agriculture and yet one of the least studied species. One of the reasons for this gap in knowledge is that members of this species are quite difficult to capture with standard trapping procedures, being fossorial and rarely active aboveground. For this reason, we developed a protocol that maximizes trapping success. This method requires the identification of active tunnel holes and the placement of traps directly in front of the exits. We also compared capture and recapture rates of Savi’s pine voles in three different trap types: Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Longworth and Ugglan. If properly equipped with food and nesting material, INRA, Longworth and Ugglan traps showed similar capture rates, but the recapture rate of Ugglan traps was the highest of the three kinds of traps. These results, in combination with the species’ fossorial and social habits, lead us to conclude that Ugglan traps are the best suited for studies on Savi’s pine voles. Our results may have implications for planning and implementing management strategies based on traps rather than rodenticides, as well as field studies on other fossorial small mammals.

We present the EU LIFE PonDerat project, which is aimed at restoring the natural ecosystems of the Pontine Archipelago, a group of islands located off the western coast of Italy. The spread of inva...

Hemeroby is an indicator widely used in plant ecology to evaluate the level of disturbance of the optimal habitat of a species. Hemeroby can be scaled on a range of ten point scores, higher scores of hemeroby meaning higher level of disturbance. In this study we applied two indicators of sensitivity to disturbance based on the concept of hemeroby: HS i (mean hemeroby score), calculated on the habitat types where each species occurs, and the recently proposed HH i (mean hemerobiotic entropy), i.e. the level of generalism of a species with respect to the range of levels of disturbance where the species occurs. Both indices are based on the position and range of species along a gradient of disturbance, from pristine to completely human-made habitats. From a recent regional atlas of mammals, it was possible to calculate the ecological preferences for a large number of habitat types for 36 common mammal species for Latium (Central Italy). From the occurrences of mammals in each habitat, we calculated the HS i (here rescaled: HS rescaled ) and HH i indices. The relationship between habitat-related disturbance (HS rescaled ) vs. generalism (HH i ) of species showed a hump-shaped relationship peaking at intermediate levels of HS rescaled , suggesting that generalism is maximum at intermediate levels of disturbance and corroborating analogous results obtained for birds. Alien mammal species exhibited higher averaged values of HS i when compared to autochthonous species, supporting the evidence regarding the close relationship between alien species and more disturbed ecosystems. The application of the two indices to mammals could open new perspectives in conservation and management of species inhabiting a wide range of differently disturbed habitat types.

Savi's pine vole (Microtus savii) is a rodent species of the Cricetidae family, inhabiting southern European agroecosystems. It is considered to be the main cause of rodent-attributed damage in Italy. To achieve an effective management, detailed knowledge of this species is needed. However, the available information about this species is fragmentary and incomplete. In this paper, the existing knowledge of Savi's pine vole taxonomy, reproduction, population dynamics, habitat and food preferences is reviewed in order to organise available information and identify priority areas of future research. Some of the changes in farming practices that have occurred in recent decades may have increased the impact of Savi's pine vole populations in crop fields. To manage this pest species effectively, an integrated strategy is recommended (involving habitat management, trapping and, when appropriate, the use of rodenticides). The apparent lack of cyclical population outbreaks and the relatively small litter size and long gestation and interpartum period of this species suggest that it could be more manageable than other vole species, while its strict herbivorous diet, stable population size in open habitats and wide distribution seem to indicate it as an ideal model species for risk assessment studies.

In a context of climate change, ecological and physiological adaptations of organisms are of central importance for determining the outcome of niche challenges (e.g., with potential competitors) and species persistence. Typically, long-term data on free-ranging populations are needed to investigate such phenomena. Here, long-term data on a free-ranging population of western whip snakes (Hierophis viridiflavus: Colubridae) from central Italy were used in order to test the hypothesis that snake feeding frequencies should increase in relation to climate warming, thus positively affecting individual performance because of longer annual activity period, increased daily activity and larger prey base. Data from 231 'female snake-years' of records (including inter-annual recaptures) were collected were collected between 1990 and 2014. The frequency of fed snakes varied remarkably across the study period with a significant increase over the years. There was a significant positive effect of the mean annual temperature on the percentage of fed animals, whereas there was a non-significant relationship between yearly rainfall and percentage of fed animals. There was a positive relationship between mean annual temperature and yearly diversity-of-prey index. No other climatic variables were significantly correlated with yearly diversity-of-prey index. This study supported the hypothesis that global warming may be favorable for thermophilic species (such as H. viridiflavus), as it enhances their foraging performances and hence their feeding frequencies. The same may not be necessarily true for other species which have colder preferenda (e.g., Zamenis longissimus).

Habitat loss and fragmentation are recognized as the main causes for the global biodiversity crisis. Most of the studies investigating the issue of habitat fragmentation in vertebrates are cross-sectional, whereas long-term studies are least available. We surveyed bird communities in 17 forest fragments (FF) and a single continuous forest stands (CF) in central Italy twice, 10 years apart (i.e. in 1996 and in 2006). All community parameters showed a contrasting pattern between 1996 and 2006, i.e. an increase of abundance and diversity measures in CF and a decrease or a stability of the same parameters in FF. Insectivorous and migratory bird species were the most prone to population declines associated with fragmented landscapes. Differences in species turnover between CF and FF were due to a higher extinction rate in the latter forest type. There was substantial population increase between 1996 and 2006, especially in FF, of opportunistic predator species like corvids. This fact may be responsible for the observed dropping in species number, evenness and diversity in FF. Hence, we conclude that, in FF, the bird community is far from being either stabilized or resilient, as it is rapidly evolving into a more simplified assemblage, dominated by generalist species.

The Savi's pine vole, Microtus savii is an Italian species living in grasslands, both natural and anthropogenic (i.e. agroecosystems) where it is generally considered a pest because it may damage crops and orchards. As for most rodent pests, the extent of the damage might depend on population density and temporal food availability (e.g. Brown et al. 2007, Jacob & Tkadlec 2010). However, data on demographic parameters are not available, making ecologically-based management strategies difficult to plan. Therefore, we conducted a study on Savi's pine vole demography for one year in two study areas in central Italy using capture-mark-recapture method. Density values ranged from 3 to 32 ind./ha, the highest population densities occurred in October, while the lowest occurred in February-April in both study areas. Turnover rates of both populations were very high, with time of residency usually no longer than two months. Juveniles' survival was constant in both study areas, but it differed between the two populations regarding adults. The two populations showed similar demographic trends along the year with relatively small intra-annual fluctuations. The breeding season covered the whole year in both areas. The results here presented contribute to add meaningful information about this poorly known species, and could be useful to plan population control strategies for this rodent in agroecosystems.

The black rat Rattus rattus is recognized as one of the world's most harmful invasive species. It has spread across the globe by passive human transport and the dynamics of colonization have been investigated in several areas of the world. However, data for the Mediterranean basin are still lacking. We investigated the black rat colonization of the western Mediterranean basin by means of mitochondrial genes. Mitochondrial control region and cytochrome b gene were sequenced in order to quantify genetic diversity of western Mediterranean black rats. Maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis based on cytochrome b was used to assign specimens to a specific lineage of the R. rattus species complex. The mitochondrial control region was used to reconstruct phylogeographic pattern by statistical parsimony network and to asses historical demography of western Mediterranean black rats. The results show an unexpectedly low diversity considering that the Mediterranean basin has been a trade route since very ancient times. The results mtDNA analysis are compatible with a single event of invasions of western Mediterranean by R. rattus.

