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The Mediterranean Sea hosts a population of fin whale (

The land snail taxon Helix straminea Briganti, 1825 has been reintroduced as a valid species in 2014. We provide here a comprehensive account of its taxonomy, distribution, anatomy, phylogeny and karyology in Italy. An overview of the historical views on the validity of the species is presented and faunistic data are reviewed and implemented with new records from Campania and Basilicata. A lectotype is fixed for H. straminea from the syntypes stored in the Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle of Genève, as well as for three other taxa (Helix straminiformis Bourguignat, 1876, Helix yleobia Bourguignat, 1883 and Helix straminea ssp. elongata Bourguignat, 1860). Genital system, radula and karyotype are described for the first time. Molecular analysis of two mitochondrial genes combining GenBank data and the new sequences presented in this paper showed no differentiation between the northern and southern Italian populations. The conservation status of the species and its possible threats are discussed.

In the Mediterranean basin 23 species of cetaceans are known: 11 are regular and live, breed and feed and 12 are irregular, rare or accidental. These species are common in all the oceans of the globe (cosmopolitan species) and therefore none of them is endemic. In the inshore coastal waters of the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park, five of the 23 Mediterranean species are regularly sighted; they are: one species of Mysticeti, the fin whale Balaenoptera physalus (Linnaeus, 1758) (family Balaenopteridae) and four species of Odontoceti, including the sperm whale Physeter microcephalus Linnaeus, 1758 (= P. catodon) (Family Physeteridae), the striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba (Meyen, 1833), the Common bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus (Montagu, 1821) and the Risso’s dolphin Grampus griseus (G. Cuvier, 1812), (the last three species belonging to the family Delphinidae). A sixth species has recently been registered for the Park boundaries, the Dwarf Sperm Whale, Kogia sima (Owen, 1866), based on finding of a dead-stranded individual within the study area. Regarding the cetofauna of the coastal waters of the Gulf of Salerno, there are other two records and they are: the long-finned pilot whale Globicephala melas (Traill, 1809) and the Common Minke whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata Lacépède, 1804 (Mysticeti: Balaenopteridae). The former species is documented exclusively by bibliographical and museal data. The latter species is considered as “irregular” in Mediterranean Sea since there is no certainty that it reproduces, but it is possible that it attends this marine area for some periods of the year. This guide begins with the evolutionary history of Cetaceans. The following chapters are devoted to the general characteristics and biology of these animals, to the area of study and research methodology. It was considered interesting to include also a chapter with a brief historical overview on Cetacean researches in Campania. Then, a presentation is given for each of the species found in the Park boundaries and neighbouring, including notes on taxonomy, general description and diagnosis, notes on biology and ecology, general and local distribution, status and conservation, and some curiosities in the relationship with the man. In total the occurrence of eight species was herein documented in the survey area representing approximately the 73% of the estimated fauna of Campania Region (11 species) and about the 47% of the estimated Italian cetofauna (17 species: eight regular, four “irregular” and five occasional). The guide concludes with two chapters on recent laboratory researches on specimens from Cetofauna inhabiting coastal waters of the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park. The first research concerns the preliminary results of a study on age determination of individuals stranded along the Cilento coast by counting the incremental growth lines observed in the tooth sections. The other research concerns molecular analysis to determine the origins of the stranded individuals. Cetaceans are protected at international level by CITES (Appendices I and II), by the Habitats Directive (Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992) on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (annex II and IV), and a lot of species are mentioned on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. At European level some species are protected by the “Barcelona Convention” on the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Mediterranean Coast (and its new Application Protocol relative to Special Protection Zones and the Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean adopted on 1995), the “Bonn Convention” on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, the “Bern Convention” relative to the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, and by the Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans in the Black Sea Mediterranean Sea and Contiguous Atlantic Area (ACCOBAMS). For these reasons the Cetaceans are protected by special laws in many countries.

In Italy, the Eurasian otter, Lutra lutra (Linnaeus, 1758) (Carnivora Mustelidae), occurs with two separated populations in the southern regions and recently it has also re-colonized the north-eastern fluvial networks. Here, we present the first photographic evidence of the Eurasian otter presence along a stretch of the Calore river (Campania region, Southern Italy), where this species was generically reported in previous study. Our findings enlighten that the Calore river network might play an important role for the conservation and expansion of this species in Campania.

