Features of the predation of the Eurasian otter upon toads in north-western Spain

Ayres, César; García, Pedro Manuel Mateos

doi:10.1016/j.mambio.2010.03.002

Cited by 12 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 8 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…, Krawczyk et al. , but see Ayres & García for an opposing opinion). Most brown frogs recovered in otter spraints in summer probably belonged to the widespread species Rana italica , which is more strictly associated with freshwater habitats throughout the year than Rana dalmatina (Romano et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Amphibians in Eurasian otterLutra lutradiet: osteological identification unveils hidden prey richness and male‐biased predation on anurans

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Amphibians form a major component of the diet of the otter Lutra lutra in several areas of its wide geographic range. Yet, amphibian remains are rarely identified to species level and therefore information on the diversity of this food resource is generally scarce. The aims of this study were: 1) to assess the overall pattern and trends in the use of amphibians as a resource by otters at the range scale, and 2) to highlight current knowledge on the diversity of amphibians taken as prey by otters. Additionally, we carried out osteological identification of amphibian remains in otter spraints (faeces) from southern Italy, with the aim of demonstrating how this method may improve our knowledge on predator–prey relationships. The frequency of occurrence of amphibians in 64 dietary studies averaged 12%. Predation of amphibians by otters increased with longitude and was the highest in the Alpine biogeographical region. Predation by otters was reported on 28 amphibian species (35% of European species). Peaks in their frequency of use were reported for all seasons, mostly in winter and spring. In southern Italy, we identified 355 individuals belonging to at least seven amphibian taxa (64% of available species; Rana italica, Rana dalmatina/italica, Pelophylax kl. bergeri/hispanicus, Hyla intermedia, Bufo bufo, Bufotes balearicus, and Lissotriton italicus), and pointed out male‐biased predation within the Order Anura (frogs). We conclude that the contribution of amphibians to the richness of the otter's prey community is far higher than commonly perceived, and that osteological analyses allow the detailed investigation of the feeding behaviour of this top predator of freshwater habitats.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Amphibians in Eurasian otterLutra lutradiet: osteological identification unveils hidden prey richness and male‐biased predation on anurans

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The relatively low biomass return per prey item probably explains the high number of toads taken per pond, and the predominate consumption of soft tissues (without bones) suggests that the predatory pressure of otters on toads is probably underestimated when based on spraint analysis (Carss 1995, Cogalniceanu et al 2010. The handling technique by otters to feed on amphibians appears to be speciesdependent, with newts being subjected to abdominal opening (Cogalniceanu et al 2010) and toads with the skin progressive pulled back to the legs (Slater 2002, García-Díaz & Ayres 2010, Ayres & García 2011.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…When fish availability decreases, otters can opportunistically switch to alternative aquatic or terrestrial prey, and this can include massive kills of amphibians (e.g. Weber 1990, Sidorovich & Pikulik 1997, Slater 2002, Ayres & García 2009, Cogalniceanu et al 2010, Ayres & García 2011. In the case of common…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal use of ponds as foraging habitat by Eurasian otter with description of an alternative handling technique for common toad predation

et al. 2013

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The Eurasian otter is a top predator in freshwater habitats, can therefore play an important role in the functioning and structuring of the ecosystem (Ayres & García, 2011;Day, Westover & McMillan, 2015;Berger et al, 2001). The analysis of its food habits could improve the knowledge of both the ecological requirements of this species and of the species composition of communities from the river system.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The diet of otters (Lutra lutra) on the Agri river system, one of the most important presence sites in Italy: a molecular approach

Buglione

Petrelli

Troiano

et al. 2020

PeerJ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background The Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) underwent a strong decline in large areas of the Central-Western part of its distribution range, during the second half of the twentieth century. In Italy, only residual fragmented nuclei survive in the Central-Southern part of the peninsula. Nowadays, the otter is one of the most endangered mammals in Italy, and increasing the knowledge about the ecology of this species is a key step in defining fitting management strategies. Here we provide information about the diet of otter on the Agri river system, one of the most important presence sites in Italy, to understand both the species’ food requirements and the impact on fish communities. Methods DNA metabarcoding and High Throughput Sequencing were used on DNA extracted from spraints. We amplified DNA with a primer set for vertebrates, focusing efforts on the bulk of the otter’s diet (fishes and amphibians). Results Our findings showed that the diet of the otter was dominated by cyprinids (97.77%, and 99.14% of fishes), while amphibians represented 0.85% of the sequences analyzed. Results are in general accordance with previous studies based on morphological characterization; however, molecular analyses allow the resolving of some morphological uncertainties. Although the study area offers a very wide range of available prey, the diet of the otters shows marked selectivity. We highlighted a variation in prey consumed, in accordance with the typology of water system (i.e., river, lake, tributary). Some of the preys found in the diet were alien species introduced by man for sport fishing. Our findings could help define strategies useful for the conservation of the otter population in Southern Italy, suggesting management actions directed at avoiding fish community alterations through illegal stockings without severe controls on their taxonomic status. These introductions could result in a general reduction in the diversity of the otter’s preys, affecting its predatory behavior.

show abstract

Features of the predation of the Eurasian otter upon toads in north-western Spain

Cited by 12 publications

References 8 publications

Amphibians in Eurasian otterLutra lutradiet: osteological identification unveils hidden prey richness and male‐biased predation on anurans

Amphibians in Eurasian otterLutra lutradiet: osteological identification unveils hidden prey richness and male‐biased predation on anurans

Seasonal use of ponds as foraging habitat by Eurasian otter with description of an alternative handling technique for common toad predation

The diet of otters (Lutra lutra) on the Agri river system, one of the most important presence sites in Italy: a molecular approach

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About