Sighting frequency of tortoises (Testudo hermanni), standardized by the number of person-hours of field effort, was studied between 1992 and 2013 at three different study areas in central Italy. Although the frequency of tortoise sightings fluctuated substantially across years and among study areas, there was a significant declining trend in all the three areas, with GLM analyses showing also a significant interaction between study area and sampling year. The decreasing trend was higher in Castel Fusano than in the other two sites, with yearly frequency of sightings being independent of search effort in all of the study areas. These trends may indicate population declines, because no other explanations seem plausible. Total rainfall from previous autumn to the study period was positively correlated to tortoise sightings in only one locality. The yearly frequency of sightings of juvenile tortoises did not vary significantly among study areas and across years, thus indicating that simple differences in detectability cannot explain the observed patterns. Summer fires and forest overgrowing seem to explain the tortoise decline in two study areas (Castel Fusano and Oriolo) whereas we were not able to identify any specific reason for tortoise decline in the third study area (Manziana).

We report the results of the first systematic assessment of global patterns and research priorities emerging in the field of rodent pest management. We carried out an extensive literature review targeted towards identifying the most relevant rodent pests, their impacts and the most common methods used to control them. We identified three disproportionally important pest species that are characterized by severe, generalist and geographically widespread impacts: the black rat Rattus rattus, the Norway rat Rattus norvegicus and the house mouse Mus musculus. Overall, only 7% of known rodent species may be considered pests. Scansorial (i.e. terrestrial and semi-arboreal) and fossorial species are generally important as pests, while aquatic and arboreal species have only specific impacts. Impacts of rodent pests on arable crops were studied most, followed by impacts on ecosystems. Studies on arable crops were typical in countries with low net income and health expenditure, while the opposite was observed for studies on ecosystems. Poisons were the most commonly used control method, followed by traps and habitat management. The need to control rodent species is expanding, especially to protect ecosystems and public health. Unlike in other fields of pest management (e.g. insect control), in rodent control we are approaching new problems with old solutions; control strategies and methods have not kept pace with emerging impacts. The need to control a rodent pest species is higher when it is non-native than within its original geographical range. The impact of a rodent species in its native range is a good predictor of the impact it may have in areas of introduction. Our review will contribute towards guiding researchers and stakeholders to focus research efforts and investments on a subset of species, and on new, less hazardous control techniques.

A review of several long-term studies has recently suggested that snakes might be declining in large parts of the world. Additional data from other long-term studies are therefore urgently needed in order to assess the generalities of such suggested declines. Based on a 20-year study, we analyzed demographic data on adult dice snakes (Natrix tessellata) studied in central Italy between 1985 and 2004. Both male and female dice snakes were relatively long-lived, with no significant differences in longevity between the sexes. Individual males and females were observed over a maximum of 10 and 14 years, respectively. However, the among-year recapture rates between the year the snakes were initially captured and the subsequent year (i.e., year 1 to year 2) was significantly lower (45%) than the among-year recapture rates during subsequent years (74%; i.e., year 2 to year 3), suggesting that a large proportion of the snakes at first capture were in fact not resident within our study area, and hence many snakes were migrating in and out of our 2-km stream study site, with no inter-sexual difference in dispersal rates. Sex ratio was virtually equal if we consider the study period as a whole. Significant annual fluctuations were, however, observed through the study. In 1985–1990, 1993–1995, 1998 and 1999 the sex ratio was male-biased, whereas in 2000–2004 female-biased. In terms of both survival and recapture probabilities, model selection showed that Akaike’s information criterion favored the model incorporating body size, with the model incorporating year having an intermediate likelihood, and the model with sex included being the most disfavored. Total population number estimates suggest an average 86 adult individuals along the 2 km of stream with only minor annual variations. However, a significant decrease in the number of males occurred during the last 6 years of our study. Thus, further monitoring of this population is warranted in light of the decline of snake populations reported recently.

Summary 1. Habitat loss must be distinguished from habitat fragmentation so that appropriate conservation management can be applied. Few studies have evaluated the independent effects of habitat loss and habitat fragmentation on the distribution of vertebrates, and none has evaluated the independent effect of changes in structural connectivity. We carried out a landscape-scale experiment to assess the independent contribution of these three processes and to examine what landscape scale factors affect the distribution of two forest-dependent arboreal rodents: the hazel dormouse Muscardinus avellanarius and the red squirrel Sciurus vulgaris. 2. Habitat loss, rather than habitat fragmentation per se, was the major driver of distribution patterns for both species. As predicted, structural connectivity (hedgerow networks) played an important role in determining the distribution of the hazel dormouse, but not of the red squirrel. 3. Our models predict that long lengths of hedgerows (>30 km) are unlikely to increase the probability of occurrence of hazel dormouse in landscapes where there are low levels of forest cover (

Aim Habitat loss and fragmentation are amongst the greatest threats to biodiversity world-wide. However, there is still little evidence on the relative influence of these two distinct processes on biodiversity, and no study, to date, has investigated the independent contribution of structural connectivity in addition to habitat loss and fragmentation. The aim of this study is to evaluate the independent effects of habitat loss (the decrease in total amount of habitat), habitat fragmentation per se (habitat subdivision) and structural connectivity (in the form of hedgerow networks) on the distribution of seven resident forest-dependent birds in central Italy. Location Central Italy. Methods We strategically selected 30 landscapes (each of 16 km2 in size) with decreasing total amount of forest cover and with contrasting configuration of patches and contrasting lengths of hedgerow networks. Presence/absence of birds in each landscape unit was studied through point counts. Results The amount of forest cover in the landscape had the strongest relative influence on birds’ occupancy, whilst habitat subdivision played a negligible role. Structural connectivity and the geographic position of the landscape unit played a relatively important role for four species. Main conclusions Our study shows the importance of disentangling the contribution of different landscape properties in determining distribution patterns. Our results are consistent with the fact that halting habitat loss and carrying out habitat restoration should be conservation priorities, since habitat loss is the main factor affecting the distribution of the target species; implementation of structural connectivity through hedgerows, instead, should be evaluated with caution since its contribution is secondary to the predominant role of habitat loss.

The Dice Snake (Natrix tessellata) is an aquatic colubrid that is known for having a basically piscivorous diet and a female-biased sexual size dimorphism (larger females). The feeding habits of three populations of N. tessellata from Mediterranean streams in central Italy were studied. The three streams differed in terms of their water regimes, one being seasonal and two being perennial. More than 2,000 snake individuals were handled for food items, and 1,200+ prey items were collected. The percent of fed snakes was significantly influenced by the study area and by the interaction term between study area and season (i.e., by the hydric regime). Fishes accounted for over 90% of the snake diets at all study areas, the most common prey species being cyprinids. Overall, the three snake populations had similar taxonomic diet composition. There was a significant ontogenetic change in diets in all populations. There were also significant intersexual differences in prey composition, with the females taking more Scardinius erythrophtalmus fishes and more anurans, and the males more Leuciscus s. muticellus. The various fish species found at the three study areas (15 species) were classified in terms of six independent ecological characteristics in order to investigate what factors make a given prey species suited or not for Dice Snakes. It appeared that N. tessellata selected mainly fish species that were gregarious, small to medium sized, active foraging, diurnal, and not using mud as preferred substratum. We also found that the seasonal desiccation of the stream-bed of one study area caused a shift in the diet composition of these snakes, with males and juveniles being the categories where the seasonal dietary shift was more evident. Males preyed especially on the fishes S. erythrophtalmus and Leuciscus cephalus, and the juveniles preyed upon Leuciscus s. muticellus, whereas in spring their primary prey was Alburnus a. alborella.