The knowledge of demographic traits such as longevity, growth rates and age at sexual maturity is crucial for understanding the structure of a population in its natural environment and implementing appropriate strategies for its management and conservation. Based on counts of growth layer groups in sections of decalcified teeth using the paraffin technique, we estimated the age and growth of 25 individuals of striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) found dead stranded along the coast of Campania and Calabria (south Italy, central-western Mediterranean) from 2013 to 2018. Seven individuals, with TL of 100–110 cm, were calves under 1 year old. The oldest male and female individuals were 19 and 14 years old, respectively. Growth curve estimated using the Gompertz growth model (GGM) showed that in S. coeruleoalba male growth trajectories are partly in accordance with those reported in other studies on the same species from different Mediterranean areas. The high frequency (28%) of calves strongly suggests that females of this species use the marine area all around the south-western Italian coasts to give birth to their offspring. Furthermore, a comparison with the estimated age of striped dolphins from other Mediterranean marine areas shows that the longevity of the individuals examined in this study is much lower. Our study provides information toward understanding the demographic traits of S. coeruleoalba from Mediterranean Sea. The results reported here can be useful for future research aimed at understanding population structure, mortality patterns and the effects of anthropogenic activity on the survival of this species in this marine area.

The Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) is one of the most endangered marine mammals in the world. This species has been threatened since ancient times by human activities and currently amounts to approximately 700 individuals distributed in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea (Aegean and Ionian Sea) and Eastern Atlantic Ocean (Cabo Blanco and Madeira). In other areas, where the species is considered “probably extinct”, an increase in sporadic sightings has been recorded during recent years. Sightings and accidental catches of Mediterranean monk seals have become more frequent in the Adriatic Sea, mainly in Croatia but also along the coasts of Montenegro, Albania and Southern Italy. A Mediterranean monk seal pup was recovered on 27 January 2020 on the beach of Torre San Gennaro in Torchiarolo (Brindisi, Apulia, Italy). DNA was extracted from a tissue sample and the hypervariable region I (HVR1) of the mitochondrial DNA control region was amplified and sequenced. The alignment performed with seven previous published haplotypes showed that the individual belongs to the haplotype MM03, common in monk seals inhabiting the Greek islands of the Ionian Sea. This result indicates the Ionian Islands as the most probable geographical origin of the pup, highlighting the need to intensify research and conservation activities on this species even in areas where it seemed to be extinct.

Information on demographic and life-history traits of endangered vertebrate species, such as sea turtles, is crucial for planning management and conservation actions. We applied skeletochronology of phalanges to estimate the age of loggerhead turtles, Caretta caretta, found dead stranded along the beaches of Campania (western Mediterranean) from 2013 to 2017. To obtain maturity data, we examined gonads from a subsample of 7 males and 11 females. Overall, curved carapace length (CCL) ranged from 5.6 to 90.8 cm, but for most turtles (89%) it was 50–79.9 cm. Predominance of stranded females (62%) was recorded. Ten out of the eighteen histologically examined gonads allowed estimating maturity. Based on the lines of arrested growth counting, the estimated age of the examined specimens ranged from 0 (hatchling) to 26 years. The modal age was 14 years for males and 17 years for females. The smallest male with spermatogenetic activity had a CCL of 65 cm and was estimated to be 16 years old. The smallest female with follicular development stage, characterising the transition towards adulthood, had a CCL of 69.5 cm and was estimated to be 20 years old. Anthropogenic factors were responsible for 36% of the mortality of individuals, followed by parasitic/infective pathologies (20%).

The effects of nitrates were analysed on the land snail Eobania vermiculata, a good bioindicator to assess the effects of certain pollutants in soil. It is known that the molluscs are very sensitive to contamination substances and can be used as sentinel organism for environmental pollution assessment. The nitrates are present in fertilizers and in food additives and their excess can not only be harmful to the environment but also dangerous for the humans. Indeed, in the mammals the nitrates are converted into nitrites and can cause a series of complications as the formation of methaemoglobin and cancers. In this study, adult organisms of E. vermiculata were exposed to soil containing 2000 mg/L of nitrates for 30 days to evaluate the stool microbiome and the histological changes at the level of the foot. Eggs of these snails were similarly treated to observe their hatching, survival and development. Histological changes were observed at level of the foot of adult snails exposed to nitrate and in their stools was evident an increase of bacteria, especially those that have a high ability to exploit nitrates and nitrogen as nutrients. Instead, the treated eggs showed changes in hatching, hypopigmentation of newborn snails and a decrease of their survival in time. The overall information obtained from these endpoints can provide important information regarding the quality of the environment. In addition, they also showed that the invertebrate organism E. vermiculata despite being a simple organism is very useful and efficient for ecotoxicological studies.

