International audienceWe describe the age structures of two neighbouring terrestrial salamander populations. The skeletochronological method was also used on larvae in utero and on new-born individuals. The age of adults was 8-24 years in population A, while males reached maturity at 3-5 years old and the youngest females were 6 years old in population B. Males and females from population B were also larger than those in population A. For the first time, lines of arrested growth (LAGs) were also found in the humerus of intra-uterine larvae and new-born individuals, indicating that young can spend up to 3 years in utero (population B) and up to 4 years (population A) before hatching. Growth of adults (fitted by the Bertalanffy model) also exhibited differences in growth coefficient (k) and mean asymptotic length (SVLmax) between sexes and populations. Local climatic conditions differed between the two areas of these populations and we hypothesize that the number of rainy days directly influences foraging during the short period of activity (< 3 months), leading to a delay in age at maturity, smaller length and growth rate, and increased gestation duration in the drier environment. The discussion is focused on proximate environmental influences on the variation of length and associated life-history traits in ectotherms, especially in terrestrial salamanders

Roost occupancy and behaviour at evening departure were studied in long-eared owls (Asio otus) at a large winter roost in the southern suburbs of the city of Milan, northern Italy. The number of roosting owls was strongly correlated with decreasing daylength, while it was weakly negatively correlated with temperature. Hence changes in photoperiod can be considered among the proximate factors promoting the winter aggregation of longeared owls. Behaviour at departure was influenced by cloud cover: birds departed earlier, and departures were at a higher altitude and less concentrated, with covered sky than with clear sky; the reasons for these behavioural differences remain unclear. Directions of departure showed that owls do not use the urban area for hunting, as no birds were observed flying towards the city, consistently with dietary data.

Feeding habits in a population of Salamandra lanzai were studied at an Alpine meadow at 2020 m a.s.l. in the Cottian Alps, NW Italy. Adult specimens underwent stomach flushing was applied to in June and September 1992, and in July 1993. Salamandra lanzai proved to be an opportunistic predator, feeding on invertebrates within a broad range of categories and sizes. Grounddwelling insects (especially carabids) constituted the main part of the diet. Although S. lanzai is commonly believed to be a completely terrestrial species, some individuals were observed to feed on aquatic Trichoptera larvae. The utilization of prey taxa by number of specimens consumed and volume consumed varied seasonally. Mean ingested volume per salamander averaged 173-76 ± 449.31 mm 3 , i.e., about 1.39% of the average salamander mass (12.56 ± 3.43 g; range 6.0-22.5 g). Prey mass and predator mass were positively correlated in males, which most likely are more active than females. The prey mass to predator mass ratio was not significantly correlated with log predator mass, neither for males nor for females.