This is the accepted manuscript of the paper " Where is the best site for wave energy exploitation? Case study along the coast of northern Latium (ITALY)", published as final paper in "J Coast Conserv20,13–29 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11852-015-0414-8" Paladini de Mendoza, F., Bonamano, S., Stella, G.et al.Where is the best site for wave energy exploitation? Case study along the coast of northern Latium (ITALY).J Coast Conserv20,13–29 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11852-015-0414-8 The present work proposes a siting process for the detection of a suitable site for wave energy exploitation. The choice of a suitable site is based on the good agreement between energy availability, environmental sustainability, and equipped facilities to exploit wave energy. The case study in the northern Latium coast is explicative because in this area there are several activities that affect marine ecosystems, and the introduction of renewable energies promote the reduction of anthropic pressures. The nearshore wave power is studied through the numerical wave model (CMS-Wave), and available wave buoys along the coast were used to compare numerical results. In correspondence with Civitavecchia harbour, the largest nearshore wave energy was found; the large depth in front of the breakwater allows to conserve a great part of offshore wave power, with an average dissipation rate of 10% less than offshore, with mean annual available wave energy of 25.4MWh/m and seasonal fluctuation of 5.4MWh/m. This area appears to be an optimal site for nearshore and shoreline wave energy device tests and installations, for energy availability (intermediate level respect Mediterreanean Sea), low potential environmental impact, easier accessibility, and policy oriented towards a larger sustainability of harbour activities.

Savi's pine vole (Microtus savii) is a rodent species of the Cricetidae family, inhabiting southern European agroecosystems. It is considered to be the main cause of rodent-attributed damage in Italy. To achieve an effective management, detailed knowledge of this species is needed. However, the available information about this species is fragmentary and incomplete. In this paper, the existing knowledge of Savi's pine vole taxonomy, reproduction, population dynamics, habitat and food preferences is reviewed in order to organise available information and identify priority areas of future research. Some of the changes in farming practices that have occurred in recent decades may have increased the impact of Savi's pine vole populations in crop fields. To manage this pest species effectively, an integrated strategy is recommended (involving habitat management, trapping and, when appropriate, the use of rodenticides). The apparent lack of cyclical population outbreaks and the relatively small litter size and long gestation and interpartum period of this species suggest that it could be more manageable than other vole species, while its strict herbivorous diet, stable population size in open habitats and wide distribution seem to indicate it as an ideal model species for risk assessment studies.

After the Common Agricultural Policy reform of 1992 and the application of agro-environmental measures, most EU countries have introduced specific measures for wildlife habitat improvement. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effects of two habitat improvement actions on brown hare Lepus europaeus and roe deer Capreolus capreolus populations in two study areas in the hills of Emilia-Romagna in Italy. The study was carried out from October 1996 to October 1997. Data on brown hares were collected at night using spotlights. Density was estimated at 26 (area A) and 29 (area B) sampling sites. Data on roe deer were collected at 17 sampling sites (fields observed) during 2-hour periods, before sunset and after sunrise, respectively, using binoculars. We recorded 736 brown hares. Brown hare density was higher in study area A (0.27 individuals/ha) than in study area B (0.23 individuals/ha). We counted 153 roe deer during the diurnal surveys. The highest roe deer density was observed in February–Marc...

The comparative diet and body size of the Four-Lined Snake (Elaphe quatuorlineata), one of the largest and more vulnerable species of snakes in Mediterranean central Italy, were studied in five different habitats. Data given here collated both literature and original data. Overall, females were significantly larger than males but the strength of these differences varied considerably with sample size. Overall, small mammals (almost exclusively rodents) accounted for the main part of the diet (66.7%), followed by birds and their eggs (mainly Passeriformes; 26.4%), and by lizards (6.9%), although the number of eggs in the diet was probably greatly underestimated. In qualitative terms, both sexes fed on the same prey types, but, quantitatively, males and females differed significantly in terms of prey composition; females fed on more birds and fewer lizards than males. Rodents were the most important prey source in most habitat types, although birds were preyed upon slightly more frequently in the wet habitat than rodents, which, nonetheless, still represented a important prey source. Four-Lined Snakes started feeding in early April and continued feeding until early November. The monthly frequency of occurrence of birds in snake stomachs differed significantly from that of small mammals; birds were taken almost exclusively in April and May (and mainly by females), and small mammals were taken all throughout the annual feeding cycle of snakes.

The factors influencing the presence/absence of the edible dormouseGlis glis (Linnaeus, 1766) in forest fragments in Mediterranean central Italy were investigated by performing repeated nocturnal surveys in 38 woodlots. The various woodlots were different from each other in terms of area, degree of isolation, and floristic and structural characteristics. The effects of different types of forest management and human activities on dormouse distribution were also analysed. Dormice occurred in all the surveyed high forests, while no sign of their presence was detected in coppices with a rotation cycle short (

Resource partitioning is a mechanism that can reduce the intensity of inter-specific competition between morphologically and eco-ethologically similar, syntopic species. Evidence for resource partitioning, between four syntopic anuran species, was investigated by examining the diet (through stomach dissection) of frogs bought from bush meat traders in sout-eastern Nigeria. Considering the four species together, a total of 32 different prey types were found. Ptychadena oxyrhynchus consumed 28 of them, while P. aequiplicata consumed 17, Bufo maculatus 15 and Hoplobatrachus occipitalis only 10. For the first three species, the cumulative-diversity curves indicated that a plateau phase was reached, i.e. that the prey composition could be considered reliably assessed. Common prey items, which were consumed by all four anuran species, were : Formicoidea, Coleoptera adults, Araneidae, Isopoda, Oligochaeta, and Pulmonata. Common prey items, which were consumed by three of the four amphibians, were : Dermaptera, Hemiptera, Odonata adults, and Orthoptera. Head width varied significantly between species, but there was no statistical difference between the two Ptychadena species. Head width was significantly correlated with prey volume in the stomach in each of three species. Resource partitioning (in terms of prey types) was found to be particularly strong between two closely related species of Ptychadena. The divergence bewteen Ptychadena oxyrhynchus and P. aequiplicata was such that multivariate analyses placed each one of them closer in feeding ecology to either Hoplobatrachus occipitalis or Bufo maculatus, than to their congener. Such strong divergence is hypothesized to play a major role in maintaining the structure of this mixed anuran community., Le partage des ressources est un mécanisme qui peut réduire l’intensité de la compétition interspécifique dans un cortège d’espèces syntopiques, morphologiquement et éco-éthologiquement semblables. La documentation du partage des ressources, entre quatre espèces d’Anoures sympatriques, a été recherchée par l’examen du régime alimentaire (par dissection stomacale) de spécimens obtenus auprès de fournisseurs de viande de brousse dans le sud-est du Nigéria. Pour l’ensemble des quatres espèces, nous avons trouvé au total 32 différents types de proies. Ptychadena oxyrhynchus en a consommé 28, contre 17 pour P. aequiplicata, 15 pour Bufo maculatus et 10 seulement pour Hoplobatrachus occipitalis. Pour les courbes cumulatives de diversité des trois premières espèces un plateau a été atteint, montrant que la composition des régimes pouvait être considérée comme correctement établie. Les proies communes, consommées par les quatre espèces d’Anoures, étaient des Formicoidea, des Coléoptères adultes, des Aranéides, des Isopodes, des Oligochètes et des Pulmonés. Les proies communes, consommées par trois des quatre amphibiens, étaient des Dermaptères, des Hémiptères, des Odonates adultes et des Orthoptères. Les largeurs de tête variaient significativement entre les espèces d’Anoures ; toutefois, les deux espèces de Ptychadena ne montraient pas de différence significative entre elles sur ce point. Pour trois espèces, la largeur de tête était significativement corrélée au volume de proies dans l’estomac. Le partage des ressources (en termes de types de proies) a été trouvé particulièrement net entre deux espèces de Ptychadena étroitement apparentées. La divergence entre Ptychadena oxyrhynchus et P. aequiplicata apparut telle que des analyses multivariées ont placé chacune d’elles, du point de vue alimentaire, plus près de Hoplobatrachus occipitalis ou de Bufo maculatus que de son congénère. Une divergence si forte semblerait jouer un rôle majeur dans le maintien de la structure de ce peuplement mixte d’Anoures., Eniang Edem A.,King Richard,Lea Jerry M.,Capizzi Dario,Luiselli Luca. Trophic niches of four sympatric rainforest Anurans from southern Nigeria : does resource partitioning play a role in structuring the community ?. In: Revue d'Écologie (La Terre et La Vie), tome 58, n°3, 2003. pp. 321-335.

