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The raccoon dog Nyctereutes procyonoides is an Asian canid species which has been introduced to Europe for fur farming. Local escapes and the animal subsequent dispersal have triggered the establishment of self-sustaining populations, particularly in Eastern European countries, but with several populations in Southern Europe as well. Despite being listed amongst the alien species of European concern (EU Regulation 1143/2014), data on raccoon dog distribution in Southern Europe and in particular in Italy are still scanty. In this work, we reviewed all the available data of raccoon dog in Italy. Only five confirmed occurrences are available, suggesting that in this country the species may still be at the beginning of the establishment process.

Compared with the rapid expansion across Europe, the golden jackal colonization of Italy is still limited and slow. No study focused on the habitat selection or landscape connectivity for this species was performed in Italy; thus, the potential distribution and dispersal patterns in the country remain unknown. Our objectives were to evaluate the suitability of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region (north-eastern Italy) for the golden jackal, as well as to identify the ecological corridors connecting the areas currently occupied by the species. Corridors modelling allowed us both to hypothesize the dispersal dynamics occurring in the study region and to identify possible obstacles to future range expansion. We surveyed golden jackal presence in two study areas, covering an area of 500 km2, from March 2017 to February 2018. Using collected data, we modelled the species home-range scale habitat suitability based on an ensemble modelling approach. Subsequently, a habitat suitability prediction at a finer scale was used to estimate landscape resistance, starting from which, we modelled dispersal corridors among areas currently occupied by the species using a factorial least cost path and a cumulative resistant kernel approach. Our results indicated a moderate potential for large parts of the study region to support the occurrence of golden jackal family groups, whose presence seems to be mainly driven by the presence of wide areas covered by broadleaved forests and shrublands and by the absence of wide intensive agricultural areas. The predicted connectivity networks showed that three main permeable corridors are likely to connect golden jackal occurrence areas within the study region, while all the other corridors are characterized by a very low path density. Both the habitat selection and connectivity analyses showed a strong negative impact of the intensive cultivated plain on species stable presence and movement providing critical information for the conservation of the golden jackal in Italy.

Leptospirosis is a worldwide-spread zoonosis causing disease and death in dogs and in humans. A Leptospiral infection has been recorded in several wild carnivore species in Europe, but tissue pathological changes were not commonly described. The Grey wolf (Canis lupus) has been expanding its distribution range in north-eastern Italy during the last decade. A young wolf, representing the first individual handled in the region, was found road-killed and then submitted to necropsy. Pathological changes included erosive lesions of gingival mucosa, mild liver enlargement, and multifocal degenerative-necrotic areas along with hyperemic reactive lesions; multifocal interstitial nephritis and multifocal lung hemorrhages were observed. A Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) able to detect pathogenic species of Leptospira performed on a kidney sample was positive. Serological reactions for serogroup Gryppotyphosa (1:6400), Pomona (1:800), and Icterohaemorrhagiae (1:200) were evidenced by MAT. Genotyping by Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) performed on detected Leptospira characterized it as belonging to Sequence Type (ST) 117, which refers to L. kirschneri, serogroup Pomona, serovar Mozdok. Regardless of the role of Leptospira infection as an eventual predisposing factor to the road killing of this wolf, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report of Leptospira-induced pathology in a wolf in Europe. Surveys on Leptospira infection in free-ranging wildlife species should be pursued in order to achieve further epidemiological knowledge on the circulation of the Leptospira strain.

The golden jackal, widely distributed in Europe, Asia and Africa, is one of the less studied carnivores in the world and the genetic structure of the European populations is unknown. In the last century jackals strongly declined mainly due to human persecution, but recently they expanded again in eastern Europe. With the aim to determine the genetic structure and the origin of expanding jackals, we analyzed population samples obtained from Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia (Dalmatia and Slavonia) and individuals sampled in north-eastern Italy. Samples were typed at the hypervariable part of the mitochondrial DNA control-region (mtDNA CR1) and at 15 canine autosomal microsatellite loci (STR), and analyzed using multivariate, Bayesian and landscape genetic methods. The mtDNA CR1 was monomorphic, showing a single haplotype shared among all the populations. The STR loci were variable, with 2–14 alleles and intermediate values of heterozygosity (Ho = 0.47; He = 0.51). Genetic diversity was significantly partitioned (θST = 0.07; P

The American mink (Neovison vison) was intro- duced to Italy for the fur farming industry during the 1950s. The first feral mink were observed in the 1980s in the northern regions of Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia and Emilia Romagna. In this work, we investigated the distri- bution of mink in Friuli Venezia Giulia, more than 10 years after the last extensive release of farmed animals which happened in this region in 2003. Results indicate that American mink has naturalized in the region and popula- tions are still localized along some tributaries of the upper Tagliamento catchment.

