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Abstract
European cave salamanders of the genus Hydromantes are a group of eight species endemic to Italy and south-eastern France. Knowledge on the trophic niche of European Hydromantes is poor, and the few available studies only partially investigate their feeding habits. We performed an in-depth study on the trophic niche of the Ambrosi’s cave salamander (H. ambrosii), assessing the potential divergences among three different populations. All the populations had a similar diet composition, showing a wider trophic niche in fall compared to spring. In only one population, “true specialists” were present; however, in all three populations, generalist individuals always represented the larger proportion. Interspecific and intraspecific competition did not play an important role in determining individual dietary specialisation in H. ambrosii; contrarily, the characteristics of the surrounding environment seemed to be an important factor. The best body conditions were observed in the population located in the site where the non-arboreal vegetation cover was the highest. Besides providing new information on the trophic niche of H. ambrosii, we here showed that studies encompassing both intrinsic and extrinsic factors at the population level are needed to fully understand the trophic dynamics occurring among European cave salamanders.
Highlights
IntroductionEuropean plethodontid salamanders (genus Hydromantes; see [1] for taxonomic discussion) are composed of eight species distributed in Italy and in Provencal France [2]
European plethodontid salamanders are composed of eight species distributed in Italy and in Provencal France [2]
No significant difference in the arboreal cover was observed among the three sites; when considering the non-arboreal cover, Population 3 had a significantly higher proportion compared to the other two (Table 1)
Summary
European plethodontid salamanders (genus Hydromantes; see [1] for taxonomic discussion) are composed of eight species distributed in Italy and in Provencal France [2]. Not being strictly cave species [2], the se relatively small salamanders are often found in caves and other subterranean habitats, where they seek specific microclimatic conditions [5]. Plethodontid salamanders lack lungs and mainly breath through the skin [6]; to keep their respiration efficient, the y need relatively low temperatures and high moisture [7]. This particular microclimate is found in subterranean habitats all year round [8,9]; stable populations of Hydromantes are often found in these habitats, where they can reach high abundances [2]. Besides the high environmental suitability, subterranean habitats generally lack predators ([10]; but see [11,12] for a few exceptions), a condition allowing Hydromantes salamanders to select these habitats for their long reproductive period [13]
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