Mitochondrial heteroplasmy in an avian hybrid form (Passer italiae: Aves, Passeriformes)

Mitochondrial heteroplasmy is the result from biparental transmission of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to the offspring. In such rare cases, maternal and paternal mtDNA is present in the same individual. Though recent studies suggested that mtDNA heteroplasmy might be more common than previously anticipated, that phenomenon is still poorly documented and was mostly detected in case studies on hybrid populations. The Italian sparrow, Passer italiae is a homoploid hybrid form that occurs all across the Italian Peninsula mostly under strict absence of either of its parent species, the house sparrow (P. domesticus) and the Spanish sparrow (P. hispaniolensis). In this study, we document a new case of mitochondrial heteroplasmy from two island populations of P. italiae (Ustica and Lipari). Our analysis was based on the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 (ND2) that allows for a clear distinction between mitochondrial lineages of the two parental species. We amplified and sequenced the mitochondrial ND2 gene with specifically designed primer combinations for each of the two parental species. In two of our study populations, a single individual carried two different ND2 haplotypes from each of the two parental lineages. These findings contribute to current knowledge on the still poorly documented phenomenon of paternal leakage in vertebrates

Biometrical analyses of a Sicilian Green Toad, Bufo siculus (St\uf6ck et al. 2008), population living in Sicily (Italy).

Morphometry structure of Sicilian green toad from the Nature Reserve "Monte Pellegrino" (north-western Sicily) was studied. A total of 666 individuals (354 males and 312 females) were captured in 2003 during reproduction period. Meaningful differences have statistically emerged among the two sexes and the body weight is the best parameter (up to 92% correct classification), followed by the length of the body (up to 90% correct classification). The simultaneous use of all the examined characters only increases of 1% the probability for correct discrimination of the sex. In comparison to the dimension of other green toad populations studied by other authors, the body size of this sicilian population results elevated, similar to that of Corsica and of Sardinia. It is possible that the high dimension of the Sicilian population is the result of low competition with other amphibians species and/or to the absence of a winter latency

Spettro trofico di due popolazioni sinantropiche di geco comune, Tarentola mauritanica (Linnaeus, 1758), in Sicilia sud-occidentale

The Moorish gecko (Tarentola mauritanica) is a lizard belonging to the Phyllodactylidae family, with circum-Mediterranean distribution. Despite the species is widespread in Sicily, there are very few studies on its feeding behaviour. This paper analyzes the diet of two synanthropic populations located in southwestern Sicily (province of Trapani) and exposed to different environmental conditions. Fecal remains were collected along the outer walls of an inhabited house in the coastal village of Triscina and in an uninhabited rural house, located near Castelvetrano town. The first study area has been constantly affected by artificial light sources, which are absent in the second study area. Results show in both cases that diets consist exclusively of arthropods, except for a single case of saurophagy on a juvenile Podarcis sp. detected in the \u2018Castelvetrano\u2019 sample. The two populations have significantly different trophic spectra and probably adopt two different foraging strategies. The \u2018Triscina\u2019 sample is characterized by the predominance of few categories of fliers prey generally concentrated by artificial light sources (Coleoptera 39.6%, Neuroptera 38.6%), suggesting the adoption of a \u2018sit-and-wait strategy\u2019. The \u2018Castelvetrano\u2019 sample is instead more varied and characterized by the prevalence of soil-related, and mostly wingless, prey (Dermaptera 36.7%, Formicidae 23.3%, Coleoptera 21.7%, spiders 11.7%), thus suggesting the adoption of an \u2018active foraging strategy\u2019

Census of the Sicilian rock partridge Alectoris graeca whitakeri population in ZPS ITA010029 Monte Cofano, Capo San Vito and Monte Sparagio

During the project "LIFE09 NAT/IT/000099-SICALECONS-Urgent actions for the conservation of Alectoris graeca whitakeri", this species was censused in the ZPS ITA010029 Monte Cofano, Capo San Vito and Monte Sparagio (Trapani province, Sicily) with playback technique between March and April 2011. Superimposing a UTM grid of 1 km mesh on the study area produced cells of 100 hectares. Using a GPS satellite receiver we reached, where possible, the centre of each cell from where the cospecific call was broadcasted. A total of 163 listening stations were implemented. Using software GIS ARCMAP 10.0 (ESRI) presence data were interpolated with vegetational and phytosociological maps (CORINE) to establish rock partridge's suitable area. The range of the rock partridge in the ZPS was calculated to be 9,893 hectares, corresponding to approximately 65% of the ZPS. A total of 29 individuals were counted, corresponding to 5 pairs and 19 calling males.The Sicilian rock partridge population in the ZPS was estimated to be 66 pairs. Density values in the ZPS were lower than those reported for other areas. In the ZPS highest density was observed in Zingaro Reserve, where poaching seems to be less frequent compared to other areas of ZPS and where burning has not been recorded for years. \ua9 2013 CISO - Centro Italiano Studi Ornitologici

Habitat fragmentation and anthropogenic factors affect wildcat Felis silvestris silvestris occupancy and detectability on Mt Etna

