Seasonal and Ecological Determinants of Wild Boar Rooting on Priority Protected Grasslands.

Wild ungulates can influence various trophic levels, regulating carnivore abundance and affecting habitat structure. Conservation problems can arise when high ungulate densities threaten species or habitats with conservation concern. Assessing factors influencing the intensity of their impact is important to identify appropriate measures enhancing habitat conservation.

Spatio-temporal interactions between the red fox and the wolf in two contrasting European landscapes.

Relationships among carnivore species are complex, potentially switching from competition to facilitation on a context-dependent basis. Negative associations are predicted to increase with latitude, due to limited resources emphasising competition and/or intra-guild predation. Accordingly, a stronger negative correlation between large- and meso-carnivore abundances should be expected at higher latitudes, with a substantial spatio-temporal partitioning favouring interspecific coexistence.

Interactions between carnivore species: limited spatiotemporal partitioning between apex predator and smaller carnivores in a Mediterranean protected area.

Background: There is need of information on ecological interactions that keystone species such as apex predators establish in ecosystems recently recolonised. Interactions among carnivore species have the potential to influence community-level processes, with consequences for ecosystem dynamics. Although avoidance of apex predators by smaller carnivores has been reported, there is increasing evidence that the potential for competitive-to-facilitative interactions is context-dependent.

"Guess Who's Coming to Dinner": Molecular Tools to Reconstruct Genetic Profiles from Wild Canid Consumption Remains.

Non-invasive genetic sampling is a practical tool to monitor pivotal ecological parameters and population dynamic patterns of endangered species. It can be particularly suitable when applied to elusive carnivores such as the Apennine wolf () and the European wildcat (), which can live in overlapping ecological contexts and sometimes share their habitats with their domestic free-ranging relatives, increasing the risk of anthropogenic hybridisation. In this case study, we exploited all the ecological and genetic information contained in a single biological canid faecal sample, collected in a forested area of central Italy, to detect any sign of trophic interactions between wolves and European wildcats or their domestic counterparts.

From the Andes to the Apennines: Rise and Fall of a Free-Ranging Population of Feral Llamas.

Since 2016, a feral population of llama has been present in Central Italy after escaping from a zoological garden and starting to reproduce. We updated demographic status and distribution of this population and investigated societal perception towards the llama presence and management in the area through a standard questionnaire. Field data were collected through direct (transects traveled by car and on foot) and indirect (newspapers, social networks and online platforms) research.

Spatiotemporal Overlap between the European Brown Hare and Its Potential Predators and Competitors.

Analysis of spatiotemporal partitioning is pivotal to shed light on interspecific coexistence. Most research effort has involved large-sized carnivores and their prey, whereas little attention has been devoted to lagomorphs. We assessed spatiotemporal overlap among the European brown hare and its potential competitors and predators through camera-trapping in an area in Central Italy.

Patterns of activity rhythms of invasive coypus inferred through camera-trapping.

Studies on activity rhythms are pivotal for the management of invasive alien species, as they provide basic insights into species basic ecology and may increase the success of control programs. The coypu , introduced from South America for fur farms, has become one of the most invasive rodents in Europe. Introduced coypus may affect crop productions, as well as natural vegetation and the breeding success of wading birds.

Interspecific Aggressions between Crested Porcupines and Roe Deer.

Despite being common amongst carnivore mammals, behavioral interference between wild herbivore species is poorly documented. Particularly, in temperate areas, where the ungulate guild is composed of a few species, and large-sized rodents are scarce, most cases of interspecific interactions involve at least one alien species. In this work, we report the first data on behavioral interactions between roe deer, , and crested porcupine, .