Use of faecal and stomach contents in assessing food niche relationships: a case study of two sympatric species of Podarcis lizards (sauria: lacertidae)

La niche trophique de deux espèces de lézards (Podarcis muralis et P. sicula) a été étudiée en analysant à la fois des contenus stomacaux et des pelotes fécales. Des comparaisons ont été conduites entre les deux espèces, portant sur leurs spectres trophiques, les largeurs et les recouvrements de leurs niches alimentaires. L'analyse fondée sur les contenus stomacaux a fourni les données les plus complètes et les plus détaillées. Podarcis sicula est apparu comme un prédateur plus généraliste que P muralis, le recouvrement de niche entre ces deux espèces étant très faible. Les données différentes qui existent dans la littérature, montrant un plus fort recouvrement, seraient dues à des préférences alimentaires locales et à l'utilisation de méthodes d'analyse différentes.The trophic niche of two sympatric species of wall lizards (Podarcis muralis and P. sicula) was studied by the analysis of both stomach contents and faecal pellets, and differences in trophic spectra, food niche breadth, and niche overlap were compared. The analysis based on stomach contents provided more complete and detailed data. Podarcis sicula appeared to be a more generalist predator than P. muralis, and the niche overlap between the two species was very Jow. Differences from literature data showing a higher overlap can be due to local food preferences and different methods of analysis

Predicting elusiveness: potential distribution model of the Southern smooth snake, Coronella girondica, in Italy

Predictive models of species distribution may be very useful for understanding actual distribution of elusive species, including several snakes. The southern smooth snake (Coronella girondica) is likely the most elusive snake species of peninsular Italy, and is therefore well-suited for predicting potential distribution studies. In this paper we predict the potential distribution map of this species in Italy by using MAXENT algorithm, that finds the probability distribution of maximum entropy that is constrained by considered ecological parameters. Presence data for Coronella girondica were gotten from CKmap. The potential distribution model of Coronella girondica showed a very good overall performance (AUC = 0.959), and indicated that high suitability areas correspond mainly to Tyrrhenian north and central regions, including Liguria, western Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Umbria, and northern Latium. Southern Italian regions were clearly unsuitable for this snake species. Overall, our study revealed that previous distribution maps indicating the occurrence of Coronella girondica in southern Italy and Sicily were poorly reliable. The conservation and management implications of our study are also addressed

Reptiles of Sardinia: updating the knowledge on their distribution

Sardinia shows a clear lack of herpetological data due to an evident paucity of herpetological surveys. This gap of knowledge is worthy of attention, since Sardinia hosts a rich herpetofauna with a large proportion of endemic species, and distribution data are crucial for targeting conservation efforts. In this paper we provide new distribution data for Sardinian reptiles, with the aim of updating our knowledge on their specific distribution. Data were opportunistically recorded during ten years of field research in Sardinia, carried out in more than twenty campaigns from April 1999 to June 2009. All the eighteen reptile species belonging to the Sardinian fauna were recorded. A total amount of 293 faunistic data were collected from 178 different localities covering the entire study area. Within this dataset, 137 faunistic data fall outside known species’ ranges as reported in the Atlas of Italian amphibians and reptiles. In conclusion, data presented here produced a remarkable increase of knowledge on Sardinian reptiles distribution compare to that reported in the last available syntheses. Nevertheless, it should be evidenced that, notwithstanding the present updating, the knowledge of Sardinian reptiles’ distribution is probably still far from being exhaustive. Thus, further investigations are strongly required for obtaining a complete picture and identifying conservation priorities in terms of isolated species/populations and areas of high diversity and endemicity

Distribution, ecology and conservation of Archaeolacerta bedriagae in Sardinia (Reptilia, Lacertidae)

This paper is a revision of the distribution of this endemic species in Sardinia, based on both literature and unpublished records, and focused to assess the conservation status of its populations. Two sampling sites were selected for a comparative analysis: in the mountain site, a population density twenty times higher than that found at sea level site was estimated. Underestimation is possible due to the elusivity of this species which usually occurs in rocky habitats where observation is difficult. Some conservation actions were proposed

