1,721,060 research outputs found
Habitat use and diet of the Eurasian scops owl otus scops in the breeding and wintering periods in central Italy
No full textThe Eurasian scops owl is one of the least known European nocturnal raptors. The species is declining throughout its distributional range, thus giving concern for its conservation status. We investigated seasonal shifts in its habitat use and diet in central Italy, where scops owl is a resident species in Central Tuscany. The owls used grasslands and human settlements during the breeding period, while woodlands were mainly used during the winter. The main prey species in the diet during the warm period were grasshoppers (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae), whereas shrews (Soricomorpha) constituted the main prey during the winter. Thus, protecting extensive grassland would not suffice to conserve resident populations of Eurasian scops owls and preservation of mature deciduous woodlands with trunk cavities is also recommended
Seasonal and environmental influences on the calling behaviour of Eurasian Scops Owls
No full textCapsule Spontaneous calls and replies to playback of Scops Owls were significantly more frequent during the breeding period, when paired birds defend territories. The probability of spontaneous calls varied with moon phase, with a peak occurring during nights with a full moon. In some cases, during the winter, Scops Owls responded to playback calls of Little Owls, thus suggesting possible intra-guild competition between these species. © 2014 British Trust for Ornithology
First record of a possibly overlooked impact by alien parrots on a bat (Nyctalus leisleri)
Full text linkAlthough its interferences on native biodiversity are still poorly known, the rose-ringed parakeet Psittacula krameri is currently recorded as one of the 100 worst alien species. The impacts on native fauna by this parrot are mainly represented by the displacement of native birds from nesting sites, with direct lethal attacks observed only against little owls and red squirrels. To date, competition with bats for tree cavities has been hypothesized but not documented yet. We recorded a fatal attack of a parakeet towards a Leisler's bat (Nyctalus leisleri), roosting or possibly hibernating in a trunk cavity. Although this is the only report available, the fact that both parrots and many bat species use tree cavities suggests that similar cases may be relatively frequent although sporadically observed. This observation puts emphasis on the need to supporting active monitoring and management of introduced species populations to preserve threatened native fauna. © 2014 Associazione Teriologica Italiana
When quills kill. The defence strategy of the crested porcupine Hystrix cristata L., 1758
No full textQuills represent specialized morphological structures evolved by some mammal species to deter predators. Among quilled mammals, crested porcupines Hystrix spp. exhibit the most complex armor. The antipredator behavior of these rodents is poorly known. In this study, we describe in detail the defense strategies of Hystrix cristata when attacked by hunting dogs. We identified four kinds of display exhibited by porcupines. Tail rattling seems to be sufficient to repel solitary predators, while backyard/sideways attacks are exhibited only in extreme situations, or when numerical disparity among potential prey and predators occurs. We also report four cases of wild species killing by porcupines
Vertical segregation by breeding ring-necked parakeets Psittacula krameri in northern Italy
No full textCavities represent a limiting resource for breeding birds, thus triggering potential competition, mostly in urban ecosystems. The ring-necked parakeet Psittacula krameri is one of the main alien invasive bird species of the world. Introduced populations are reported for over 35 countries, Italy included. This parakeet mainly depends on trunk cavities for reproduction but, occasionally, it may nest within building holes. A growing population of this species is present in the urban area of Pavia (northern Italy). Differently, from what has been observed in other colonies of the global introduced range, most of this urban population nests within the putlog holes of the Visconti castle and surrounding towers, together with four native species. In this work, we counted the breeding pairs of ring-necked parakeets nesting within putlog holes of castle and tower walls and estimated the breeding population size. Observations were carried out once a week, 30 min before sunset, for an hour, from the start of April to the end of August 2016 and 2017. We assessed whether a vertical segregation occurred between parakeets and native species (i.e. the rock pigeon, the jackdaw, the Italian sparrow and the common swift) through a dissimilarity index. Inter-specific interactions have never been observed, despite two pigeon ticks being detected on rescued parakeets. A strong vertical segregation was observed between ring-necked parakeets and pigeons, and between ring-necked parakeets and common swifts. Ring-necked parakeets and jackdaws were mostly observed in the highest putlog holes. No breeding parakeet pair was observed within plain trunk cavities in the surroundings of the castle walls, which were instead occupied by jackdaws and tawny owls. Most parakeet nests were located on the eastern wall, where they receive the first light at dawn
Living with roommates in a shared den: Spatial and temporal segregation among semifossorial mammals
No full textPositive interspecific interactions in animal communities (i.e. den sharing) have long been overlooked in animal ecology. The assessment of spatiotemporal overlap among species living within the same burrow system is paramount to explain their strategies of interspecific coexistence. We studied spatiotemporal behavioural patterns of coexistence among four den-sharing mammal species (i.e. the crested porcupine Hystrix cristata, the Eurasian badger Meles meles, the red fox Vulpes vulpes and the European pine marten Martes martes), inhabiting a hilly area of central Italy. Intensive camera trapping (September 2015-September 2018) was used to estimate the interspecific overlap of both temporal and spatial activity patterns for all species combinations. An extensive nocturnal temporal overlap was recorded among all the species, except the diurnal pine marten. However, crested porcupines were mostly active in the darkest nights, whereas bright moonlight enhanced the hunting success of the red fox. Activity of badgers was limited in bright nights only during cold months, when predation pressure and poaching risk were the highest. Crested porcupines avoided spatial sharing outside the den with both nocturnal carnivores, particularly during the winter, when its cubs are in the den. Overlap in ranging areas and activity rhythms between the red fox and the Eurasian badger may be promoted by a remarkable food niche partitioning. Conversely, spatiotemporal overlap between red foxes and pine martens suggested a significant interspecific spatial partitioning, due to the overlap in feeding habits. Den-sharing represents a form of positive interspecific interaction which may limit energy waste and increase local species diversity and densities. Species using the same burrow system may show both spatial and temporal niche partitioning throughout the year, thus allowing a non-competitive coexistence
