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Feeding ecology of the Sicilian pond turtle Emys trinacris (Testudines, Emydidae) influenced by seasons and invasive aliens species

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Ecological Research

Abstract

Feeding ecology of a species is the result of its evolutionary history, biology, physiology and local constraints, such as prey availability, intra- and inter-specific interactions and environmental characteristics. In this study we investigated the still unknown diet of the Sicilian pond turtle, with special emphasis to the relationships with recently introduced alien species in the “Lake Preola and Gorghi Tondi” Nature Reserve (Sicily, Italy). A total of 83 faecal samples were collected in three different periods. Emys trinacris seems an opportunistic and generalist species. The main prey taxa were aquatic invertebrates, including the invasive Procambarus clarkii, while non-aquatic preys are found sporadically. Plant matter, mainly leaves and roots of aquatic forms, was also found in high frequency with a high occurrence of fruits and seeds in spring. We did not find a significant difference in diet composition within sex and age, while an evident divergence was found between periods and sites. In particular, we noticed a decrease in prey abundance and in food-niche breadth from pre-reproductive period to post-reproductive period. Moreover a very clear difference was found between a site with allochthonous fishes and a site fish-free, with a more abundant and wide diet spectrum in the last one, as a result of the increased availability of prey. We highlighted the importance to take any possible actions to avoid the spread of fishes in other basins and to study the indirect impact of Procambarus clarkii, as possible vector of harmful trace element.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Nino Castelli, Michela Giribaldo, Maurizio Marchese, Nicola Napolitano, Gianpiero Pace for their help during field surveys and with Alice Gastaldi, Silvia Losorgio, Sebastiano Salvidio for their help during laboratory work. Capture and handlings permits were released by the Ministero dell’Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare (DPN/2012/0003156 on 9.X.2012). D.O. was supported by Societas Europaea Herpetologica grant in Herpetology 2014.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Cà Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172, Venezia Mestre, Italy

    Dario Ottonello & Stefano Malavasi

  2. WWF Italia, via Po 25/c, 00195, Rome, Italy

    Stefania D’Angelo

  3. Centro Studi Bionaturalistici srl, Corso Europa 26, 16132, Genoa, Italy

    Dario Ottonello & Fabrizio Oneto

  4. Museum Natural History, University of Pisa, via Roma 79, 56011, Calci, Pisa, Italy

    Marco Alberto Luca Zuffi

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  1. Dario Ottonello
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  2. Stefania D’Angelo
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  3. Fabrizio Oneto
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  4. Stefano Malavasi
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  5. Marco Alberto Luca Zuffi
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Correspondence to Dario Ottonello.

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This study was partially funded by Societas Europaea Herpetologica grant in Herpetology 2014.

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Ottonello, D., D’Angelo, S., Oneto, F. et al. Feeding ecology of the Sicilian pond turtle Emys trinacris (Testudines, Emydidae) influenced by seasons and invasive aliens species. Ecol Res 32, 71–80 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11284-016-1416-1

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