Use of faecal and stomach contents in assessing food niche relationships : A case study of two sympatric species of Podarcis Lizards (Sauria : Lacertidae)

The trophic niche of two sympatric species of wall lizards (Podarcis muralis and P. sicula) was studied by the analysis of both stomach contents and faecal pellets, and differences in trophic spectra, food niche breadth, and niche overlap were compared. The analysis based on stomach contents provided more complete and detailed data. Podarcis sicula appeared to be a more generalist predator than P. muralis, and the niche overlap between the two species was very low. Differences from literature data showing a higher overlap can be due to local food preferences and different methods of analysis.La niche trophique de deux espèces de lézards (Podarcis muralis et P. sicula) a été étudiée en analysant à la fois des contenus stomacaux et des pelotes fécales. Des comparaisons ont été conduites entre les deux espèces, portant sur leurs spectres trophiques, les largeurs et les recouvrements de leurs niches alimentaires. L’analyse fondée sur les contenus stomacaux a fourni les données les plus complètes et les plus détaillées. Podarcis sicula est apparu comme un prédateur plus généraliste que P. muralis, le recouvrement de niche entre ces deux espèces étant très faible. Les données différentes qui existent dans la littérature, montrant un plus fort recouvrement, seraient dues à des préférences alimentaires locales et à l’utilisation de méthodes d’analyse différentes.Bombi Pierluigi, Bologna Marco A. Use of faecal and stomach contents in assessing food niche relationships : A case study of two sympatric species of Podarcis Lizards (Sauria : Lacertidae). In: Revue d'Écologie (La Terre et La Vie), tome 57, n°2, 2002. pp. 113-122

La frammentazione dell’areale di Archaeolacerta bedriagae (Reptilia, Lacertidae): analisi attraverso modelli di idoneità ambientale

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Nicchia trofica del tritone alpino (Triturus alpestris apuanus Laurenti, 1768)in uno stagno montano delle Alpi Liguri: variazioni stagionali della dieta e differenze tra sessi e stadi vitali.

The diet of the alpine newt was studied through the stomach flushing method in order to define its ecological role within the pond community

Effects of fire and forest restoration on two sympatric species of Lacertidae (Reptilia) in a Mediterranean ecosystem

Effets des feux et de la restauration forestière sur deux espèces sympatriques de Lacertidés (Reptiles) dans un écosystème méditerranéen de l’Italie centrale. — Les effets d’un incendie et de la restauration forestière qui a suivi ont été étudiés sur deux espèces de lézards du genre Podarcis dans une pinède côtière de l’Italie centrale. Trois stations très proches ont été échantillonnées : deux brûlées, dont une ayant ensuite fait l’objet de travaux de restauration, et une autre qui n’a pas été atteinte par le feu. Cinq sessions d’échantillonnage sur la démographie des lézards et leur choix du microhabitat ont été effectuées entre mars 2003 et mars 2004. P. sicula, espèce pionnière, a été récolté tant dans les stations brûlées que dans celles qui ne l’ont pas été, tandis que P. muralis n’a été trouvé que dans la forêt intacte. L’abondance de P. sicula est plus grande dans les zones brûlées. Dans des conditions naturelles, ces espèces sont différenciées par leur niche spatiale, puisqu’elles utilisent différents niveaux de la végétation, plus élevés pour P. muralis. L’absence de cette dernière espèce après l’incendie a facilité l’élargissement da le niche spatiale de P. sicula.Pinto Federica, Bombi Pierluigi, Bologna Marco A. Effects of fire and forest restoration on two sympatric species of Lacertidae (Reptilia) in a Mediterranean ecosystem. In: Revue d'Écologie (La Terre et La Vie), tome 61, n°2, 2006. pp. 195-200