Search

The host-parasite system "Emys trinacris - Placobdella costata - Haemogregarina stepanowi"is known for Sicily, but scarce information is available to date about the distribution of the two parasites P. costata and H. stepanowi on the island. Therefore, an extensive sampling effort through visual census and collection and analysis of blood smears of the endemic Sicilian pond turtle E. trinacris was carried out in 46 water bodies scattered throughout mainland Sicily. Our findings revealed that the distribution of both parasites is limited to the Nebrodi area, where the infection of H. stepanowi has shown a high incidence on the local turtle populations. Our data suggest no correlation between the current distribution of the two parasite species and environmental features. The current distribution of H. stepanowi and P. costata seems not to be relictual, but rather the outcome of a recent colonisation process. Considering the possible negative impact of both H. stepanowi and P. costata on their turtle host, their long-term effect on E. trinacris should be investigated.

Hemorrhois hippocrepis is a colubrid snake with a West Mediterranean distribution. It is widespread in the Iberian Peninsula and Northwest Africa. The only Italian populations are found on the islands of Sardinia and Pantelleria. The phylogenetic relationships of these insular populations have been analysed for the first time on the basis of the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b gene. The sequences were compared with those available from the geographic range of this species. The analyses showed that the Italian samples are part of a lineage that groups Tunisian and East Algerian samples, with which they share the same haplotype. These results strongly support the hypothesis of a recent origin of the Italian populations of Hemorrhois hippocrepis, probably determined by human-mediated dispersal from North Africa., Acta Herpetologica, Vol. 15 No. 2 (2020): Acta Herpetologica 15(2) 2020

Context: Dietary analyses are essential to achieve a better understanding of animal ecology. In the case of endangered species, assessing dietary requirements is crucial to improve their management and conservation. The Bonelli's eagle (Aquila fasciata) has experienced a severe decline throughout its breeding range in Europe and, in Italy, fewer than 50 pairs remain, and only in Sicily. This species is subject to major threats, including changes in landscape composition and, consequently, prey availability, which is further aggravated by the occurrence of viral diseases in the case of rabbits. Aims: To provide current data on the diet of the Bonelli's eagle in Sicily during the breeding period and to examine dietary shifts with regard to previous studies conducted in the same study area. To discuss possible implications for conservation of the Italian population of this endangered species. Methods: We used a combination of three methods, including pellet analysis, collection of prey remains, and imagery from camera-traps installed at nests, to examine the diet of 12 breeding pairs of Bonelli's eagle from 2011 to 2017. We compared this information with data collected between 1993 and 1998 in the same study area. Key results: In number, birds were the most frequently predated items (61.6%), followed by mammals (36.88%) and reptiles (1.52%). However, in terms of biomass, mammals were the main prey (65.71%), followed by birds (34.12%) and reptiles (0.17%). There was a decrease over the course of the current decade in the consumption of European wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), which was compensated for with an increase in both dietary diversity and breadth in bird consumption, a trend not observed in the earlier study in the same region. Conclusions: Here, we provide an updated assessment of diet composition of Bonelli's eagle during the breeding period. Interestingly, we found significant differences within the study period (2011-2017) in terms of frequency of occurrence, percentage of biomass, dietary diversity and dietary breadth in a species at risk. Furthermore, we found significant differences between the two study periods in both frequency and percentage of biomass, with significant changes in the consumption of lagomorphs and birds. Implications: Our results indicated that shifts in the diet are linked to changes in prey abundance, which may be contributing to population declines in the Bonelli's eagle population in Sicily. Overall, measures aimed at increasing main dietary prey should be promoted to favour occupation of new territories and enhance vital demographic parameters (i.e. breeding success and survival rate) of Bonelli's eagle across the species range. This would be particularly important for small isolated populations such as the Sicilian one.