The faunistic data on the recent land molluscs of Vesuvius National Park (Naples, Southern Italy) and neighbouring areas sampled during field surveys from 2005 to 2006 are reported here. The data were obtained through a careful research on museum collections and literature and were supplemented with observations from field surveys. Up to now, only 23 land snails species were known from the Vesuvius National Park through bibliographical data. The faunistic research, carried out in 25 stations of different environment typologies, allowed us to discriminate 31 species: 15 of these species are reported here for the first time for the study area. The presence of 16 species was confirmed by other field investigations. Other 19 taxa are reported in the literature, but not confirmed in our research - Helix turriculatella O. G. Costa, 1839 (obsolete nomenclature), Trochoidea trochoides Poiret, 1789, Hygromia cinctella (Draparnaud, 1801), Campylaea planospira (Lamarck, 1822), Vitrea sp. (cf. contracta (Westerlund, 1871)), Cecilioides acicula (O. F. Müller, 1774), Cochlicella acuta (O. F. Müller, 1774), Theba pisana O. F. Müller, 1774). Another 12 taxa are highly doubtful, because of possibilities for confusion with species living in other European or Italian regions, as well as previous misidentifications (Deroceras agreste (Linnaeus, 1758), Monacha gregaria (Rossmässler, 1839), Cochlicella barbara (Linnaeus, 1758), Monachoides incarnatus (O. F. Müller, 1774),Cernuella (Cernuella) cisalpina (Rossmässler, 1837), Cernuella aradasii (Pirajno, 1842), Oxychilus cellarius (O. F. Müller, 1774), O. alliarius (J. S. Miller, 1822), Zonitoides nitidus (O.F. Müller, 1774), Hyalina pseudohydatina, Ferussacia lubrica, Aegopinella nitens (Michaud, 1831); it was impossible in these cases to refer to their current specific name. Eobania vermiculata (O. F. Müller, 1774), Rumina decollata (Linnaeus, 1758), Papillifera papillaris (O. F. Müller, 1774) appear to be the most common species. Interesting are the records of Marmorana muralis (O.F. Müller, 1774), Helix cf. ligata (O.F. Müller, 1774) and Charpentiera gibbula gibbula (Rossmässler, 1836). Charpentieria gibbula honii (Tiberi, 1878) needs genetic investigations in order to confirm its taxonomic status. One allochthonous species (Paralaoma servilis (Shuttleworth, 1852)) was surveyed for the first time in the study area. A Red List of Threatened Species is proposed and the species are classified according to the IUCN criteria (Version 2019-2.1). The malacofauna of Vesuvius - Somma Mountain Complex is composed by 38 land mollusc species and represents 36.2% of the total species present in Campania (about 105 species, personal data) and 12.8% of the Italian fauna (about 530 species of land molluscs extrapolated from the list of Bank (2017). It is assumed that the poor biodiversity of the Vesuvian land malacofauna can be attributed essentially to the scarcity of calcareous substrates and the absence of permanent water sources.

A cytogenetic study was carried out by means of standard and NOR-FISH staining methods on the chromosomes of four Alopiinae door snails, two species of the Delimini tribe (Siciliaria paestana and Papillifera bidens) and two species of Medorini tribe (Leucostigma candidescens and Medora sp.). The two Delimini species and Medora sp. showed similar karyotypes, concerning the number of chromosomes, 2n = 62, and the first metacentric pair of chromosomes clearly bigger than the other pairs, but differed in the number of the telocentric pairs: none in P. bidens, four in S. paestana and, even, 21 in Medora sp. Leucostigma candidescens had 2n = 48, all biarmed chromosomes. Loci of NORs were on a single medium small chromosome pair in all the four studied species. The obtained results evidence a relevant degree of intergeneric karyotypic diversity in Alopiinae, concerning both chromosome number and/or shape. The data allow us to make a hypothesis on the evolutionary chromosome trends for this door snail subfamily.