FIGURE 1 in The worrying arrival of the invasive Asian needle ant Brachyponera chinensis in Europe (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
No full textFIGURE 1. Lateral view (a), frontal view of the head (b) and a close-up lateral view of the petiole (c) of the specimen of Brachyponera chinensis collected and sequenced. d) Neighbour-joining tree based on mitochondrial COI sequences, the new record is indicated with a star, bootstrap values above 75 are shown on the branches and the species names, countries and Gen-Bank accession numbers are indicated in the tip labels; e) Haplotype network of B. chinensis COI sequences, colours indicate the sample origin and sizes of the circles the number of samples.Published as part of Menchetti, Mattia, Schifani, Enrico, Gentile, Vincenzo & Vila, Roger, 2022, The worrying arrival of the invasive Asian needle ant Brachyponera chinensis in Europe (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), pp. 146-150 in Zootaxa 5115 (1) on page 148, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5115.1.10, http://zenodo.org/record/634600
Reappraisal of an old cheap method for marking the European hedgehog
Full text linkMarking quilled animals for individual recognition may be challenging. This is particularly true for European hedgehogs Erinaceus europaeus, whose defense mechanism involves the concealment of muzzle and underparts. Heat-shrink tubes have been widely used to mark quills, but they do not adapt to the morphological structure of the spines and are rapidly lost, thus reducing method effectiveness. We adapted a cheap and ethical method used to mark crested porcupine quills, which involves the use of colored adhesive tapes applied to quills. The retention period of this marking technique lasts up to 9 months, allowing short-term field studies and possibly dispersal distances measurements. The method could be improved by doubling the number of marked spines and by reapplying adhesive tape at every recapture event. Moreover, the use of a marking code can be obtained by subdividing the body of the hedgehog into six body areas, to increase the number of marking possibilities, through the combination of tape colors and body areas
An overlooked invader? Ecological niche, invasion success and range dynamics of the Alexandrine parakeet in the invaded range
No full textParrots and parakeets (Aves, Psittaciformes) are prominent among avian invaders, as more than 16 % of living species are currently breeding with at least one population outside their native range. Most studies have been carried out on ring-necked and monk parakeets, as they are the most successful invasive parrots globally. Recently, however, reports of invasive Alexandrine parakeet Psittacula eupatria have increased. Here, we summarize the current knowledge on the current occurrence of Alexandrine parakeets outside the natural range and assess the degree of niche conservatism during the invasion process. Our results show that Alexandrine parakeets have established invasive populations predominantly in Europe, parts of the Middle east and Far Eastern countries such as Japan and Singapore. During the ongoing invasion of Europe, the Alexandrine parakeet considerably expanded its niche into colder climates with respect to those occupied in the native range. Our results offer some support to the hypothesis that interspecific facilitation with previously established ring-necked parakeets Psittacula krameri may contribute to niche expansion and invasion success of congeneric Alexandrine parakeets. Species Distribution Models including both native and invaded range occurrence data predict a high invasion risk across multiple parts of the globe where the species is currently not yet present, thus indicating a high potential for the species for further invasion success and range expansion
Timing of reproduction and paternal cares in the crested porcupine
No full textOld World porcupines are elusive, nocturnal rodents who pair for life, exhibiting frequent socio-sexual behaviour also outside the breeding period. Only anecdotal observations on captive individuals are available on the reproductive behaviour of the crested porcupine Hystrix cristata, a Sub-Saharan and North African large rodent probably introduced to Italy over 1500 years ago. Our work reports the first data on reproductive biology and paternal behaviour of free-living crested porcupines in Europe. A total of 44 litters was recorded at 4 den systems, over 3 years: 59% singletons, 32% twins, 9% triplets. Reproduction occurs throughout the year, but two significant birth peaks have been detected on February and October. The reproductive peak in October falls in the period of short rains in Sub-Saharan Africa, and coincides with the start of Autumn rains in Italy, thus preceding the vegetation regrowth in both areas, but especially in Africa. On the other hand, porcupines are unusual, as their "spring" peak of births in Central Italy falls actually in mid-winter (i.e. February), when snowfalls and the coldest temperatures tend to occur. By contrast, births in February anticipate the long rains in Sub-Saharan Africa by c. 30 days, when cubs leave the natal den for the first time and vegetation starts sprouting. Haphazard observations of cubs over 12 years (N = 72) have confirmed this pattern. Both partners (N = 2 radio-tagged pairs) share parental duties: alternation of cub guarding in den occurs in the first two months of life, i.e. when quills are still soft and relatively short, thus making cubs an easy prey for small and mesocarnivores
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