In the period 2013–2014 a survey was carried out on the helminthic fauna of 60 wild canids, 57 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and three wolves (Canis lupus italicus), collected in the Emilia-Romagna region, Italy. The study focused mainly on the gastrointestinal and hepatic helminths. Parasites were recovered in 91.2% of the red foxes and in all the wolves examined. Multiple infections were found in the majority of the animals (71.9% of the foxes and 100% of the wolves). In total, 14 intestinal helminth species were identified, two trematodes (Alaria alata, Brachylaima spp.), seven cestodes (Mesocestoides spp., Taenia crassiceps, Taenia pisiformis, Taenia polyacantha, Dipylidium caninum, Taenia ovis, Taenia hydatigena) and five nematodes (Uncinaria stenocephala, Toxocara canis, Trichuris vulpis, Pterigodermatites affinis, Ancylostoma caninum). The heartworm Dirofilaria immitis was also recovered in two foxes. No Echinococcus spp. were found. Our study shows that foxes are reservoir hosts of zoonotic parasites, including A. alata, a rare digenean trematode in the Italian paeninsula. Results are compared with those of other surveys on helminths of wild canids carried out in Italy and other European countries.

During spring–summer 2013, 23 specimens of the Lessepsian Fistularia commersonii Rüppell, 1838 were studied through occasional catches by artisanal and coastal trawler fisheries in the South of Sicily (Mediterranean Sea). The total lengths (TL, cm, without filament) and weight (W, g) ranged between 69.0 and 104.0 cm and 155 and 798 g, respectively. The estimated sex-combined parameters of the length–weight relationship (k = 9*10–9; b = 3.6) suggested a positive allometry. All pairs of sagittae were examined under a stereomicroscope and the age estimated by counting the complete translucent zones, both as whole and thin sections, with ages from 3 to 5 years. Growth parameters (von Bertalanffy Growth Function: L∞ = 101.4; K = 0.52; A0 = 0) were similar to those reported in the literature using vertebra readings. Some conceptual aspects were taken into account in the potential differences in growth rate between the nowadays-established Mediterranean specimens and the native Indo–Pacific ones.

Hearing sensitivity affects survival and reproduction in animals that communicate vocally. The Chinese tiger frog exhibits sexual dimorphism in body size, reflecting the evolution of mating behaviour and life-history strategies. In this study, we recorded auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) to determine hearing sensitivity in both female and male frogs. We also compared male and female hearing characteristics with the shape of the tympanic membrane in light of previous studies showing that smaller middle ear cavities improve hearing sensitivity. We found that ABR thresholds differ significantly between males and females, with the greatest sensitivities in both sexes at frequencies close to the dominant frequency of male calls. ABR thresholds were significantly lower in females compared to males for frequencies in the 0.9–1.3 kHz range and at 1.6 kHz. The tympanic membrane diameter was significantly smaller in females (5.94 ± 0.87 mm) than in males (6.71 ± 0.49 mm). Our results indicate that sexual selection has in all likelihood differentially affected male and female hearing sensitivity as well as the shape of the tympanic membrane in frogs.

ABSTRACTAll of the published studies but one about the diet of the Eurasian scops owl Otus scops, a nocturnal raptor of conservation concern, were carried out during the breeding period, just before or immediately after the chicks fledged. The species is a trans-Saharian migrant with few resident populations in Europe. Orthoptera make up the staple of its diet in summer. In this study, we investigated the diet of scops owls on the island of Pianosa after the breeding period through the analysis of pellets. A total of 327 fragments belonging to at least 14 taxa were identified from 56 pellets collected after the breeding period, between late August and March. By frequency, invertebrates constituted 80.00% of the diet, with Coleoptera being the most represented order (62.35% of the total diet) and Orthoptera poorly represented (8.24%). Vertebrates included two bird species, three small mammals and the Moorish gecko. Although the meal-to-pellet interval for scops owls is unknown, we suggest that the bank vole, which is not recorded on any Italian island, and possibly the wild mice, may have been preyed upon in nearby areas, before a migratory movement towards a warm area (e.g. Pianosa) occurred.

The spleen is a lymphoid organ associated with defense mechanisms in anurans, and also it has pigmented cells. Melanomacrophages (MMs) are melanin-containing cells, which originated from hematopoietic stem cells and are found in hematopoietic organs. Melanin has bactericide and cytoprotective actions against free radicals. Furthermore, the α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH) induces dispersion of melanosomes in melanocytes, besides having an anti-inflammatory action. Here, we describe the spleen morphology of Physalaemus nattereri and the response of splenic melanomacrophages to the α-MSH hormone. Animals were treated with α-MSH for 2, 6, 12, 24 and 48 h. Then, we measured the amount of melanin, lipofuscin and hemosiderin in each treatment. The spleen of P. nattereri is ovoid, and a connective tissue capsule covers the organ externally. There are no septa and the stroma is reduced. The parenchyma has two regions slightly separated from each other: white and red pulps. MMs occur in the red pulp. The α-MSH increased the volume of lipofuscin and hemosiderin in MMs after 6 h, but not melanin. Thus, the α-MSH altered only metabolic substances in splenic melanomacrophages, but not melanin, which usually is responsive to this hormone in hepatic MMs. Also, the description of the spleen morphology can help future comparative morphological and evolutionary studies on spleen morphology of vertebrates.

