Biological invasions are a primary cause of global biodiversity loss and ecosystem homogenization, with terrestrial mammals historically having received poor attention despite their significant ecological impacts. Climate change further exacerbates this threat by altering species distributions and invasion dynamics. Italy, with its diverse landscapes and central Mediterranean location, is particularly vulnerable to the establishment and spread of non-native species, being in the middle of important trade routes. This study screened 18 non-native terrestrial species under present and future climate scenarios for Italy, to address the urgent need for preventive risk assessments. The list included 13 established (extant) species and five horizon species, i.e. not yet present but with potential for future introduction or arrival in the risk assessment area. Six native species were also screened as non-invasive controls to compute a calibrated risk threshold to distinguish between medium-risk and high-risk species. Under current climate conditions, 15 (83.3%) species were classified as high risk, increasing to 16 (88.9%) under future climate scenarios. Eastern grey squirrel Sciurus carolinensis was ranked as very high risk under both scenarios, while coypu Myocastor coypus and raccoon Procyon lotor reached this ranking under future conditions, confirming their significant invasive potential. This study highlights the amplifying effect of climate change on invasion risk, even for species initially considered marginal threats like small Indian mongoose Urva auropunctata, and underscores the critical need for proactive biosecurity measures and early detection programmes to mitigate ecological and economic impacts.

The global trade in parrots in recent years has led to the establishment of non-native conure populations outside their native range. In Italy, conures are poorly documented compared to other invasive parrot species. Here, we confirm the presence of a breeding population (N = 14 individuals) of white-eyed conures in Florence through a literature review and citizen science data screening. Furthermore, repeated sightings of flocks of blue-crowned conures suggest the potential breeding of this species in Rome. Misidentifications and confusion with more common invasive parrot species may obscure their true distribution, highlighting the need for systematic monitoring to assess their ecological impact and potential for expansion in urban environments.

The use of biocides is one of the main threats to biodiversity worldwide, representing a significant driver of decline for several taxa. Mechanical devices for the control of pest insect populations are commonly considered as less impacting, and yet may also represent a serious threat to wildlife. Among such mechanical devices, adhesive traps meant to control pest insects are especially widespread, and anecdotal evidence suggests that several vertebrates are at risk of being trapped by adhesive traps as bycatch. Specifically, we here focus on bats as potential bycatch of adhesive traps across Europe, conducting a literature review and community science data collection to describe and quantify bat mortality due to such devices, followed by a trait-based approach to highlight potential biases in the frequency of bycatch. We retrieved 222 cases of bats caught by adhesive traps, involving 17 species, with the brown long-eared bat Plecotus auritus being the most heavily affected. Among European bat species, probability of being caught by adhesive traps is significantly trait-biased, with the risk of getting caught being higher for species featuring smaller size, a gleaning hunting style, and being associated with anthropogenic habitats. Our results shed light upon a so-far overlooked risk posed by mechanical remedies meant to control insect pests upon bats, and the ecosystem services they provide. Our findings thus clearly indicate that the use of such devices should be avoided, especially in proximity to important roosts of rare or sensitive species, besides providing insights into the risk of “eco-friendly” remedies in organic agriculture.

As known “ecosystem engineers”, beavers influence river hydrology, geomorphology, biochemistry, and biological assemblages. However, there is a lack of research regarding the effects of beaver activities on freshwater meiofauna. In this study, we investigated the taxonomic and functional composition of the benthic copepod assemblage of a segment of the Tiber River (Italy) where a beaver dam, created about 7 weeks before our survey, had formed a semi-lentic habitat upstream and a lotic habitat downstream of the dam. We also analyzed the copepod assemblage before and after a flood event that destroyed the beaver dam, providing a unique opportunity to observe changes in a naturally reversing scenario. Our analyses revealed that, while the taxonomic composition and functional traits of the copepod assemblage remained largely unchanged across the recently formed semi-lentic and lotic habitats, substantial differences were evident between the dammed and undammed states. The dammed state showed lower copepod abundances, biomass, and functionality than the undammed one. These results highlight the role of beaver dams in changing the composition and functionality of meiofaunal assemblages offering insights into the dynamic interactions within aquatic ecosystems.

