Mice on the borders: genetic determinations of rat and house mouse species in Lampedusa and Pantelleria islands (Southern Italy)

Sciandra, Chiara; Mori, Emiliano; Solano, Emanuela; Mazza, Giuseppe; VIVIANO, Andrea; Scarfò, Manuel; Bona, Fabio; Annesi, Flavia; Castiglia, Riccardo

doi:10.21426/b637155716

Cited by 7 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 24 publications

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“…2, Aulagnier et al 2017). In the Mediterranean area, it is restricted to the Mediterranean climate zone including large and small islands (Burgin and He 2018, Loy et al 2019, Sciandra et al 2022. It is also present in Socotra, Madagascar and in the island of Tenerife (Canary Island, Spain), where it has been recently introduced.…”

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confidence: 99%

A first attempt to track the genetic signature of colonization of the Mediterranean basin by the pygmy white-toothed shrew, Suncus etruscus (Eulipotyphla, Soricidae)

et al. 2023

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The pigmy white-toothed shrew Suncus etruscus is a widespread species whose distribution patterns are unclear. Paleontological data suggested an east-west pattern of dispersion in the Mediterranean basin during late Holocene but some doubts are still present especially considering the absence of fossil remains from key areas, as mainland Italy. Here we propose, a preliminary screening of the phylogeographic relationships among Italian pigmy white-toothed shrews and other Mediterranean areas. The Italian haplotypes were all very similar without an evident geographic structure, however we evidenced that the haplotype from Israel, the putative source area for the Mediterranean basin, is almost identical to the most common Italian haplotype. This excludes an ancient event of vicariance between the two areas and we can assume that these haplotypes arrived in the central Mediterranean through the eastward wave of colonization, in agreement with the relatively recent arrival of the species in the area.

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confidence: 99%

A first attempt to track the genetic signature of colonization of the Mediterranean basin by the pygmy white-toothed shrew, Suncus etruscus (Eulipotyphla, Soricidae)

et al. 2023

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Agriculture and Water Availability Show Contrasting Effects on Bats in a Mediterranean Island of Outstanding Chiropteran Biogeographical Value

Cistrone,

Augusto,

Fichera

et al. 2024

Ecology and Evolution

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With their unique ecosystems and evolutionary dynamics, small islands offer fascinating contexts to explore animal diversity. Island bats are key players in maintaining ecological balance. However, their populations are threatened worldwide, necessitating comprehensive research and conservation strategies. Pantelleria, a small Mediterranean island and a biogeographic crossroad between Europe and Africa, offers an excellent model to exemplify the challenges to bat conservation in such geographic contexts. We tested three hypotheses: (1) bats would show weak preference patterns for landscape composition due to the island's heterogeneous landscapes, (2) farmland (especially vineyards) would strongly affect bat activity, and (3) distance from water sources would highly influence bat richness and activity. We surveyed bats acoustically using Audiomoth recorders covering most of the island's surface. We recorded seven bat species, including endangered Plecotus gaisleri, Myotis punicus and Rhinolophus mehelyi. Bats showed weak preferences for specific landscape composition, but the dominant species (Pipistrellus kuhlii) decreased its activity for increasing portions of vineyards within the landscape. Moreover, distance to water critically influenced bat richness and activity. Agricultural expansion, pesticide use and human activities pose significant threats to bats on Pantelleria. We advocate for sustainable farming practices and careful water resource management to safeguard bat habitats and mitigate these threats. Conservation should target vineyards, a key economic resource to produce world‐renowned wine ‘Passito di Pantelleria’ by reducing pesticide use and adopting organic management. Water might be supplemented in critical dry habitats. We urge the preservation of bat diversity to support ecosystem health and resilience on small islands like Pantelleria.

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Lizards on the borders: source and patterns of colonization of an opportunistic reptile, Podarcis siculus, on the remote island of Pantelleria (Italy) depicted by mtDNA phylogeography and dorsal pattern

Antinucci,

Gallozzi,

Ancillotto

et al. 2023

Biologia

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Understanding patterns and modalities of species’ colonization in insular ecosystems is a major goal of biogeography and may be key to decision makers, in terms of e.g., management and conservation. In this paper, we assess source and patterns of colonization of an opportunistic reptile, Podarcis siculus, on the remote island of Pantelleria (Italy), following a multidisciplinary approach combining molecular phylogeography and dorsal pattern analyses. We analyzed the mitochondrial gene cytochrome b (cytb) from 13 lizards and we assessed the frequency of the dorsal pattern phenotypes observing 188 basking lizards from eight localities throughout the island. The parsimony network revealed that haplotypes from Pantelleria belong to a haplogroup characteristic of western Sicily with the most common haplotype from Pantelleria being also found in three Sicilian localities. Unlike other Italian island populations, the dorsal pattern is highly conserved on Pantelleria, as a high percent of the observed individuals show the pattern also found in the hypothesized source area in western Sicily. In conclusion, our results are compatible with an allochthonous origin of the P. siculus population of Pantelleria Island. Thus, the species would need no population monitoring programme for its conservation on the island.

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Mice on the borders: genetic determinations of rat and house mouse species in Lampedusa and Pantelleria islands (Southern Italy)

Cited by 7 publications

References 24 publications

A first attempt to track the genetic signature of colonization of the Mediterranean basin by the pygmy white-toothed shrew, Suncus etruscus (Eulipotyphla, Soricidae)

A first attempt to track the genetic signature of colonization of the Mediterranean basin by the pygmy white-toothed shrew, Suncus etruscus (Eulipotyphla, Soricidae)

Agriculture and Water Availability Show Contrasting Effects on Bats in a Mediterranean Island of Outstanding Chiropteran Biogeographical Value

Lizards on the borders: source and patterns of colonization of an opportunistic reptile, Podarcis siculus, on the remote island of Pantelleria (Italy) depicted by mtDNA phylogeography and dorsal pattern

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