After a provisional review of the knowledge on Lacerta horvathi in Italy, the authors present new data on its distribution, spacing strategy and territoriality. The species is quite common in various mountainous habitats of north-eastern Italy, both in Friuli- Venezia Giulia (Udine Province, more than 55 localities; Pordenone Province, 1 locality) and Veneto (Belluno Province, 1 locality). In these areas, it lives from 250 (Pradolino Gorge, Pulfero, Udine) to 2000 metres a.s.l.. (M.te Ponza, Tarvisio, Udine). The preliminary comparison between the homing patterns of syntopic L. horvathi and Podarcis muralis suggests that this last-mentioned species is characterised by wider home ranges - 3-9 times bigger than those of L. horvathi - showing a very high inter-specific aggressiveness. However, in deeper gorges, in cool valleys with Dinaric orientation, as well as on top of mountains, L. horvathi tends to vicariate P. muralis for various differences in both spacing, thermal, and reproductive strategies. In no...

The results of allozymic, morphologic and morphometric studies performed on three parapatric shrews of the genusSorex from northern Italy are presented. These data clearly indicate: (1)Sorex samniticus is genetically well differentiated from S. araneus andS. arunchi, displaying a high mean value of genetic distance in comparison with the other two species (D=0.463). (2)S. araneus andS. arunchi display low values of genetic distance (D=0.007) and the latter shows lower levels of genetic variability. Altough no fixed allele difference was observed, an exclusive allele (Lap-2 96) is present inS. arunchi at low frequence, another one (Pgm-1 96) is rare inS. araneus and quite frequent inS. arunchi, and several alleles (12) ofS. araneus are missing in S. arunchi. In S. araneus some of these alleles are quite frequent. (3) Strong morphometric differences betweenS. araneus andS. arunchi permit to distinguish these parapatric shrews with great accuracy, also in some cases of marginal sympatry. These evidences support the hypothesis thatS. arunchi might be a recent (end of Pleistocene-lower Holocene) relict of the subgenusSorex s. s.

The chromosome complement of Lacerta mosorensis was analyzed by means of conventional techniques in both somatic and spermatogonial metaphases. This species exhibits a typical lacertid karyotype, being characterized by the diploid number 2n = 38 (Fundamental Number = 38). In males the analysis of somatic metaphases reveals 36 acrocentric macrochromosomes and 2 microchromosomes (36 MI + 2m). In females all the examined somatic metaphases are characterized by 35 acrocentric macrochromosomes and 3 small dot-shaped microchromosomes (35 MI + 3 m). This result clearly indicates that in Lacerta mosorensis the female is heterogametic. The sex-determining mechanism is of the ZZ/ZW type; in the female karyotype the Z-chromosome is a large sized macrochromosome, while the W-chromosome is equal in size to the two micro-autosomes.

B/OGEOGFIAPHIA - val. XIII - 1987 Biogeografla delle Alpi Sud-Orientali Considerazioni zoogeografiche sulla fauna erpetologica del Friuli - Venezia Giulia (Amp/.7z'bz'cz, Repz‘z'Zz'cz) SERGIO DOLCE(“q), LUCA LAPINI(*‘*) *) Mureo cizzico di Storzkz Naturale, 11.22:: A. Ham’: 4, I—34123 Trieste. (qqq) Museo Friulmzo dz‘ Storzkz Natzzrzzle, via Gmzzcmo 1, I—33100 Udine. SUMMARY The high number of Amphibians and Reptiles species which we can encounter in the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia is surely due to the confluence of different biogeographical zones. 17 Amphibians and 29 Reptiles species are present in a 7846 km: area; the total number amounts to 60% of Italian and more of 30% of the European herpetological species. Some of these are surely autochthonous, others have been introduced, other erroneously mentioned. After a complete bibliographical screening of the literature on this subject, the authors examine the herpetofauna in zoogeographical terms; of the autochthonous species (76% of the total number) 48,6% are European, 25,7% Asiatic-Centereuropean, 1l,4°/o Dinarics, 5,7”/o Alpine-Dinarics, 5,7°/o Appennine and Italic, 2,9% Olornediterranean. The eterogeneity of chor- ological elements combination is more elevate on the Trieste’s Karst. 1. PREMESSA Nel presente lavoro si esamina la situazione relativa alla fauna erpetologi- ca del Friuli-Venezia Giulia da un punto di vista biogeografico. La zona Considerata corrisponde ai litniti politico-amministrativi della Regione Friuli- Venezia Giulia. La nostra area di indagine, non a caso definita come «crocevia di faune» (Sacchi, 1983), viene a trovarsi in una posizione geografica senza dubbio tra le piii interessanti in Europa per le particolari problernatiche Che offre agli studi e alle ricerche biogeografiche. Infatti la zona costiera rappresenta la rnassima espansione settentrionale dell’Adriatico, consentendo a molte specie rnediterranee di raggiungere proprio qui la piu elevata latitudine della loro distribuzione. D’altra parte la vicinanza delle Alpi, situate a soli 80 km dal mare, perrnette la penetrazione di cornponenti rnedioeuropee o la presenza di quelle tipicamente alpine. Oltre a do si Verifica in quest’area, ed in particola— re nella Venezia Giulia (in senso geografico) l’incontro (o talvolta la separa- zione) tra elementi europei centro—occidentali e quelli europeo—orientali o bal- canici. In sintesi quindi possiamo definite la nostra regione come una zona em- blematica di convergenza di varie cornponenti corologiche, sia floristiche che faunistiche. ' Per quanto riguarda in particolare l’erpetofauna regionale, i lavori di con- 763