After centuries of extinction due to human persecution, Eurasian beavers Castor fiber L. have been released to Southern Europe in the last decades. Being ecosystem engineers, beavers have attracted great attention regarding restoration of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Nonetheless, the effects of the species on aquatic invertebrates known to date are not univocal and mostly refer to central European riverine systems. Here, we evaluated the effects of beaver presence on aquatic macroinvertebrates for the first time in a Mediterranean riverine ecosystem, by applying a sound control-impact sampling design and controlling for seasonal variation in macroinvertebrate assemblage composition. A significant variation in response to season was evident for macroinvertebrate communities, revealing distinct assemblages during spring and summer. Furthermore, the presence of beavers was also identified as a significant driver of species composition, as samples near the beaver dam showed significant variation from control sites. Macroinvertebrate community traits changed according to the relative position to the beaver dam, as control sites featured on average higher abundances of taxa with higher values of bioindication score, larger size, lower adaptation to drag, and were less frequently of introduced origins. Yet, these differences were strongly taxon- and season-specific in their intensity and direction. Differences across sites were mainly driven by the relative abundances of few taxa-including both alien species and high environmental quality indicators-such as those from genera Potamopyrgus, Baetis, Habrophlebia, Ephemerella, Leuctra, and Radix, which explained about 70% of the observed divergence among conditions. Our results indicate that beavers and their engineering activity may induce highly variable species-specific responses in macroinvertebrates, thus possibly representing a driver of environmental heterogeneity along Mediterranean rivers, and that both bioindicators and alien species may exploit such heterogeneity.

This datasheet on Psittacula eupatria covers Identity, Overview, Distribution, Dispersal, Diagnosis, Biology & Ecology, Environmental Requirements, Natural Enemies, Impacts, Uses, Prevention/Control, Further Information.

Nest predation is reported as a cause of reproductive failure of ground-nesting bird species whose populations in Europe are declining. Conversely, European populations of the wild boar Sus scrofa have been expanding, leading to increasing threats to habitats and ecological communities. The impacts of wild boar on ground-nesting bird species are poorly known and have never been explicitly assessed. We conducted an artificial ground-nest experiment in Mediterranean habitats of central Italy using camera traps to assess predator identities. Deployed nests contained quail or chicken eggs, and predation occurred within one week for 47/48 deployments carried out during March-July 2020. The wild boar was the most common predator (36% deployments), followed by the magpie Pica pica (18%), the red fox Vulpes vulpes (10%) and the pine marten Martes martes (10%). Predation by other species was occasionally observed. Egg type and deployment habitat did not significantly influence time to predation or the likelihood that a nest was preyed upon by wild boar, respectively. The presence of a stuffed gull close to the nests significantly delayed predation. Nests preyed by birds and mammals other than wild boar were often subsequently scavenged by wild boar, which consumed the remaining eggs or eggshells. Time to predation increased from spring to summer, suggesting a reduction of predation intensity during periods when the availability of natural eggs is lowest. The likelihood of a nest being preyed upon by the wild boar compared to other predators increased when wild boar frequency of occurrence in 1-week camera trap shootings was the highest, suggesting that higher abundance/activity of this species triggered increased egg predation. The wild boar might act as major predators of ground-nesting bird species in Mediterranean habitats and the large-scale population increase of this ungulate should be considered a significant threat to ground-nesting species of European conservation concern.

Predation pressure by native species may limit the spread of alien invasive species, thus playing a pivotal role in the impact and implementation of management strategies. The ring–necked parakeet Psittacula krameri is one of the most widespread alien bird species in Europe, with nearly 70 established populations. Predators of this species include diurnal raptors, synanthropic corvids, and rodents. Here we report for the first time that long–eared owls Asio otus might have preyed upon parakeets in their night roosts. Analysis of 167 owl pellets showed that ring–necked parakeets made up over 10 % of the total volume of the diet of these owls in winter (32.93 % of absolute frequency), representing the most important prey species after murid rodents and passerine birds. Further studies are needed to investigate whether parakeet consumption by long–eared owls is only a local occurrence or whether it is widespread in European cities. If so, predation by long–eared owl may eventually lead to a form of parakeet control and may limit the impact of this introduced parakeet on native biodiversity.