The Mediterranean land snail Theba pisana (Mollusca: Helicidae) is an introduced agricultural pest in manycountries around the world, including Australia, Israel, USA and South Africa. In addition, this snail is an intermediate host of parasites of importance in both human and veterinary medicine. In this study, a natural population of T. pisanasnails on the Domitian coast of Italy was surveyed following a mass mortality event. By light microscopy, 30% of the collected individuals showed in the calcium cells of the digestive gland thepresence of hypertrophied nuclei containing eosinophilic to weakly basophilic inclusion bodies. Ultrastructural examination by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed nuclear inclusions constituted by a reticulatedstroma into which unenveloped, roundish virus-like particles (38 ± 4 nm in diameter) were present. To the bestof our knowledge this could be thefirst evidence for a virus-like agent infecting the gastropodT. pisana, whichmay open new biocontrol perspectives of the this pest worldwide (14) (PDF) Early evidence for a virus-like agent infecting the pest snail Theba pisana (Gastropoda: Pulmonata) in Southern Italy. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316866417_Early_evidence_for_a_virus-like_agent_infecting_the_pest_snail_Theba_pisana_Gastropoda_Pulmonata_in_Southern_Italy [accessed Mar 18 2020].

The use of aquatic invertebrates in biomedical research and as environmental sentinels has dramatically grown in recent decades, with an increased need in understanding of comparative pathology. The Unionids freshwater mussels are a group of worldwide distributed bivalves residing small ditches and ponds, lakes, canals and rivers, often used as animal test in eco-toxicological studies. Once one of the most abundant bivalve molluscs in ancient rivers around the world, now many of them are declining in many countries and consequently are nearly extinct in many areas. The causes of this decline are not fully understood but alteration and degradation of the freshwater habitat seemed to play a central role. To date, link causality to the observed losses during episode of mussel die-offs has been more difficult to establish, and disease and pathogen presence have been scarcely considered. In this article we provide a brief overview of unionids freshwater mussel conservation status, also describing reported diseases and pathogens and illustrating a few relatively well-documented studies.

Lepidosaurs are frequently described as having highly kinetic skulls, and different forms of cranial kinesis have been described as being characteristic of their radiation. The model of amphikinesis proposed by Frazzetta, J Morphol 1962; 111:287–319, which was long considered a synapomorphy of the large suborder Sauria, is now much debated given its uncertain distribution among the various lizard taxa and the lack of data about its morphological correlates. In this article, we analyze the anatomical correlates of different forms of cranial kinesis, with particular regard to the putative saurian amphikinesis, describing the possible diverse skull movements of several species of European gekkotans (Hemidactylus turcicus, Mediodactylus kotschyi, and Tarentola mauritanica) and lacertids (Lacerta agilis, L. bilineata, Podarcis muralis, P. siculus, and Teira dugesii). Using serial and whole-mount histology, we found clear differences between gekkotans and lacertids in the structure of several cranial joints underlining the existence of two degrees of intracranial mobility. The lacertid species possess the anatomical features for streptostyly (quadrate joints) and metakinesis (parietal-supraoccipital and parabasisphenoid-pterygoid joints) and lack the anatomical correlates for mesokinesis (mobility of frontal-parietal and palatine-pterygoid joints) and amphikinesis (coupled mesokinesis, metakinesis, and streptostyly). In contrast, geckos present all the anatomical correlates for amphikinesis as described by the traditional quadratic crank model. Finally, we present a comprehensive summary of the different forms of squamate cranial kinesis, advancing two alternative hypotheses about the evolutionary origin of amphikinesis. Anat Rec, 297:463–472, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Glycoconjugates secreted by the pedal system of the rayed limpet, Patella caerulea, were characterised in situ by histochemical and lectin-histochemical methods in individuals collected around the annual cycle, in November, March, and June. Stainings with periodic acid-Schiff (PAS), Alcian blue pH 2.5 (AB pH 2.5), Alcian blue pH 1.0 (AB pH 1.0), high-iron diamine-Alcian blue pH 2.5 and lectin binding assays with 9 lectins (Con A, WGA, succinylated-WGA, PNA, DBA, SBA, AAA, UEA-I, LTA) were performed. Four secreting cell types were observed in the sole, one in the peripheric region, and two in the sidewall. Glycoconjugate composition varied among cell types and also in one and the same cell type throughout the year. β-Elimination followed by PAS and AB pH 2.5 stainings indicated that most saccharidic chains were O-linked to the protein backbone. Secretion by sole and peripheric region was acidic, carboxylated and/or sulfated, whereas that of the sidewall was neutral. Glucosaminylated and 1,4-fucosylated residuals were predominant in the cell types along the year, 1,2-fucosylated residuals being observed only in the sidewall cells in June. Mannosylated and/or glycosylated residuals were observed in all cells mostly in November. Galactosylated/galactosaminylated residuals were present mostly in the sidewall cells and in the sole subepidermal mucocytes in June. Mannosylated and/or glycosylated residuals in November are probably linked to gonad maturation or to higher locomotion and foraging activity, whereas galactosaminylation in the sole cells and 1,2-fucosylation and glucosaminylation in the sidewall cells in June are linked to a prolonged stationary state, increasing water adsorption to counteract dehydration and/or to modulate microbial interactions.

