Invasive predators can exert strong selection on native populations. If selection is strong
enough, populations could lose the phenotypic variation caused by adaptation to …

Amphibians are particularly sensitive to habitat loss and fragmentation caused by the
intensification and modernization of farming occurring in the second half of the twentieth …

Simple Summary Recently, the study of amphibian behavioral ecology has received
increased interest from ethologists and evolutionary biologists. In fact, plethodontid …

Here we present the checklist of the vertebrates of the “Palude di Torre Flavia”, a protected
area in Tyrrhenian central Italy (Special Protection Area according to the Directive …

Rare hybridisations between deeply divergent animal species have been reported for
decades in a wide range of taxa, but have often remained unexplained, mainly considered …

The status of the Italian autochtonous batrachofauna has been analysed taking into
consideration a set of 13 variables, ranging from natural history traits (eg type of …

Small populations are more prone to extinction if the dispersal among them is not
adequately maintained by ecological connections. The degree of isolation between …

The insular lizard microcommunity inhabiting the Lampione islet (Pelagian islands, S Italy) is
constituted by a skink (Chacides ocellatus) and a lacertid lizard (Podarcis filfolensis). Their …

Intraspecific trait variation in generalist animals is widespread in nature, yet its effects on
community ecology are not well understood. Newts are considered opportunistic feeders …

The only Italian population of false smooth snakes is found on Lampedusa, a small island
located in the Sicilian Channel and part of the African continental shelf. The taxonomic …