Assessing the spatiotemporal overlap amongst animal species living in sympatry helps to shed light on mechanisms of interspecific coexistence. We analysed the spatiotemporal coexistence in a predator-prey system through multiyear camera trapping, in a mountainous protected area of southern Italy (January 2012-January 2017). Temporal activity patterns and their interspecific overlap, as well as spatial overlap, were estimated for a top predator, that is the wolf Canis lupus, three species of wild ungulates, four mesocarnivores, one small herbivore, livestock and humans. A wide nocturnal temporal overlap was detected between the wolf and almost all the other species (71-91%). The highest temporal (91%) and spatial (63%) overlaps were reported between the wolf and the red fox Vulpes vulpes. For wolf-ungulate pairs, the highest temporal overlap (88%) was reported for the wild boar Sus scrofa, its local main prey. Considering all the other species pairs, spatial overlap was low (i.e. lower than 45%), whereas temporal overlap was substantial (71-91%). Our findings support a significant role of interspecific spatial partitioning in shaping coexistence amongst considered species, which might be influenced by differences in spatial distribution of different food resources.

Since the 1970s, the crested porcupine has expanded his range into Northern regions in 27 Italy, where it was historically absent, helped by climatic change, legal protection, and 28 forest re-expansion. In the last ten years, a remarkable range expansion has also been 29 observed in the southernmost Italian regions. The aim of our work is to summarize the 30 distribution of this species in Southern Italy and assess potential range expansion under 31 multiple future scenarios of global warming. We collected 1783 occurrence records of 32 the crested porcupine through ad-hoc web pages, online platforms, and some data 33 directly collected by authors (N = 976 occurrences between 1998 and 2008; N = 807 34 between 2008 and 2019). A remarkable increase in occurrences occurred in Lucania, 35 Campania, and Apulia regions, in Southern Italy, mostly along the coastlines. Species 36 distribution models showed that porcupine presence is associated with warm 37 temperatures and an intermediate level of precipitation. Although land-cover showed 38 lower importance compared to climate, the species was positively associated with 39 forests and negatively associated with agricultural, grasslands and shrublands, and 40 urban landscapes. Model projections suggested that future global warming can improve 41 suitability for porcupines in the Apennine ridge, including the Southern Calabria and the 42 Aspromonte National Park. However, increase in drought and urbanization may reduce 43 the habitat suitability for the crested porcupine in the Salento peninsula, limiting the 44 success of the range expansion by this large rodent, and in Eastern Calabria, wih 45 possible range contractions along the Tyrrhenian coast.

The Siberian chipmunk is native to north-eastern Asia, but alien populations of this squirrel, introduced through the pet trade, occur in many European countries. This rodent has been listed as an invasive species of European concern, being a potential vector of ticks spreading Lyme disease. We aimed to assess its current distribution range and to identify areas of potential invasion. Two sets of species distribution models were conducted, one considering the locations of the species (n = 625 occurrences) and the other with only the occurrences of the Korean subspecies (the invasive one in Europe; n = 255 occurrences), which might be a separate species from the Siberian one. We included 19 uncorrelated predictors (two topographic, nine land cover, five bioclimatic and three anthropogenic variables), which may represent the habitat characteristics of the target species. Most of the northern hemisphere supports the establishment of the Siberian chipmunk, particularly for the invasive Korean subspecies (especially in Europe, where it is already established), mostly in urban areas. Anthropogenic food supply was found to be an important factor promoting the growth of alien populations of chipmunks, whereas the presence of the native red squirrel at the time of introduction may limit it.

In recent years, many cryptic species of bats have been discovered thanks to the application of molecular techniques. The several long-eared bat species (genus Plecotus ) occurring in Europe show a marked morphological similarity and occur in sympatry, so that when confusion may arise, molecular approaches have prime importance to establish the actual specific identity. Italy represents a diversity hotspot for bats in Europe, hosting 35 species, among them four Plecotus species. In this study we report on the first confirmed record of the Balkan’s long-eared bat Plecotus kolombatovici for peninsular Italy, review previous unconfirmed records and analyse the species’ potential distribution in the country using a modelling approach. The species’ potential distribution is strongly associated with warm summer temperatures and relatively high winter precipitations, typical of Mediterranean climate. The modelling exercise we did highlights that P. kolombatovici may occur in much of the Italian territory, including the Tyrrhenian coast and on many islands that border it. We therefore argue that P. kolombatovici presence has been so far overlooked due to the morphological resemblance of this species with the grey long-eared bat P. austriacus . Comprehensive surveys are needed to ascertain the actual distribution and establish the conservation status in Italy of this poorly known species to adopt effective legal and practical conservation measures.