The hazel dormouse, Muscardinus avellanarius, distribution was investigated in a fragmented woodland of central Italy. In order to understand the effects of habitat fragmentation and forest structure on this species its presence‐absence was analysed in 38 forest fragments, in relation to several parameters, i.e., the wood‐lot area and isolation, floristic diversity, tree diameter and height, number of vegetation strata, and vegetation density. The human activities practised in the various forest fragments, such as forest management and grazing by domestic cattle, were also recorded. The surveys were conducted by using two different methods, i.e., the hair‐tubing technique, and the searching for hazel dormouse nests. Hair‐tubing confirmed hazel dormouse presence in all woodlots positively checked by nest searching, while this technique failed to detect the species in nine woodlots positively surveyed by using hair‐tubes. Our results indicated that in grazed woodlots M. avellanarius was likely to b...

The dynamics of coexistence between two large-sized colubrid snakes (Elaphe longissima and Coluber viridiflavus) were studied in a mixed-oak forest in central Italy during eleven consecutive years (1986-1996). 511 adult C. viridiflavus (270 males, 241 females) and 294 adult E. longissima (153 males, 141 females) were captured and marked. Adult sex-ratio did not depart significantly from equality in either species. Males of both species were significantly larger (snout-vent-length) than females. The abundance ratio between the two species was always skewed towards C. viridiflavus (mean ratio : 1.65 : 1, Standard Deviation = 0.32), although there were some annual fluctuations and inter-habitat differences in abundance patterns. Mean adult densities were 2.32 ± 1.05 specimens for C. viridiflavus and 1.34 ± 0.89 specimens x ha-1 for E. longissima. C. viridiflavus was abundant in sunny habitats and tended to avoid habitats with closed canopy, which were clearly preferred by E. longissima. Both species were, however, generalists in terms of macro-habitat preferences. There were no major interannual differences in the patterns observed. At all ages, the dietary spectrum of C. viridiflavus was wider than that of E. longissima and included rodents, lizards and birds (common prey for both species) as well as frogs and invertebrates, which were not taken at all by E. longissima. In addition, C. viridiflavus more often preyed upon Clethrionomys glareolus than on Apodemus flavicollis, whereas the reverse was true for E. longissima. Male C. viridiflavus consumed a significantly higher number of lacertids than rodents but females consumed an almost identical number of each ; no such inter-sexual differences occurred in E. longissima. The diet composition of the juveniles of the two species essentially consisted of lacertid lizards, but C. viridiflavus also ate invertebrates. ‘Preysize-predator-size’ relationships were similar in the two species. Body temperature (Tb) was higher in C. viridiflavus (x = 25.4 ± 3.1 ° C) than in E. longissima (x = 23.4 ± 1.8 ° C), but in both species Tb was positively correlated with air temperature (Ta), and the regressions Ta-Tb were similar and both differed significantly from ideal poikilothermy. Body temperature did not correlate with snout-vent length in either species. The relative stability shown across years in this study system is likely to be due to the mature and stable conditions of the environment, the low level of habitat fragmentation and the high quality of habitat along the buffer zones. Species-specific eco-physiological requirements appear to explain the coexistence patterns of the two species better than any community-based synecological factors., La dynamique de coexistence entre deux espèces de serpents colubridés de grande taille (Elaphe longissima et Coluber viridiflavus) a fait l’objet d’un suivi, onze années durant (1986-1996), dans une forêt mixte de chênes en Italie centrale. 511 individus adultes de C. viridiflavus (270 mâles, 241 femelles) et 294 individus adultes de E. longissima (153 males et 141 femelles) ont ainsi été capturés, et marqués. Le sex-ratio des adultes ne diffère pas significativement de l’égalité pour les deux espèces. Les mâles des deux espèces se sont avérés être significativement plus gros que les femelles. Le rapport d’abondance entre les deux espèces a toujours été en faveur de C. viridiflavus (taux moyen : 1.65 : 1, écart-type = 0.32) malgré quelques fluctuations annuelles et des différences inter-habitat dans les patrons d’abondance. Les densités moyennes d’individus adultes furent 2.32 ± 1.05 spécimens pour C. viridiflavus et 1.34 ± 0.89 spécimens x ha-1 pour E. longissima. C. viridiflavus est une espèce particulièrement abondante dans les habitats ensoleillés qui tend à éviter les milieux trop fermés, lesquels sont clairement préférés par E. longissima. Les deux espèces se sont cependant avérées être relativement généralistes en termes de macro-habitats. Quel que soit l’âge, le spectre alimentaire de C. viridiflavus est apparu plus large que celui de E. longissima et inclut des rongeurs, des lézards et des oiseaux (proies communes pour les deux espèces) ainsi que des amphibiens et des invertébrés (chez E. longissima seulement). En outre, C. viridiflavus prédate plus fréquemment Clethrionomys glareolus que Apodemus flavicollis alors que c’est l’inverse pour E. longissima. Les mâles de C. viridiflavus consomment un nombre significativement plus élevé de lézards que de rongeurs alors que les femelles en consomment un nombre identique. Une telle différence entre les sexes n’a pas été mise en évidence chez E. longissima. Le régime alimentaire des juvéniles des deux espèces est essentiellement composé de lézards Lacertidés, mais C. viridiflavus consomme également des invertébrés. La relation “taille des proies-taille des prédateurs” est similaire chez les deux espèces. La température corporelle (Tb) est plus élevée chez C. viridiflavus (x = 25.4 ± 3.1 ° C) que chez E. longissima (x = 23.4 ± 1.8 ° C), mais chez les deux espèces, Tb est positivement corrélée avec la température de l’air (Ta), et les régressions Ta-Tb présentent des valeurs identiques et différent de la poïkilothermie idéale. La température du corps n’est corrélée avec la longueur du corps chez aucune des deux espèces. La relative stabilité au cours des années est probablement due aux conditions stables et matures de l’environnement, le faible degré de fragmentation et la qualité de l’habitat le long des zones-tampons. Les besoins écophysiologiques spécifiques de chaque espèce semblent mieux expliquer leurs patrons de coexistence que l’ensemble des paramètres synécologiques des communautés., Rugiero Lorenzo, Capizzi Dario, Luiselli Luca. Interactions between sympatric snakes, Coluber viridiflavus and Elaphe longissima: are there significant inter-annual differences in coexistence patterns?. In: Ecologia mediterranea, tome 28 n°2, 2002. pp. 75-91.

