Has the common genet (Genetta genetta) spread into south‐eastern France and Italy?

Abstract

The common genet (Genetta genetta) is a small carnivoran that was probably introduced from Maghreb into south‐western Europe. We reassessed its easternmost European distribution from 110—mostly new—data collected in south‐eastern France and Italy, and tested for potential habitat selection, to finally re‐evaluate the role of the Rhône as a geographic barrier against eastward migrations. The species was more frequent in river valleys, wetlands and low‐mountainous areas (south‐eastern France), but also occurred in high‐mountainous zones at the French–Italian border. Our results evidenced a significant increase of records (13‐fold the number of occurrences previously known) and an apparent absence of habitat selection by the common genet, suggesting a recent, natural spread from the right bank of the Rhône through a zone of ∼30 km with artificial bridges. We finally provide a synthetic, re‐assessed distribution map of the common genet in France and Italy, combining 4317 occurrences from French national databases and the 110 records collected herein.

Keywords:

• Europe
• non‐native species
• Carnivora
• Viverridae
• Genetta genetta
• range expansion

Acknowledgements

We wish to thank the following people for having contributed to data collection on the distribution of the common genet in PACA and Italy: J. Barret (ONF, BdR), Y. Bielle and B. Lequette (P.N. du Mercantour, AlM), M. Blanchet (P.N.R. du Queyras, HAl), D. Chavis (P.N.R. du Verdon, AHP), G. Coste (FDC, BdR), E. Crégut (Muséum Requien, Avignon, Vau), P. Daumas and S. Koest (Centre de Gestion de la Fonction Publique Territoriale 04, AHP), G. Farny (P.N. des Ecrins, HAl), M. Gallardo (P.N.R. du Luberon, AHP), P‐F. Galvin (FDC, HAl), G. and N. Gaubert (Manosque, AHP), O. Gerriet and A. Villers (In‐Natura, AlM), A. Guegant‐Malaussa (Réserve Naturelle Volontaire du Domaine des Courmettes, AlM), P. Legendre (FDC, Var), O. Hameau (Villars, Vau), F. Léger (ONCFS, Gerstheim, France), E. Lux (Settore Tutela faunistica, Agricoltura, Montagna e Parchi, Verbania Fondotoce, Italy), G. Olioso (Grignan, France), A. Olivier (Réserve Naturelle Volontaire de la Tour du Valat, BdR), J‐P. Olivier (DIREN PACA, BdR), P. Orsini (Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle de Toulon et du Var), M. Pâques (Réserve Naturelle Volontaire de Saint‐Honorat, AlM), L. Picco (Servizio Tutela della Fauna e della Flora, Torino, Italy), S. Pichard (Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle de Marseille, BdR), P. Tartary (Conservatoire Etudes des Écosystèmes de Provence / Alpes du Sud, Var), S. Urio (Centre de sauvegarde de la faune sauvage, P.N.R. du Luberon, AHP). P.G. is thankful to P. Haffner, A. Grange‐Lalaoui, J. Comolet‐Tirman, J. Moret, L. Deharveng (MNHN), and F. Moutou (SFEPM) for having provided access to the national databases used in this study. We are grateful to M. Papeş, P.J. Taylor and P. Haffner for having significantly improved the early version of the manuscript. P.G. thanks G. Gaubert for computer support.