The genus Hystrix includes eight species of porcupines distributed in Eurasia and Africa, across a broad latitudinal gradient. Our aim was to assess whether porcupine skulls: (1) allow for a reliable interspecific distinction; (2) change in size proportionally with body size; (3) follow the Bergmann's rule. We measured 235 Hystrix skulls from museums and private collections. We tested for differences in skull size and we assessed whether variability in skull shape allows species recognition through a multivariate approach. All Hystrix species considered could be reliably identified by skull shape. Skull size was correlated with body size and species differed in skull shape and size, with skulls of Hystrix javanica and Hystrix africaeaustralis being respectively the smallest and the largest ones. Within Hystrix cristata, the Mediterranean and the sub-Saharan clades differed for both skull size and shape. Using skull size, we could distinguish among African, mainland Italian and Sicilian populations. Skull size of this species decreased in size for increasing latitude values, contrary to prediction by the Bergmann's rule. Such latitudinal pattern may depend on the adaption of H. cristata to Equatorial African conditions, where the species evolved. In Italy (where H. cristata was introduced in the VI Century AD) and in North Africa, a smaller body size may be due to the local climate, or to a 'founder effect'.

Introduced species represent a threat to native wildlife worldwide, due to predation, competition, and disease transmission. Concurrent introduction of parasites may also add a new dimension of competition, i.e. parasite-mediated competition, through spillover and spillback dynamics. Urban areas are major hotspots of introduced species, but little is known about the effects of urban habitat structure on the parasite load and diversity of introduced species. Here, we investigated such environmental effects on the ectoparasite load, richness, and occurrence of spillback in two widespread invasive parakeets, Psittacula krameri and Myiopsitta monachus, in the metropolitan area of Rome, central Italy. We tested 231 parakeets and found that in both species parasite load was positively influenced by host abundance at local scale, while environmental features such as the amount of natural or urban habitats, as well as richness of native birds, influenced parasite occurrence, load, and richness differently in the two host species. Therefore, we highlight the importance of host population density and habitat composition in shaping the role of introduced parakeets in the spread of both native and introduced parasites, recommending the monitoring of urban populations of birds and their parasites to assess and manage the potential occurrence of parasite-mediated competition dynamics as well as potential spread of vector-borne diseases.

Old World porcupines are widely recorded as being agricultural pests throughout their distribution range. Despite being legally protected in Italy, the crested porcupine Hystrix cristata is extensively poached for its meat as well as for complained crop damages. In this work, we analysed the diet of crested porcupines in a Mediterranean coastal area surrounded by agricultural patches. Feeding habits of this species were assessed throughout the year through faecal analysis. Underground vegetal organs were the staple of the diet of this large rodent in both cold and warm months. Fruits were consumed mainly in cold months (hard epicarp species, e.g. acorns and pine nuts). In warm months, agricultural products, e.g. sunflowers, cereals and watermelons, were mostly consumed. Patterns of food consumption are consistent with a study on habitat selection by crested porcupine within the same study area. According to this previous study, the Mediterranean “macchia” represents a poor habitat in terms of food resources and it is selected only in cold months, when porcupines mainly feed on underground storage organs of woodland plants. During the summer, porcupines are forced to travel long distances to search for other food categories, e.g. cultivated species.

Competition for critical resources is one of the key mechanisms through which invasive species impact on native communities. Among birds, the widely introduced ring-necked parakeet Psittacula krameri locally affects cavity-nesting communities through competition for suitable tree cavities, although it remains unclear to what extent such competition translates into population declines of native species. Here, we studied the potential for nest site competition between ring-necked parakeets and the native scops owl Otus scops, a small nocturnal migratory raptor, by comparing the spatial distribution of the nest site locations of the raptor before (2002) and after (2015) the parakeet invasion. Pre-invasion nesting sites of scops owls (2002) strongly coincided with those selected by ring-necked parakeets, but although both parakeet and scops owl populations increased during the study period, this was no longer true for 2015. Ring-necked parakeets took over several cavities formerly occupied by scops owls, and land-use data suggest that because of the higher overall breeding densities in 2015, scops owls were forced to occupy suboptimal breeding habitats to minimize nest site competition with invasive parakeets. Ring-necked parakeets start breeding early in the season, a behaviour enabling them to secure the best nest sites first, before the owls return from their wintering grounds. Our study highlights that locally observed competition not necessarily impacts on population dynamics of competing species and thus warns against uncritical extrapolation of smaller scale studies for assessing invasive species risks at larger spatial scales. Nonetheless, given the increasing number of studies demonstrating its competitive capacities, monitoring of ring-necked parakeet populations is prudent and mitigation measures (such as mounting of man-made nest-boxes, which are used by scops owls, but not by parakeets) may be justified when the parakeets are likely to invade areas harbouring cavity-nesters of conservation concern.

