Nuove segnalazioni di Zootoca vivipara Jaquin e di Vipera berus Linnaeus, in Piemonte, Italia nord-occidentale (Novitates Herpetologicae Pedemontanae II)

Vengono forniti nuovi dati distributivi di Zootoca vivipara e di Vipera berus in Piemonte (Italia nordoccidentale). La prima viene segnalata nelle valli Bognanco (VB), Sessera (BI), Mastallone (VC), Rimella (VC) e Strona (VB). Il Marasso viene invece segnalato per le valli Sorba (VC) e Strona (VB). I nuovi dati distributivi vengono commentati brevemente

Spatial Ecology of an Arboreal Iguana (Oplurus cyclurus) in a Treeless Landscape

Understanding the spatial ecology of species has important implications for conservation, as it helps identify suitable habitats and minimum requirements for biodiversity monitoring and management. The spiny-tailed lizard Oplurus cyclurus is a widespread endemic iguanid occurring in dry areas of southern and western Madagascar. While the species is known to be mostly arboreal, populations of the Isalo sandstone massif suggest local adaptation to a less forested savannah and a more exposed habitat. We radio-tracked 19 spiny-tailed lizards to investigate the species’ rock-dwelling behaviour and spatial ecology at Isalo National Park. Tracked individuals showed high site and burrow fidelity, and a basking behaviour mostly tied to the accessibility of their burrow, the time of day, and their life stage. Activity peaked during the sunniest hours, while juveniles were more active than adults with unfavourable weather conditions. Despite high burrow fidelity, lizards used shelters non-exclusively, regularly changing (approx. once a week) with neighbouring burrows (average distance between burrows = 13.6 m). However, there was no obvious relation between lizards’ body and/or tail size and the width and depth of selected burrows. Dynamic Brownian Bridge Movement Models estimated frequented areas over 247.8 m2 (95% isopleth), where territorial overlap is common. Our results challenge the notion that burrow-site fidelity is the sole driving factor behind space utilization in the studied population. We argue that the apparently unusual saxicolous habits imposed by habitat features (the absence of trees) may lead to local behavioural adjustments influencing antipredatory and foraging strategies, as well as intraspecific interactions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Effects of temperature and precipitation changes on shifts in breeding phenology of an endangered toad

Abstract In the last century, a plethora of species have shown rapid phenological changes in response to climate change. Among animals, amphibians exhibit some of the greatest responses since their activity strongly depends on temperature and rainfall regimes. These shifts in phenology can have negative consequences for amphibian fitness. Thus, understanding phenological changes in amphibians is pivotal to design conservation actions to mitigate climate change effects. We used data on Common Spadefoot Toad (Pelobates fuscus) reproductive migration to wetlands over a period of 8 years in Italy to (i) identify the factors related to breeding migrations, (ii) assess potential phenological shifts in the breeding period, and (iii) determine which climatic factors are related to the observed phenological shifts. Our results showed that toads migrate to spawning sites preferably in early spring, on rainy days with temperatures of 9–14 °C, and with high humidity. Furthermore, despite an increase in average temperature across the study period, we observed a delay in the start of breeding migrations of 12.4 days over 8 years. This counterintuitive pattern was the result of a succession of hot and dry years that occurred in the study area, highlighting that for ephemeral pond breeders, precipitation could have a larger impact than temperature on phenology. Our results belie the strong presumption that climate change will shift amphibian phenology toward an earlier breeding migration and underline the importance of closely investigating the environmental factors related to species phenology

Assessing the status of amphibian breeding sites in Italy: a national survey

The ecological status of 203 amphibian aquatic breeding sites, selected from the national database of the Societas Herpetologica Italica (SHI), was surveyed in the period 2008-2009 to assess their ecological status. Sites were randomly extracted, after stratification by the three biogeographical regions present in Italy, besides Sardinia and Sicily. The field surveys, conducted by professionals, amateurs and volunteers, showed that since 1979 about 11% of the sites were destroyed or no more suitable for the reproduction of amphibians that bred in the same site in the past. The percentage of destroyed or altered sites was 8%, both in the Mediterranean and Alpine biogeographical regions, and 15% in the Continental one. However, there were no statistical significant differences among the regions, suggesting that the rate of amphibian site loss was similar in different parts of Italy. This nation-wide monitoring project demonstrated that in Italy, during the last thirty years, a relevant proportion of amphibian breeding habitats has been destroyed or altered. The main cause of site alteration were land reclamation and water extraction