The diet of the Barn Owl was investigated in 13 localities in the Pisa province, Central Italy. In each locality the percentage of forest and cultivated land, and the linear development of roads and rivers were recorded. To estimate the prey availability, the small mammal communities in seven different localities within the same province were sampled during live trapping sessions. Barn Owls preyed mainly upon rodents (79.4% ) and insectivores (18.8%), while birds were eaten to a small degree (1.9%). The main prey taxon was Apodemus sp. (39.7%), followed by Microtus savii (26.1%). The relative frequencies of these two prey items were negatively correlated. Statistically significant differences in the mean prey weight in the thirteen localities were detected. The mean prey weight was positively associated with the wood surface and negatively with the area of cultivated fields. A positive relationship between prey diversity and cultivation was recorded. This indicates that Barn Owls which forage in...

Observations of the rooting activity of wild boar in a holly-oak grove showed that in March–April the decrease of acorns in the diet (31%) was lower than their availability (82%). Moreover the occurrence of deep rooting events remains high despite the low occurrence of grass roots in the diet. These observations suggested that wild boar may exploit hoards of acorns collected by small mammals living in the study area (mainly wood mice Apodemus sp.). In order to test this hypothesis two experimental trials were set up to: (1) investigate whether wild boar were able to locate acorns buried in the ground (range 0–30 cm) and (2) establish if mouse burrows were more likely to be excavated than locations without burrows. The results clearly show that wild boar actively search for buried acorns, mainly in March (59%vs 31% in April and nothing in May) and that burrows are excavated significantly more than locations without burrows (ratio 2:1, respectively). Moreover, locations with burrows are characterized by a decline of rooting activity as a function of the distance from their centre (P= 0.02), which is absent in the control locations (P= 0.74). Our results show that wild boar are able to partly compensate for a reduced above-ground availability of acorns by predating on hoards collected by small mammals. Since this occurs during a critical period for female wild boar when they are giving birth and lactating, this behaviour may strongly influence the population dynamics of both wild boar and small mammals.

Feeding of tawny owl, Strix aluco, was studied from 14 localities of northern and central Italy, where it preyed mainly upon mammals and birds, but amphibians and invertebrates were also frequently eaten. Predation upon mammals was more important from autumn to spring, when alternative prey (amphibians, birds and invertebrates) were less available. The food niche overlaps, the linear distances (in km) between the various localities were negatively correlated, and the mean size of prey taken increased with the proportion of forested territory. However, where tawny owl preyed upon large forest mammals, it also preyed upon larger mammals not typical of forests. Considering the relationships between forest structure and tawny owl diet, it was found that forest density was positively correlated with the proportion of arvicolids and negatively with prey size diversity and the proportion of myoxids. The amount of forest territory within 1 km radius from each pellet collection site largely explained diet...

The taxonomic composition and the abundance of two communities of snakes were studied in two different areas of southern Nigeria. One community was studied in a derived savanna area (environs of Ejule, 06°54′N, 07°23′E), and one community was studied in a moist rainforest area (environs of Eket, 04°50′N, 07°59′E). Both the specific diversity and the mean frequency of observation of snakes were significantly higher in the forest area than in the savanna area, and the dominance index was higher in the savanna than in the forest site. However, most of the species were found in only one of the two areas, depending on their habitat requirements (e.g. Gastropyxis smaragdina, Dispholidus typus, Thelotornis kirtlandii, Dendroaspis jamesoni, Bitis nasicornis, Causus maculatus, etc). The forest community housed a significant number of arboreal and semiaquatic taxa, but in both sites most of the species were terrestrial. The commonest species in the forest area was an oviparous, semiaquatic, batracophagous natricine snake (Afronatrix anoscopus), whereas the commonest species in the savanna area was an oviparous terrestrial lacertophagous psammophine snake (Psammophis phillipsi). Some conservation implications of our biodiversity analyses are presented. It is suggested that the moist rainforest represents a critically endangered habitat, and should deserve special attention by the international scientific community. Oil industry activity is especially dangerous for snake communities, especially in the southernmost regions of Nigeria.

Aspects of coexistence between the dwarf crocodile Osteolaemus tetraspis and the Nile monitor lizard Varanus niloticus were studied in swamp rain forests of south-eastern Nigeria, central Africa. Crocodiles were significantly smaller than monitor lizards. There was no significant sexual size dimorphism in the examined sample of Varanus, whereas the female size exceeded the male size in Osteolaemus. The food niche breadth was narrower in young than in adults of both species, and V. niloticus showed a narrower niche breadth than O. tetraspis. Crabs constituted the main prey type category for both species, whereas vertebrates were more rarely preyed upon. The diet composition of males and females was similar in V. niloticus, but it was different in O. tetraspis. The general diet composition of the two species was similar (78.2% of overlap), and even the habitats where these two species were found were similar. These interspecific similarities suggest that O. tetraspis and V. niloticus could be potential competitors in the freshwater ecosystems of the Nigerian rainforest. However, it is suggested that the main prey type for these species (crabs) is not limited in the environment, which may minimize interspecific competition. Interference competition can also occur between these species, as suggested by one case of direct predation of the one species (V. niloticus) towards the other species (O. tetraspis). A case of cannibalism was observed in V. niloticus. This could indicate that intraspecific competition can be important for regulating the dynamics of monitor populations in the rainforests of south-eastern Nigeria.

The food resource partitioning in a community of snakes from a moist rainforest of south-eastern Nigeria (Eket, Akwa-Ibom State) is studied in the present paper. The community consisted of 24 different species, belonging to different families and ecological guilds: some species were terrestrial, some were semi-aquatic, and others were arboreal. Six species were primarily mammal-eating, two were bird-eating, four were lizard-eating, three were frog-eating, one species fed on both mammals and birds, and one species fed on both fish and frogs. A UPGMA tree diagram showed that three clusters of snakes are formed on the basis of their diet composition: a cluster formed by the two large arboreal species (Dendroaspis jamesoni and Boiga blandingi), another formed by the group of the terrestrial mammal-eating Calabaria reinhardti, Bitis gabonica, and Bitis nasicornis, and the third cluster formed by the lizard-eating Psammophis phillipsi, Thelotornis kirtlandii, and Gastropyxis smaragdina. The relationships between these and the other taxa remain unclear. In terms of both frequency of occurrence of the various prey types and biomass contribution of each prey type, the semi-aquatic snakes showed the narrowest niche breadth values and the terrestrial snakes showed the widest niche breadth values. The overlap values were not significantly correlated with the rank of phylogenetic distance. The mean overlap values calculated between species belonging to a same guild were significantly higher than those calculated between species belonging to different guilds, but the mean overlap values between species belonging to a same guild did not differ significantly among guilds. Prey size and predator size (total length) were positively correlated. There was no statistically significant difference between snake guilds as far as mean prey size is concerned, but the various species within each guild differed significantly in terms of mean prey size.

