Distribution and habitat preference of small mammals in a biotope of the north Italian plain

Abstract

Small mammal communities were studied in six habitats in the north Italian plain. Nine species were trapped: pygmy shrew, Sorex minutus; common shrew, Sorex araneus; lesser white toothed shrew, Crocidura suaveolens; white toothed shrew, Crocidura leucodon; harvest mouse, Micromys minutus; wood mouse, Apodemus sylraticus; bank vole, Clethrionomys glareolus; Savi pine vole, Microtus savii; water vole, Arvicola terrestris. Community diversity and species richness appeared to be related to the structural complexity of the habitat; the species composition, however differed from that usually recorded in communities in northern and central Europe. Yellow‐necked mouse, Apodemus flavicollis was not trapped, thus confirming the absence, or scarcity, of this woodland species in the north Italian plain: common vole. Microtus arvalis and field vole, Microtus agrestis, although widely distributed and abundant in northern and central Europe were not trapped. Shrews and rodents were found to be spatially segregated. Syntopic species were clustered in eurytopic, woodland and stetopihygrophilous species; each of these groups showed a well‐defined habitat preference.

Key words:

• Mammals
• Rodents
• Shrews
• Mammal distribution