BIOGEOGHAPHIA - vol. XIII - 1987 Biogeografia delle Alpi Sud-Orientali Situazione attuale del gatto selvatico Fells sz'lvesz‘1/2'5 sz'lz2esm's e della lince Lynx lynx nell’area delle Alpi sud-orientali BERNARDINO RAGNI(q), LUCA LAPINI(q*), FRANCO PERCO(qq“q‘) (*) Istz'z‘ut0 di Zoologizz Unz'ver.tz'td dz' Perugzkz - Pemgia (qq‘) Museo Friulano dz’ Storzkz Naturnle - Udine (qqqq“) Orservzztorio Faunz'_tz‘z'co di Pordenone — Pordenone SUMMARY The authors examine the present situation of european wild cat (EWC) and lynx (L) in northeastern Italy. After the examination of 56 records for wild cats and 38 for lynx they conclude that EWC lives a very good populational situation in this area, while for lynx a critical examination of records and sightings suggests that in NE Italy the only stabilized population lives in the southern Dolomites (Trentino-Alto Adige). The lynx is also present in Friuli—Venezia Giulia but only occasionally. The authors give also ecological, rnorphometrical and ornamentational considerations on EWC and compare the NE Italy si- tuation with that of the rest of Italy. PREMESSA ll Gatto selvatico Felix sz‘lve:z‘rz‘5 silvestris Schreber, 1777 e la Lince Lynx lynx (L.) sono gli unici rappresentanti della famiglia Felidae della fauna at- tuale (Olocene) italiana. Il Gatto selvatico e una specie politipica (HEMMER 1978, RAGNI 8: RANDI 1986) distribuita nella regione paleartica, etiopica e nella sottoregione indiana di quella orientale (HALTENORTH 1953, PO- COCK 1951). ll gruppo sz'lvesz‘rz's, Gatto selvatico europeo, e un elernento europeo della fascia temperata e mediterranea (CORBET 1978) abita la Sici- lia e la Penisola, mentre la forrna sczrcla, appartenente al gruppo lzlayccz, Gatto selvatico africano, abita l’isola cli Sardegna (RAGNI, 1981) e, probabilrnente, la Corsica (ARRIGHI 8: SALOTTI in starnpa). Una recente revisione tassonomica (WERDELIN 1981) delle linci olarti— che, fossili e attuali, sostiene la separazione dei generi Lynx e Fells, distin- guendo, per il Paleartico occidentale, Lynx lynx da Lynx pardina (Temminck, 1824). La Lince autoctona alpina risulta appartenere a Lynx lynx, possibil- rnente differenziata in un ecotipo (SCHAUENBERG 1969, RAGNI in prep) Mentre le linci preistoriche peninsulari potevano appartenere, sirnpatrica1r1en— te, al gruppo lynx e al gruppo pczrdinn (FICCARELLI & TORRE 1975) la presenza storica recente della Lince nella Penisola e in Sicilia e sostenuta esclusivarnente cla docurnenti hibliografici e iconografici (TASSI 1971, RA- GNI in prep). Alcune ricognizioni prelirninari, condotte dal 1979 al 1983, avevano evi- 867