The effects of isolation-related and vegetational parameters on presence and relative abundance of snakes in patchy forested fragments of Mediterranean central Italy are studied. The most abundant species was Coluber viridiflavus (accounting for 47.7% of the total snake sample observed) followed by Vipera aspis (22%), Elaphe longissima (21.5%), Natrix natrix (7.7%), and Coronella austriaca (1.1%). There was a clear trend for bigger species to be less distributed among the various forest fragments than the smaller species. Presence of Coluber viridiflavus, Coronella austriaca and Natrix natrix was not influenced by woodland area, whereas that of Vipera aspis and Elaphe longissima was positively influenced by woodland area. Woodland isolation parameters did not influence the presence of Coluber viridiflavus, Coronella austriaca and Natrix natrix, but of Vipera aspis and Elaphe longissima. Discriminant stepwise analysis suggested that specific environmental features influenced the occurrence and abundance of the various snake species, Vipera aspis being the taxon more affected by isolation-related parameters. Some conservation implications of our observations are also discussed.

Data obtained in three‐year field study on a Mediterranean prey‐predators community in central Italy are discussed. In particular, the aim of this paper was to test whether some parameters linked to the morphology, phylogenesis and habitat preferences of a given potential prey could affect its predatory exposure. Eight predator species belonging to two different guilds (snakes and owls) were found at the study area, while ten preyed small mammal taxa were recognized in predator diets. One of the main factors emerging from this study was the great importance of body mass similarity in assessing the degree of overlap of predatory exposure between two small mammal taxa. On the contrary, the phylogenetic relationship between prey was of very little importance, probably because each phylogenetic group is composed by different potential prey species living in different habitats. In conclusion, due to the apparent lack of importance in the overlap of habitat preferences between the various prey in the o...

The small mammal community composition was studied in relation to the length of rotation cycle in a oak-mixed coppice woodland in central Italy. Apodemus sylvaticus was the far commonest species in the area, followed by Clethrionomys glareolus and A. flavicollis. This latter species occurred almost exclusively in mature and old wood plots (age> 12 years), and its ecological distribution appeared rather complementary to that of A. sylvaticus, a potential competitor. Shrews were found mainly in young wood plots (age < 6 years). There were significant seasonal variations in the abundance of the various small mammal species. The abundance of the various species was positively (A flavicollis, C. glareolus, Rattus rattus) or inversely (A. sylvaticus and Crocidura sp.) correlated to wood age. Multivariate analyses divided quite well the various wood age plots by means of small mammal species occurrence, and A. flavicollis was the species giving the greatest relative contribution to discrimination. The conservation implications of our data for the types of forest management normally practised in the Italian peninsula are also briefly discussed., La composition du peuplement micromammalien a été étudiée dans le centre de l’Italie dans un taillis sous futaie mixte de chênes. Apodemus sylvaticus est de loin l’espèce la plus commune, suivi de Clethrionomys glareolus et d’A. flavicollis. Cette dernière espèce se montre exclusivement dans les parcelles matures et âgées (> 1 2 ans) et sa distribution écologique apparaît complémentaire de celle d’A. sylvaticus, qui s’avère être un compétiteur potentiel. Les musaraignes ont essentiellement été trouvées dans les jeunes parcelles (< 6 ans). Des variations d’abondance saisonnières significatives ont été observées chez les diverses espèces de petits mammifères étudiées. L’abondance des diverses espèces et l’âge du boisement montraient une corrélation positive (A. flavicollis, C. glareolus, Rattus rattus) ou inverse (A. sylvaticus et Crocidura sp.). Des analyses multivariées séparent bien les parcelles d’âge différent en fonction de l’occurrence des espèces micromammaliennes. A. flavicollis est l’espèce qui fournit la plus forte contribution relative à la discrimination. Les implications de ces résultats en matière de conservation et de gestion des divers types de forêts dans la péninsule italienne sont évoquées., Capizzi Dario,Luiselli Luca. Ecological relationships between small mammals and age of coppice in an oak-mixed forest in central Italy. In: Revue d'Écologie (La Terre et La Vie), tome 51, n°3, 1996. pp. 277-291.

Reproductive status, litter size, and correlated behaviours have been studied in a few long-term monitored females of the sympatric snakes Elaphe quatuorlineata (n = 6) and E. longissima (n = 5). The study was carried out in a hilly territory of Mediterranean central Italy (Tolfa Mountains, Latium). This study revealed that both species were similar in terms of frequency of reproduction (most females were able to bear in most years), absolute clutch size (9.42 ±1.86 eggs in E. longissima and 10.32 ± 1.25 eggs in E. quatuorlineata), clutch size relative to maternal size (0.08 ± 0.01 in E. longissima and 0.07 ± 0.01 in E. quatuorlineata), timing of egg laying (from 19th July to 2nd August) and timing of egg hatching (late August). Moreover, there was evidence of low mortality costs associated with post-oviposition in either species. E. quatuorlineata females were consistent among years in the litter size they produced, while the same was not true for E. longissima females. No study year was particularly positive (or negative) for the production by all the examined females of larger (smaller) litters than expected from their body sizes., Le statut reproducteur, la taille des portées et les comportements liés à ces paramètres ont été étudiés par suivi sur le long terme de femelles de deux espèces de couleuvres sympatriques Elaphe quatuorlineata (n = 6) et E. longissima (n = 5). L’étude a été conduite dans une zone de collines méditerranéennes du centre de l’Italie (Monts de Tolfa, Latium). Elle a révélé que les deux espèces sont semblables en termes de fréquence de la reproduction (la plupart des femelles portent chaque année), de taille absolue des pontes (9,42 ± 1,86 œufs pour E. longissima et 10,32 ± 1,25 œufs pour E. quatuorlineata), de taille de la ponte relativement à celle de la femelle (0,08 ± 0.01 chez E. longissima et 0,07 ± 0,01 chez E. quatuorlineata), de période de ponte (du 19 juillet au 2 août) et de période d’éclosion (fin août). De plus, sont apparus chez les deux espèces de faibles coûts de mortalité associés à la post-oviposition. Les femelles d’E. quatuorlineata ont toutefois produit, d’année en année, des portées de même taille, ce qui ne fut pas le cas de celles d’E. longissima. Aucune des années de l’étude ne fut particulièrement positive (ou négative) pour ce qui concerne la production par toutes les femelles examinées de portées plus importantes (ou plus faibles) que celles attendues de leur taille corporelle., Capizzi Dario,Capula Massimo,Evangelisti Fatima,Filippi Ernesto,Luiselli Luca,Trujillo Jesus Veronica. Breeding frequency, clutch size, reproductive status and correlated behaviours in sympatric females Elaphe quatuorlineata and Elaphe longissima (Reptilia : Colubridae). In: Revue d'Écologie (La Terre et La Vie), tome 51, n°4, 1996. pp. 297-311.

The Red squirrel Sciurus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 is currently expanding itsrange in plains and hills of Central Italy, colonizing or re-colonizing areas where it was never or only irregularly recorded since the 1950s. Here we report some observations regarding this range expansion based on a relatively large data-set covering the period 1850-2011 (471 records: 72 published, 399 unpublished) in a large study area covering the hills and plains of Tyrrhenian Central Italy (Latium). After considering the temporal patterns of a more recent sub-set of presence data (1950-2009: i.e. six decades) we identified three geographic regions: (i) a large northern region with an area where the species occurred historically (at least since 1950: Volsini Mts) and an area where the species occurs more recently (after the1970s); (ii) a region with two areas, one where the species occurred irregularly between the 1970s and 2000s, and, a second one where it has occurred from the 2000s; (iii) a region where the species was locally extinct in the 1950s-1960s, where significant amounts of land reclamation and forest fragmentation and isolation occurred in the 20th century. These geographic and temporal patterns mirror (i) some recent changes in temporal and spatial regime of coppice management, (ii) abandonment of traditional farming and cultivation of mountainous areas, leading to an increase of forested area, (iii) implementation of conservation measures in nature reserves and in Special Areas of Conservation (from the second half of 1970s), and (iv) the ageing of planted coniferous forests (mostly from 1950s). These co-occurring factors may explain the range expansion of the species in recent times.

