INTRA- AND INTER-POPULATION VARIABILITY OF FOOD PREFERENCES OF TWO NATRIX SPECIES ON THE BALKAN PENINSULA
2014
Аутори:
Sukalo, GoranĐorđević, Sonja
Gvozdenovic, Sladana
Simovic, Aleksandar
Anđelković, Marko
Blagojevic, Veljko
Tomovic, Ljiljana
Тип документа:
Чланак у часопису (Објављена верзија)
Метаподаци
Приказ свих података о документуАпстракт:
In aquatic and surrounding terrestrial ecosystems, snakes of the genus
Natrix are among the top predators, feeding predominantly on fishes and
amphibians, but also on other reptiles and small mammals. In the diets
of Natrix natrix and N. tessellata, preferred food items vary
geographically and during ontogeny. To understand these variations, we
collected data on their diet composition in several habitats (river,
wetlands, and two types of lakes), some of which are under severe
anthropogenic pressures. Both Natrix species were able to quickly adapt
to changes in available prey, and to feed even on non-indigenous,
invasive, and potentially hazardous fish. Disturbed ecosystems are
particularly susceptible to invasions. Therefore, if alien fishes become
dominant, they may threaten populations of native snakes. On the other
hand, semi-aquatic snakes can contribute to natural regulation of alien
fish species abundance. The preliminary results presented herein
emphasize the urgent need for integrative studies of natricine snakes
and their prey ecology under various and/or dynamic circumstances.
Better understanding of the functioning of different aquatic ecosystems
may enable proper conservation and restoration for these snake species
and their habitats.