1In the Mediterranean Sea, the sperm whale Physeter macrocephalus is one of eight regular cetacean species. Poor knowledge of its ecology and status, together with suspected decline in numbers, make studies of historical and present occurrence especially relevant. Long-term time series of stranding events are the most reliable data to provide a scientific framework for testing hypotheses that seek to explain the mechanisms responsible for cetacean strandings. 2We present a comprehensive overview of cases of sperm whale mortality and human response to such events encompassing five centuries (1555–2009) within a portion of the Mediterranean Sea that offers a wealth of historical information – the Adriatic Sea. 3A total of 36 mortality events were validated, involving 68 animals. Two findings of skeletal materials are also reported. The geographic distribution of strandings within the basin clearly was uneven: 44% of records (n = 16) were clustered along a 280km portion of the western Adriatic coast. A relatively high number of mortality events occurred along gently sloping sandy beaches away from suitable sperm whale habitat. 4Until the first half of the 20th century, live-stranded animals were routinely killed: all but one cases with known human response elicited killing attempts. Starting from the 1980s, killing was replaced by efforts to rescue the animals. 5Mass strandings of sperm whales have occurred since historical times in the Adriatic Sea. Mortality events involving multiple individuals accounted for at least 17% of the total sample (6 of 36 mortality events). At least 29% of live strandings (6 of 21) involved more than one individual. 6This study contributes a long-term dataset based on careful validation of historical information, suitable for hypothesis testing aimed at investigating spatial and temporal correlates of sperm whale strandings – particularly live strandings – as a clue to their causes.

Extinct or not extinct: the case of the Chalcides ocellatus(Squamata: Scincidae) population from the Park of the ex Bourbonic Royal Palace of Portici (Naples, Italy)- Petrochirus fabroensis Pasini, Garassino & De Angeli, 2014 (Anomura, Diogenidae) and Ranina sp. (Brachyura, Raninidae) from the Pliocene of Masserano (Piedmont, NW Italy)- Ranina sp. (Brachyura, Raninidae) from the Pliocene sands of “Serre di Rapolano” (Siena, Tuscany, central Italy) - Esemplari di lince Lynx lynx (Linnaeus, 1758) dalle Alpi Orientali del XIX secolo in musei italiani

Sixteen populations of Cyrtopodion kotschyi from the Italian range of the species (central and southern Apulia and eastern Basilicata) were sampled to infer conservation guidelines. The species is still common, particularly in Lower Murgia where large populations are found along stone walls bordering farms, except for the suburbs of Bari, where it is probably extinct. The main causes of species' decline are urbanisation, modern agriculture, trasformation of landscape and use of biocide that menace most populations. A status of “vulnerable” is suggested for the Italian stock. A conservation plan should include habitat protection, abundance and genetic monitoring, and the creation of corridors to allow genetic exchange. The protection and restoration of the rural stone walls network would help to reach these purposes.

The Italian natural history museums are facing a critical situation, due to the progressive loss of scientific relevance, decreasing economic investments, and scarcity of personnel. This is extremely alarming, especially for ensuring the long-term preservation of the precious collections they host. Moreover, a commitment in fieldwork to increase scientific collections and concurrent taxonomic research are rarely considered priorities, while most of the activities are addressed to public events with political payoffs, such as exhibits, didactic meetings, expositions, and talks. This is possibly due to the absence of a national museum that would have better steered research activities and overall concepts for collection management. We here propose that Italian natural history museums collaborate to instate a “metamuseum”, by establishing a reciprocal interaction network aimed at sharing budgetary and technical resources, which would assure better coordination of common long-term goals and scientific activities.