From 1982 to 2006, seven sampling surveys were performed in Red Bay of the alpine Lake Tovel (Brenta Dolomites, Italy) to investigate the bryozoan fauna. The record of small and round floatoblasts was noteworthy as they were not comparable to those produced by any presently known Bryozoa species. Three different types of floatoblasts characterized by almost circular shape were distinguished using morphological traits. All recorded specimens were attributed to the species Plumatella repens (Linnaeus, 1758). The dimensions of type 1 are the smallest ever recorded for Italy. The particular morphology and smallness of floatoblasts were investigated. The authors deem that the features of type 1 in the geographically isolated population of Plumatella repens from Red Bay may be due to constant low water temperature. Therefore, they are proposing for type 1 the name Plumatella repens type dolomitica.

The Croatian population of the eagle owl Bubo bubo (Linnaeus, 1758) is estimated at 800–1200 breeding pairs with the majority of population breeding in the Mediterranean region, along the eastern Adriatic coast. The main aims of this work were two-fold: (1) to determine the eagle owl territorial densities in the central part of Mediterranean Croatia; and (2) to examine landscape composition and configuration of the study plots and consider possible reasons for differences in recorded densities. The abundance of the eagle owl was surveyed from 2001 to 2006 within three plots of similar size (a total survey area of 246 km2): two plots were on the mainland and one on the archipelago at about 16 km from the coast. The playback method was used to stimulate eagle owl territorial behaviour and to determine the locations of their territories. Territorial densities ranged from 4.5 to 26.2 pairs/100 km2, with the highest density being recorded on islands. We suggest that this high density is a result of good foraging conditions, especially year-round availability and high abundance of the yellow-legged gull Larus michahellis J. F. Naumann, 1840 and the brown rat Rattus rattus (Linnaeus, 1758), together with low risk of human-induced mortality.

Different hypotheses exist to explain the ability of individuals or species to modify their behaviours in response to the urban environment. Our study addresses risk-taking in urban birds as an essential behavioural change in cities allowing the species to manage living in anthropic habitats. Specifically, we tested role of phylogeny and the environment on risk-taking, expressed in lower escape distances. We adopted a comparative approach and compared the flight distance of urban pigeons and urban crows in Paris with rural wild rock doves and crows in Sardinia, thus contrasting environmental conditions (urban or rural), species (columbids vs. corvids) and type (feral or wild). Pigeons had lower flight distance than crows in both rural and urban environments, and rural individuals of both species had higher flight distance than urban individuals. However, this intraspecific difference was higher in pigeons than in crows, and the interspecific difference was higher in urban than in rural areas. Our study shows that risk-taking in birds is the outcome of a complex interplay between several environmental and phylogenetic factors, and confirms the hypothesis of increased risk-taking in urban pigeons as a result of a pre-adaptation due to artificial selection, as often suggested but never scientifically demonstrated.

The digestive tract of five adult specimens of the European hake, Merluccius merluccius L., from Eastern Adriatic, were analysed histologically in 2011, using haematoxylin–eosin and Alcian blue/PAS (Periodic Acid Schiff) methods. The paraffin sections of oesophagus, stomach, intestines, liver, gall bladder and pancreas have been stained with a hematoxylin–eosin technique in order to elucidate the main histological features of the digestive tract. The wall of oesophagus and stomach is formed by four distinctive layers, while those of the intestines and gall bladder consist of three layers: the mucosa, the muscular and the outer layer. The mucosa is the innermost layer, which usually consisted of three different layers: epithelium, lamina propria and muscularis mucosae. The submucosa is a layer of connective tissue and it was not seen in the intestines and gall blader. In the oesophagus, stomach and intestines, as well as in the gall bladder, the muscular layer consists of two layers of muscle fibres: circular and longitudinal. The outermost layer of the upper parts of the visceral organs is adventitia consisting of connective tissue. In the caudal parts of digestive tract, this layer is replaced by serosa. The liver consists of hepatocytes containing a mass of lipid droplets. The pancreatic tissues contain serous acini. The present study suggests that histological features of the digestive tract of the hake Merluccius merluccius L. are mostly similar to those of other carnivorous fish, and according to its feeding habits.

In 2013–2014, the soil mite communities from six overgrazed grassland ecosystems located in the Trascău Mountains, Romania, were investigated. Forty-six species were identified, with 645 individuals. Some abiotic factors from soil were measured (soil temperature – T, soil water content – H, soil acidity – pH, carbon content – C, total nitrogen – Nt, and C/Nt ratio). Significant statistical differences were obtained between environmental factors. Using a canonical correspondence analysis of mite species abundance, environmental variables and habitats, strong relationships between investigated factors were established.