Knowledge of patterns of occupancy is crucial for planning sound biological management and for identifying areas which require paramount conservation attention. The European wildcat Felis silvestris is an elusive carnivore and is classified as ‘least concern’ on the IUCN red list, but with a decreasing population trend in some areas. Sicily hosts a peculiar wildcat population, which deserves conservation and management actions, due to its isolation from the mainland. Patterns of occupancy for wildcats are unknown in Italy, and especially in Sicily. We aimed to identify which ecological drivers determined wildcat occurrence on Mt Etna and to provide conservation actions to promote the wildcats’ long-term survival in this peculiar environment. The genetic identity of the wildcat population was confirmed through a scat-collection which detected 22 different wildcat individuals. We analysed wildcat detections collected by 91 cameras using an occupancy frame work to assess which covariates influenced the detection (p) and the occupancy (ψ) estimates. We recorded 70 detections of the target species from 38 cameras within 3377 trap-days. Wildcat detection was positively influenced by the distance to the major paved roads and negatively affected by the presence of humans. Wildcat occupancy was positively associated with mixed forest and negatively influenced by pine forest, fragmentation of mixed forest and altitude. A spatially explicit predicted occupancy map, validated using an independent dataset of wildcat presence records, showed that higher occupancy estimates were scattered, mainly located on the north face and at lower altitude. Habitat fragmentation has been claimed as a significant threat for the wildcat and this is the first study that has ascertained this as a limiting factor for wildcat occurrence. Conservation actions should promote interconnectivity between areas with high predicted wildcat occupancy while minimising the loss of habitat

Morphological variation of the newly confirmed population of the javelin sand boa, Eryx jaculus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Serpentes, erycidae) in Sicily, Italy

The presence of the Javelin sand boa in Sicily has recently been confirmed. Here the morphological characters and sexual dimorphism of the Sicilian population of Eryx jaculus are presented. Seven meristic and six metric characters in 96 specimens from Sicily were examined. The results show that tail length, snout-vent length, the distance between nostrils and the number of ventral and subcaudal scales are different between sexes. The characters found in the Sicilian population of the Javelin sand boa resemble those of the African population (ssp. jaculus) rather than the Eurasian population (ssp. turcicus), but biomolecular studies are necessary to understand its taxonomic identity

mtDNA diversity in rabbit population from Sicily (Italy)

The European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus (O.c) lives all over the world and it represents an important resource for many predators. It has been classified as a Near-Threatened species in the Red List of Vertebrates of Italy. It is present in mediterranean basin as two known subspecies: O.c. cuniculus and O.c. algirus. The mediterranean geographic distribution of the two subspecies is still not well known. In particular, in Sicily, lacking of deep studies, is based on the body size and morphological characteristics; there wasn’t a complete description of the actual existing subspecies and previous studies only reported the morphological characteristics of the sicilian rabbit population. In this study, we analyzed genetic data, mitochondrial (mt) cytochrome b (cytb), from the rabbit population in Sicily in a phylogenetic framework. This is the first study concerning the genetics of the sicilian rabbit, to reconstruct intraspecific phylogeny by comparing cytb mtDNA sequences of 13 newly isolated O.cuniculus haplotypes from Sicily and 7 individuals from other countries (Canada, France, Mexico, North Italy, South Africa, Spain, Sweden). Our results show that the rabbit population from Sicily has a mitochondrial type (Lineage B) that has been previously shown to be associated with O. c. cuniculus and is similar to sequences from rabbits in North-Est Spain, Southern France, Sweden and South Africa

Record of a 10-year old European Wildcat Felis silvestris silvestris Schreber, 1777 (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae) from Mt. Etna, Sicily, Italy

We recaptured the Wildcat after nine years, hence we think that 10 years is the minimum reasonable age estimation for this individual. This age estimate still lies at the lower range when compared to ages of captive Wildcats ranging from 12–16 year

Post-Messinian evolutionary relationships across the Sicilian channel: Mitochondrial and nuclear markers link a new green toad from Sicily to African relatives

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Little attention has been paid to the consequences of the last landbridge between Africa and Sicily on Mediterranean biogeography. Previous paleontological and scarce molecular data suggest possible faunal exchange later than the well-documented landbridge in the Messinian (5.3 My); however, a possible African origin of recent terrestrial Sicilian fauna has not been thoroughly tested with molecular methods. To gain insight into the phylogeography of the region, we examine two mitochondrial and two nuclear markers (one is a newly adapted intron marker) in green toads (<it>Bufo viridis </it>subgroup) across that sea barrier, the Strait of Sicily.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Extensive sampling throughout the western Mediterranean and North Africa revealed a deep sister relationship between Sicilian (<it>Bufo siculus </it>n.sp.) and African green toads (<it>B. boulengeri</it>) on the mitochondrial and nuclear level. Divergence times estimated under a Bayesian-coalescence framework (mtDNA control region and 16S rRNA) range from the Middle Pliocene (3.6 My) to Pleistocene (0.16 My) with an average (1.83 to 2.0 My) around the Pliocene/Pleistocene boundary, suggesting possible land connections younger than the Messinian (5.3 My). We describe green toads from Sicily and some surrounding islands as a new endemic species (<it>Bufo siculus</it>). <it>Bufo balearicus </it>occurs on some western Mediterranean islands (Corsica, Sardinia, Mallorca, and Menorca) and the Apennine Peninsula, and is well differentiated on the mitochondrial and nuclear level from <it>B. siculus </it>as well as from <it>B. viridis </it>(Laurenti), whose haplotype group reaches northeastern Italy, north of the Po River. Detection of Calabrian <it>B. balearicus </it>haplotypes in northeastern Sicily suggests recent invasion. Our data agree with paleogeographic and fossil data, which suggest long Plio-Pleistocene isolation of Sicily and episodic Pleistocene faunal exchange across the Strait of Messina. It remains unknown whether both species (<it>B. balearicus, B. siculus</it>) occur in sympatry in northern Sicily.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our findings on green toads give the first combined mitochondrial and nuclear sequence evidence for a phylogeographic connection across the Strait of Sicily in terrestrial vertebrates. These relationships may have implications for comparative phylogeographic research on other terrestrial animals co-occurring in North Africa and Sicily.</p