The javelin sand boa {Eryx jaculus) is a snake belonging to the Erycidae family, distributed in North Africa, southern Balkans and the Middle East. Recently its presence was confirmed in Italy, in a small area along the coast of south-central Sicily, in the territories of Licata (province of Agrigento). This paper reports the current distribution area, of about 52 km2, obtained by the Minimum Convex Polygon method, using recent bibliographical ob-servations and three new observations carried out between 15 August 2014 and 30 Aprii 2016. The new findings are located east of the known Sicilian distribution area and indicate for the first time the presence of the javelin sand boa in the province of Caltanissetta. Two individuai were observed along the coast, during nocturnal activity dose to dunes and arable fields. A road killed sand boa was found in an agricultural territory. The preliminary analysis of three meristic characters indicates that their values are the same of those of both known subspecies, therefore it is not currently possible to suppose the own sub-specific taxon of the Sicilian population.

We report seven nesting events by loggerhead sea turtles in Sicily (Italy) in 2011. In comparison to past records, this number is relatively high and may be at least in part due to an awareness campaign carried out in 2011 to solicit such reports. This suggests that Sicily may host a much higher nesting activity than previously thought and higher monitoring effort is recommended, especially in certain coastal tracts. Sand temperatures and incubation periods indicate that the beaches monitored so far in the southern coast are not optimal for development, resulting in low hatching success, and produce a majority of males. Five 2011 nests and two past nests from the same area had mtDNA haplotype CC-A2.1, the most common in the Mediterranean., Acta Herpetologica, Vol 7 No 1 (2012)

Reintroduzione in Sicilia (Parco Nebrodi e Parco Madonie)

This PhD thesis focuses on the synthesis of nanostructured materials via an aerosol-assisted route based on electrospraying of liquid precursors. Electrospraying is a powerful technique for the production of nearly-monodispersed, highly-charged droplets. The possibility of tailoring the droplet size, as well as coupling the process to different chemical reactions makes this technique attractive for the production of a wide variety of nanostructured functional materials in a simple, direct and cost-effective way. The materials investigated in this work are directly related to applications in advanced Li-ion battery negative electrodes. The electrospray process has been implemented in two novel approaches for the production of different materials. The first one consists in the production of nanoparticles via an alternative method that combines charged aerosols with red-ox reactions in liquids, while the second one develops a single-step process for complete synthesis and assembly of nanocomposite coated electrodes by pyrolysis and/or deposition of precursor solutions and suspensions. In this way advanced negative electrodes containing active nanoparticles dispersed in polymer binders have been directly fabricated in one step at relatively low temperature without any further processing. The resulting materials show enhanced electrochemical performances and could replace graphite in commercial electrodes, due to their high capacities. It should be stressed that this approach is extremely general and it has the potential to be implemented in a roll-to-roll process for the continuous production of nanocomposite coatings for various purposes, not necessarily restricted to Li-ion batteries.

Il fenomeno franoso attivatosi il 15 febbraio 2010 sul versante sinistro del torrente Scotrapiti nei pressi dell'abitato di Maierato (Calabria meridionale) in seguito ad un prolungato periodo di precipitazioni, ha interessato terreni mio-plio-quaternari rappresentati da calcari evaporitici del Miocene superiore, da argille, argille siltose e silt del Pliocene inf.-medio e da depositi continentali del Pleistocene. La frana ha coinvolto e distrutto alcune costruzioni rurali non adibite ad uso abitativo, due tratti della strada provinciale che attraversa l'area, ha provocato lo sbarramento del torrente Scotrapiti e la successiva formazione di un lago di sbarramento. Da un punto di vista tipologico, il fenomeno franoso è classifi cabile come uno scorrimento composto sviluppatosi in colata; la lunghezza totale del fenomeno è stimabile in circa 1,4 km, mentre il volume di materiale mobilizzato è stato stimato in circa 5 milioni di m3. Indagini geologiche e geomorfologiche, effettuate subito dopo l'evento, insieme alla disponibilità di un fi lmato e di dati da foto aeree hanno permesso di ricostruire la geometria ed il meccanismo di evoluzione del fenomeno franoso. La frana può essere considerata una riattivazione di un fenomeno franoso preesistente le cui cause predisponenti possono essere ricondotte al particolare assetto geologico-geomorfologico ed alle abbondanti piogge che hanno caratterizzato l'area nei mesi precedenti l'innesco. L'evoluzione rapida del fenomeno durante la fase parossistica (stimato in 4-5 m/s) è da imputare al comportamento meccanico che ha assunto, a seguito del movimento, il calcare evaporitico.