espanolLas especies exoticas son la segunda causa de la crisis de biodiversidad mundial, precedida por la perdida y la fragmentacion del habitat. Algunas especies populares como mascotas, como los loros y las cotorras (Aves, Psittaciformes) suelen introducirse fuera de su area de distribucion nativa a consecuencia del comercio de animales de compania. Si escapan de su cautiverio, algunas de estas especies, como la cotorra de Kramer y la cotorra argentina, son sumamente invasivas y compiten con las especies autoctonas. Las poblaciones de loros del genero Amazona pueden encontrarse en todo el mundo, pero los datos relativos a su estado, distribucion y efectos son incompletos. Recopilamos y examinamos la informacion disponible relativa a la ecologia, abundancia, distribucion y comercio en el mundo de los loros del genero Amazona fuera de su area de distribucion nativa. Nuestro examen revela que al menos nueve especies de loros de este genero han establecido poblaciones fuera de su area de distribucion original en todo el mundo (en Europa, Sudafrica, las islas del Caribe, Hawaii y America del Norte y del Sur). Su comportamiento esquivo y el reducido tamano de la poblacion sugieren que se ha infravalorado el numero de nucleos introducidos o que no se han detectado todos. Pese a las prohibiciones impuestas al comercio internacional, parece que el gran volumen de loros Amazona capturados en libertad que se ha comerciado en los ultimos decenios ha contribuido al establecimiento de poblaciones foraneas en todo el mundo. Parece que exito del establecimiento varia en funcion de la zona geografica. Mientras que las poblaciones europeas siguen siendo de pequeno tamano y de crecimiento lento, las de los Estados Unidos son numerosas y estan en expansion. Esta diferencia no guarda relacion con una elevada presion del propagulo (comercio), pero si lo haga posiblemente con una mejor correspondencia de nichos entre las areas de distribucion originales y las de introduccion. Amazona aestiva es la especie del genero que se observa con mayor frecuencia y hasta la fecha se han notificado al menos ocho poblaciones foraneas. Todas estas poblaciones, salvo aquellas que se encuentran en zonas de los Estados Unidos donde el clima les es mas propicio, estan formadas por unos pocos individuos, a pesar de que lleven establecidas un largo periodo de tiempo. Es necesario seguir estudiando debido a la escasa informacion disponible sobre la ecologia de estas especies exoticas y sus posibles repercusiones. EnglishAlien species are the second leading cause of the global biodiversity crisis, after habitat loss and fragmentation. Popular pet species, such as parrots and parakeets (Aves, Psittaciformes), are often introduced outside their native range as a result of the pet trade. On escape from captivity, some such species, such as the ring–necked parakeet and the monk parakeet, are highly invasive and successfully compete with native species. Populations of Amazon parrots (Amazona spp.) can be found throughout the world, but data on their status, distribution and impact are incomplete. We gathered and reviewed the available information concerning global trade, distribution, abundance and ecology of Amazon parrots outside their native range. Our review shows that at least nine species of Amazon parrots have established populations outside their original range of occurrence throughout the world (in Europe, South Africa, the Caribbean islands, Hawaii, and North and South America). Their elusive behaviour and small population size suggest that the number of alien nuclei could be underestimated or at undetected. Despite international trade bans, the large trade of wild–caught Amazon parrots in past decades appears to have contributed to the establishment of alien populations worldwide. Establishment success seems to differ geographically. While European populations are still small and growing slowly, USA populations are large and expanding geographically. This difference is not related to large propagule pressure (trade) but possibly to a better niche match between native and introduced ranges. Amazona aestiva is the most frequently encountered Amazona parrot, with at least eight alien populations reported to date. All these populations, with the exception of those in the USA where the climate is more suitable for their establishment, are composed of a low number of individuals even though they have been established for a long period of time. Further research is required as little information is available on the ecology and potential impact of these alien populations.

All 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.