This paper summarizes more than four decades of cetacean research data collected by the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano and, between 1986 and 2003, by the Centro Studi Cetacei of the Società Italiana di Scienze Naturali. It is the result of the collaboration among scientists of several Italian museums. A detailed analysis concerning the amount and taxonomic representative- ness of the extant cetacean collections in Italian naturalistic museums and analogous institutions up until and including 2007 has been carried out. Adequately preserved and anatomically most significant specimens only have been taken into consideration. On the whole 1033 specimens representing 41 species are considered herein. They are housed in 53 institutions, of which the following ones hold the most important collections: the museums of Calci (Pisa), Genova, Firenze, Milano, Roma Zoology, Siena, Comiso and Napoli. All the surveyed institutions are listed, with a short introduction about their material and an inven- tory of it. Specimens are then arranged in systematic order and some further data are provided in a table for each species. Such tables report the items of each museum with regard to quantity, preserva- tion techniques and, whenever possible, collecting data. Finally, a comparative analysis of the results is presented under multiple profiles: historical, preservation techniques, suitability of the specimens for research, place of origin, and the importance of the Italian cetacean collections for research and education.

The present paper shows the results of chromosome banding and rDNA-FISH study performed on several specimens of different populations of Patella caerulea, Patella rustica and Patella ulyssiponensis. The taxonomic attribution of specimens was ascertained by the molecular phylogenetic analysis of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene. P. caerulea and P. rustica had 2n = 18 chromosomes with first seven of biarmed pairs and the remaining two uniarmed pairs. P. ulyssiponensis had 2n = 16 with all biarmed chromosomes. Ag-NOR loci were on the short arms of the first metacentric pair in the three studied limpets, whereas they showed a different pattern of heterochromatin distribution and composition. A chromosome mosaicism was observed in several P. caerulea specimens, which exhibited an unpaired metacentric element and loss of a telocentric pair. The obtained results suggest that in the genus Patella specific diversification was accompanied by variations in heterochromatin distribution and composition and reduction of chromosome number by Robertsonian centric fusion.

Data on the chondrichthyes occurring in the Gulf of Naples were reviewed by taking into account historical and present literature, as well as specimens preserved in the main naturalistic museums and other scientific institutions. Monitoring of landings and interviews with fishermen operating in the fishing ports of Ischia, Procida, Pozzuoli and Mergellina, were also carried out. The presence of 53 species of Chondrichthyes (27 sharks, 25 batoids, one chimaera) was attested in the Gulf of Naples. They represent 76% of the chondrichthyans known in the Italian waters and 63% of Mediterranean species. The rough ray Raja radula is documented for the first time in the study area. Two sharks, Squatina oculata and Carcharhinus brevipinna, and one skate Raja brachyura were added to the Gulf of Naples ichthyofauna, but need further confirmation. With regards to sawfishes (Pristidae), we found some old museum material and archive data supporting the presence of a Pristis species in this area.

Nel presente lavoro viene riportato il risultato del rilevamento degli spiaggiamenti e dei rinvenimenti in mare di Cetacei avvenuti negli anni 2006 - 2011 lungo le coste della Campania. I dati sono stati raccolti in base ad una collaborazione scientifica tra l’Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, l’Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, il Centro Studi Cetacei e il Centro Studi Ecosistemi Marini, collaborazione, che nel 2008 è stata ratificata da un protocollo di intesa finalizzato agli interventi sui Cetacei spiaggiati lungo le coste della Campania. Nel 2009 la Giunta Regionale della Campania, su richiesta del Settore Veterinario dell’Assessorato alla Sanità, ha decretato la “Costituzione di un Comitato di Coordinamento per l’attuazione del protocollo di intesa per gli interventi in caso di Cetacei e tartarughe spiaggiate” formato dai rappresentanti dei citati enti, delle AA.SS.LL. costiere, della Direzione Marittima di Napoli e dell’A.R.P.A.C. al fine di approvare le linee guida relative alla procedura operativa da adottarsi in caso di intervento per il recupero di carcasse di Cetacei spiaggiati. In totale sono stati raccolti i dati riguardanti 73 esemplari di almeno 6 specie, così suddivisi: 1 Balaenoptera acutorostrata; 4 Balaenoptera physalus; 2 Grampus griseus; 1 Delphinus delphis; 9 Tursiops truncatus; 40 Stenella coeruleoalba; 10 Delfinidi indeterminati e 6 Cetacei indeterminati. Si riporta anche il primo caso di mal rossino diagnosticato in un esemplare di Stenella striata mai segnalato prima per le coste dell’Italia continentale.

Ferrante Imperato, apothecary and naturalist, carried out early herpetological studies in Naples on the basis of direct observation and experimentation. He created a laboratory‐museum comprising over 12,000 specimens of naturalia including numerous amphibians and reptiles. In 1599, he published the Historia Naturale, in which he first described accurately two species of Amphibia and five of Reptilia. He also investigated the reproductive biology of Salamandra salamandra, Vipera aspis, and Chalcides cbalcides.