""Faunistic inventories of particular regions would provide essential datasets for conservation and resource management,. but often data are not evenly distributed through the space and time as a consequence of an unequal sampling effort.. Therefore, to accurately estimate species diversity it is necessary to minimize this potential confounding effect embedded. within most existing datasets. In this study, we identified as high-priority conservation targets areas of high-value species. diversity of amphibians in Latium (Central Italy), by illustrating a methodology to generate biodiversity patterns from very. heterogeneous datasets, which accounts for the relationships between species richness and sampling effort. We analyzed. 6656 data records collected from 1991–2011, which were assigned to the corresponding 10 × 10 km cell of the UTM grid.. In order to remove the bias introduced by the differential field effort across cells, we used regression analyses after applying a. curve estimation procedure. Then, we validated the best regression model by comparing species richness estimated using this. model against that obtained using rarefaction curves. Our results show that the use of residuals can be a suitable approach. for controlling the influence of sampling effort on the observed species richness except in a very unequal distribution of the. records. Indeed, residuals can be calculated for any cells, irrespective of the observation effort, while when using rarefaction. curves a relatively high number of records per cell is required. Finally, when contrasting the amphibian diversity pattern with. the existing network of protected areas, several conservation gaps are identified in Latium, especially in mountainous areas""

Molara is a small island belonging to the Marine protected Area Tavolara—Punta Coda Cavallo, in Sardinia. During 2006–2007, a bio-monitoring program reported a strong presence of the black rat, Rattus rattus, on Molara island. Rat predation has detrimentally affected the unique biodiversity of this island, thus, in 2008 an eradication campaign was conducted. Our eradication protocol included a pre-eradication genetic investigation, using 8 microsatellite loci, on a rat population of Molara as well as on neighbour islands within the Marine Protected Area (MPA). The main goal of this genetic investigation was to establish the correct borders of the eradication unit of Molara island. As several recent eradication campaigns have been unsuccessful, due to incomplete and unstable eradication, we also aimed to assess possible hidden sources of reinvasion. Specimens were also collected during post- eradication monitoring on Molara for genetic screening to establish their origin, and thus validate the effectiveness of our eradication campaign. According to our genetic analysis, within the MPA there are four different eradication units, corresponding to the islands of Molara, Tavolara, Piana and to the Sardinia mainland. Gene flow among these four units is more or less absent. The assignment and clustering tests performed on pre and post-eradication samples seem to indicate that the population of Sardinia mainland is a possible source of re-invasion for the Piana and Molara populations.

Diet composition and trophic niche overlaps between four sympatric Strigiformes (Athene noctua, Strix aluco, Asio otus, Tyto alba) are studied in an agro-forested area of Mediterranean central Italy (province of Rome). Athene noctua preyed mainly on insects and other invertebrates, while the remaining three species feed mainly upon rodents and shrews. Judged by overlap estimates, the diet composition of Athene noctua is very different from those of the other three owl species. Asio otus preyed almost exclusively on Microtus savii, a rodent species very abundant in open cultivated fields but completely lacking from bushy ecotones and forested areas. Tyto alba and Strix aluco fed frequently upon rodent species (Apodemus, Mus, Clethrionomys) quite abundant in bushy ecotones and forested areas, but also upon Microtus savii. The mean prey size was very similar in all but one owl species (Athene noctua), which ate significantly smaller organisms. The diet composition of the four sympatric owls was quite similar to that of four snakes of the same area (Vipera aspis, Elaphe longissima, Elaphe quatuorlineata, Coluber viridiflavus), but a more detailed analysis suggests some differences in the habitat used for predatory activity by these morphologically and phylogenetically diverging predators., La composition du régime alimentaire et la superposition de la niche trophique de quatre Strigiformes sympatriques (Asio otus, Athene noctua, Strix aluco et Tyto alba) sont étudiées dans une zone agro-forestière d'Italie centrale méditerranéenne. Athene noctua capture surtout des insectes et d'autres invertébrés alors que les trois espèces restantes se nourrissent principalement de rongeurs et de musaraignes. A partir des estimations de superposition des régimes, la compostion de l'alimentation d'Athene noctua s'avère très différente de celle des autres espèeces de rapaces nocturnes. Asio otus se nourrit presque exclusivement de Mivrotus savii, un rongeur très abondant dans les champs cultivés et ouverts mais complètement absent des écotones buissonnants et des zones forestières. Strix aluco et Tyto alba caturent fréquemment des rongeurs, (Apodemus, Mus, Clethrionomys), assez abondants dans les écotones buissonnants et les zones forestières, mais se nourrissent aussi de Microtus savii. La taille moyenne des proies est très semblable chez toutes les espèces de Strigiformes sauf une (Athene noctua) qui consomme des organismes significativement plus petits. La composition du régime de ces quatre rapaces nocturnes sympatriques est très semblable à celle de quatre serpents de la même zone (Vipera aspis, Elaphe longissima, Elaphe quatuorlineata, Coluberviridiflavus), mais une analyse plus détaillée suggère des différences entre ces prédateurs morphologiquement et phylogénétiquement divergents dans l'habitat utilisé pour leurs activités trophiques., Capizzi Dario, Luiselli Luca. Comparison of the trophic niche of four sympatricowls (Asio otus, Athene noctua, Strix aluco and Tyto alba) in Mediterranean central Italy. In: Ecologia mediterranea, tome 21 n°3-4, 1995. pp. 13-20.

The aim of the study was to evaluate patients with Cushing's syndrome the coronary flow reserve (CFR), an index of coronary microvascular function. Fifteen newly diagnosed patients with Cushing's syndrome (1 male/14 females; mean age 45 ± 11 years), were selected for having no clinical evidence of ischemic heart disease. Twelve patients had pituitary-dependent Cushing's disease and three had an adrenal adenoma. Fifteen subjects matched for age, sex, and major cardiovascular risk factors were used as controls. Coronary flow velocity in the left anterior descending coronary artery was investigated by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography at rest and during adenosine infusion. CFR was obtained as the ratio hyperemic/resting diastolic flow velocity. A reduced coronary reserve (hyperemic/resting ratio ≤ 2.5) was found in 5/15 Cushing patients and 4/15 controls. In all patients with abnormal CFR, epicardial coronary stenosis was excluded by multi-slice computed tomographic coronary angiography. CFR was inversely related to urinary cortisol in patients with endogenous hypercortisolism (Spearman's rho = -0.57, P = 0.03), while no correlation was found in controls. Coronary microvascular function, as assessed by CFR, is pathologically reduced in a considerable number of patients with Cushing's syndrome without clinical symptoms of ischemic heart disease and in the absence of epicardial coronary artery lesions, as well as in controls matched for cardiovascular risk factors. The presence of comorbidities can explain this early coronary abnormality in both patients and controls. Whether urinary cortisol may be a predictor of coronary microvascular function in the setting of patients with Cushing's syndrome, needs further investigation.

Abstract Flight initiation distance in relation to substratum type, sex, reproductive status and tail condition was studied in two lacertid lizards with contrasting habits: the ground-dwelling common lizard Zootoca vivipara and the rupicolous Horvath's rock lizard Iberolacerta horvathi. These species were studied in sympatric populations in a mountain area in North-Eastern Italy, Tarvisio Forest. Mean escape distance was significantly higher in I. horvathi than in Z. vivipara. In both species there were significant differences between sexes, with males escaping at longer distances than females but there were no significant differences between adults and subadults. In both species there were no differences in escape distance of females in different reproductive states. In Z. vivipara specimens with broken tails escaped at a shorter distance than individuals with intact tails. Substratum type had a significant effect on escape distance in both species.

Pancreatic acinar cells of euthermic, hibernating and arousing individuals of the hazel dormouse Muscardinus avellanarius (Gliridae) have been observed at the electron-microscopic level and analysed by means of ultrastructural morphometry and immunocytochemistry in order to investigate possible fine structural changes of cellular components during periods of strikingly different degrees of metabolic activity. During hibernation, the cisternae of the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) flatten assuming a parallel pattern, the Golgi apparatus is extremely reduced and the mitochondria contain many electron-dense particles. The cell nuclei appear irregularly shaped, with deep indentations containing small zymogen granules. They also contain abundant coiled bodies and unusual constituents, such as amorphous bodies and dense granular bodies. Large numbers of zymogen granules occur in all animals. However, the acinar lumina are open and filled with zymogen only in euthermic animals, whereas, in hibernating and arousing individuals, they appear to be closed. Morphometrical analyses indicate that, in pancreatic acinar cells, nuclei and zymogen granules significantly decrease in size from euthermia to hibernation, probably reflecting a drastic decrease of metabolic activities, mainly protein synthesis and processing. In all the studied animals, immunocytochemistry with specific antibodies has revealed an increasing gradient in alpha-amylase content along the RER-Golgi-zymogen granule pathway, reflecting the protein concentration along the secretory pathway. Moreover, during deep hibernation, significantly larger amounts of alpha-amylase accumulate in RER and zymogen granules in comparison to the other seasonal phases analysed. Upon arousal, all cytoplasmic and nuclear constituents restore their euthermic aspect and all morphometrical and immunocytochemical parameters exhibit the euthermic values, thereby indicating a rapid resumption of metabolic activities.

Trophic niches of three coexisting owl species (Asio otus, Strix aluco and Tyto alba) in three localities of central Italy were investigated by using the pellet analysis method. Furthermore, data on small mammal assemblage composition in two different environmental types (i.e. woodland and grassland) were drawn from previous studies performed in the study areas. The three owls preyed chiefly upon small mammals, while birds were occasionally eaten. The trophic niches of A. otus in the three study areas were significantly narrower than that of T alba and S. aluco. These latter species varied the size of their prey between the three localities, while A. otus preyed upon similarly sized prey in the three study areas. By using data on small mammal occurrence we tried to estimate the environmental type where the owls conducted their predatory activity : principal component analysis revealed that A. otus was linked to the cultivated fields as foraging habitat, while S. aluco and T alba were less selective in the choice of hunting habitat. Furthermore, discriminant analysis indicated that species dietary habits maintained their distinguishing features also in distant localities. However, it appeared that owls did not use foraging resource with an exclusive strategy : evidences from this study are consistent with the hypothesis of a selective use of the trophic resource by A. otus, while diets of T. alba and S. aluco showed differences between the three localities., Les niches trophiques de trois espèces de chouettes et hibou (Asio otu, Strix aluco et Tyto alba) coexistant dans trois localités d’Italie centrale ont été étudiées par analyse des pelotes de réjection. De plus, ont été utilisées des données sur la composition des peuplements de petits mammifères dans deux types d’habitat (i.e. zones boisées et zones herbeuses) obtenues au cours d’études précédentes sur les mêmes zones. Ces trois espèces de rapaces nocturnes capturaient essentiellement des petits mammifères, les oiseaux n’étant qu’occasionnellement consommés. Dans les trois sites d’étude, les niches trophiques d'A. otus se sont avérées significativement plus étroites que celles de T. alba et de S. aluco. Ces deux dernières espèces ont montré des variations de taille de leurs proies entre les localités alors qu’A otus capturait partout des proies de même taille. En utilisant des indices d’occurrence des petits mammifères, nous avons cherché à estimer le type d’habitat dans lequel chassaient ces rapaces nocturnes. Une analyse en composantes principales a révélé que, pour sa chasse, A. otus était lié aux terrains cultivés alors que S. aluco et T. alba étaient moins sélectifs quant à l’habitat dans lequel ils chassaient. Par ailleurs, une analyse discriminante a montré que les caractéristiques des habitudes alimentaires de chaque espèce se maintenaient d’un site à l’autre. Il est toutefois apparu que ces espèces n’exploitent pas les ressources alimentaires selon une stratégie exclusive. Les données de la présente étude sont en accord avec l’hypothèse d’une utilisation sélective des ressources trophiques par A otus, mais pas par T. alba et S. aluco., Capizzi Dario,Luiselli Luca. A comparative study of the variability of owl diets in three localities of central Italy. In: Revue d'Écologie (La Terre et La Vie), tome 53, n°4, 1998. pp. 367-385.

Food habits of four sympatric terrestrial snakes (Vipera aspis, Coluber viridiflavus, Elaphe longissima, Elaphe quatuorlineata) are studied in a forested area of the «Roman Country», about 15km northeast of Rome. All species proved to be extremely similar in food choice, preying primarily upon small mammals (rodents and shrews) and laccrtid lizards. Adult vipers occasionally preyed on brown frogs, while nestling birds were captured by all species (especially E. quatuorlineata) apart E. longissima. We estimated the relative density of several potential prey (all the small mammals and three of the lizard species), and found highly positive relationships between prey availability and prey use by snakes. Because of the high overlap between diets of the four snake species in the area, a strong interspecific competition may be predicted if the prey resource tends to decline, Les habitudes alimentaires de quatre espèces sympatriques de serpents terrestres (Vipera aspis, Coluber viridiflavus, Elaphe longissima, Elaphe quatuorlineata) ont été étudiées dans une zone forestière de la «Campagne romaine », environ 15 km au nord-est de Rome. Toutes les espèces sont apparues extrêmement semblables quant à leurs choix alimentaires, capturant avant tout des petits mammifères (rongeurs et musaraignes) et des lézards (Lacertidés). Les vipères adultes capturent occasionnellement des grenouilles ; à l’exception d’E. longissima, toutes les espèces, et en particulier E. quatuorlineata, prennent des oisillons. La densité relative de diverses proies potentielles (tous les petits mammifères et trois espèces de lézards) a été estimée et une forte relation positive a été trouvée entre la disponibilité des proies et leur consommation par les serpents. En raison du fort recouvrement des régimes alimentaires des quatre espèces de serpents dans la zone d’étude, une forte compétition interspécifique apparaît prévisible en cas de diminution des proies., Capizzi Dario,Luiselli Luca,Capula Massimo,Rugiero Lorenzo. Feeding habits of a Mediterranean community of snakes in relation to prey availability. In: Revue d'Écologie (La Terre et La Vie), tome 50, n°4, 1995. pp. 353-363.