This study investigated the post-spawning dispersal of seven species occurring in a tributary of the Římov Reservoir during the years 2000–2004. Fish were captured during spawning migration to the tributary, marked and released. The subsequent distribution of marked fish was followed in the reservoir and tributary during three successive periods 1) early summer, 2) late summer and 3) the next spawning season. Species were divided into two groups — obligatory tributary spawners (white bream Blicca bjoerkna, chub Squalius cephalus, bleak Alburnus alburnus and asp Aspius aspius) that did so predominantly in the tributary of the reservoir and generalists (bream Abramis brama, perch Perca fluviatilis and roach Rutilus rutilus) that usually spawned in the tributary as well as at different sites within the reservoir main body. We hypothesized that obligatory tributary spawners would distribute across the reservoir after spawning according to their species-specific preferences for certain feeding grounds. We expected a relatively low or erratic postspawning dispersal for spawning generalists. The results of the study revealed that the post-spawning dispersal of obligatory tributary spawners is consistent with our hypothesis and they most likely dispersed according to their feeding ground requirements. The postspawning dispersal of generalists revealed that the assumed low dispersal was relevant for bream and perch while erratic dispersal was observed in roach.

Natural occurrence of pentaploid loach, Misgurnus anguillicaudatus discovered from Liangzi Lake area, Hubei Province, central China, is reported here for the first time. The evidences from karyotyping, DNA content analysis and nuclear volume measurements were described to confirm the pentaploid nature of the identified individual. This individual was phenotypically indistinguishable from its sympatric diploid and tetraploid counterparts. The chromosome number was 5n = 125, the mean erythrocyte nuclear DNA content was 2.62 and 1.25 times of their diploid and tetraploid counterparts, respectively. An origin of such polyploidy form either from genome addition of normal sperm nuclei to unreduced egg and the mating of tetraploid individual and hexaploid individual, respectively, is hypothesized.

In this study, the 2n = 58 chromosomal race of blind mole rats, Nannospalax xanthodon, from the Erzincan province in Turkey was investigated. Conventional chromosome staining, Ag-NOR staining and C-banding analysis were carried out in the specimens studied. The karyotype included three small or medium-sized meta/submetacentric pairs and twenty-five acrocentric pairs of autosomes of gradually diminishing size (NFa = 62). C-heterochromatin regions were found in centromeric and pericentromeric areas or in short arms of some bi-armed autosomal pairs and in pericentromeric areas of a few acrocentric autosomes. The X chromosome had a centromeric C-positive band and the short arm of the Y chromosome appeared to be C-positively stained. The NORs were localized in distal heterochromatin areas of the short arms of two pairs of biarmed and one pair of acrocentric autosomes. Within the 58 chromosome populations reported from Turkey, two groups can be recognized differing by the presence or absence of a large submetacentric autosomal pair. The populations possessing this marker chromosome occur in central and northern Anatolia, whereas populations form eastern Anatolia have no similar chromosome in their karyotype.

The common shrew is a major evolutionary model for understanding the factors that lead to chromosomal subdivision; it is one of the most chromosomally variable species. We karyotyped 106 common shrews (Sorex araneus) from 24 localities in north-eastern European Russia which we showed to belong to five chromosomal races: Kirillov, Manturovo, Petchora, Serov and Sok. These new data were combined with published results on 146 individuals from 55 localities (with three additional races: Kanin, Yagry and Yuryuzan) to provide a substantive analysis of chromosomal variation in this region. The ranges of the eight races were mapped, the areas of contacts between neighbouring races were determined and new interracial hybrid zones were localised. In total, F₁ hybrid karyotypes were found in 22 individuals from 11 localities; including our demonstration of Manturovo-Petchora, Manturovo-Sok, Petchora-Serov, Petchora-Sok and Serov-Sok F₁ hybrid karyotypes for the first time. These hybrids would be expected to produce ring-of-four, ring-of-six or ring-of-eight meiotic configurations. The distribution of the races could not readily be related to environmental or geographic features, and in particular major rivers did not appear important in separation of races. This represents one of the most detailed studies of chromosomal variation in the common shrews at a regional geographic scale and is of especial significance because north-eastern European Russia has been little affected by human activity, and therefore the results are likely to represent fully natural processes.

Daubenton's bat Myotis daubentonii is one of the most common bat species of Europe, hunting its prey in the surroundings of water bodies, with different microhabitats. To explore the local adaptability to different environmental conditions, we compared the diet of Daubenton's bats at four different sites in a lake landscape in northern Germany with a main focus on prey diversity. Bats were caught (n = 85) in mist nets for collecting individual faecal pellets (n = 276). Pellets were dissected and the occurrence of identifiable pieces of each prey group was evaluated and grouped in five different frequency groups. We found 17 different groups of arthropods among the prey, with a clear dominance of Chironomidae and Trichoptera. There were significant differences among the sampling sites in prey diversity but not in prey richness.The changes in prey diversity were associated with sample sites. We conclude that on a local scale there is low variability in diet of Daubenton's bat caused by hunting in various habitat structures in the surroundings of water bodies. Our results highlight the ecological flexibility of M. daubentonii, which could be an explanation for the commonness of M. daubentonii across Europe in comparison to the rather rare pond bat (Myotis dasycneme), which has similar habitats and main prey group preferences.

We determined burrow temperature variation for the Chinese pangolin in winter over a study period from 1 December 2009 to 28 February 2010, at Luofushan Nature Reserve, China. Our results show that the air temperature inside the burrow was stable with only a slight fluctuation, the diurnal variation amplitude was merely 0.0–0.5 °C (SD = 0.08 ± 0.09 °C, n = 90), and winter temperature fluctuated between 17.8–21.0 °C. On the contrary, air temperature outside the burrow fluctuated dramatically, the diurnal variation amplitude ranging from 0.7–20.0 °C (SD = 4.99 ± 3.47 °C, n = 90); the seasonal temperature fluctuated between 4.6–38.3 °C. In winter, the average temperature inside the burrow was 18.96 °C (SD = 0.91, n = 90), and significantly higher than the average temperature outside the burrow (p < 0.01), which was 15.16 °C (SD = 3.85, n = 90). No significant relationship was found between the temperatures inside and outside the burrow, and the temperature changes outside the burrow had almost no significant influence on thermal conditions inside the burrow. It was therefore proposed that the most optimum ambient temperature for Chinese pangolins in winter was in the range of 18–21 °C.

The diet of the polecat (Mustela putorius) was studied by analysing 1078 scats collected in extensive farmland in Poland between 2006 and 2008. The diet included a wide variety of prey species; the main component were rodents (51.7 % of biomass), mainly Microtus arvalis. Birds were the second most common group in the diet (%Fr = 4.5). Anurans, reptiles, invertebrates and other items were additional elements of the diet. Seasonal comparisons reveal differences in diet. Rodents and birds were exploited throughout the year. Other mammals and carrion were the main component of a winter diet, whereas in spring amphibians and reptiles were characteristic prey. Diet of polecat from the studied agricultural landscape in Poland was more similar to diet of population from Hungary than to France. All these patterns confirm that polecat is a food generalist with almost exclusively carnivorous diet and can easily exploit different food resources.

The diet of otters was studied by the means of spraint analysis in the Bieszczady Mountains, in southeastern Poland. The study area extended over 25 km long stretch of the River San, about 1 km above Solina dam reservoir. Spraints were collected on seven 2 km long sections in 1993, and on three sections in 2010. In both study periods, otter spraints were collected in August, when the weather conditions were similar. The study revealed high contribution of mountain fish species such as Phoxinus phoxinus, Cottus spp., and Barbatula barbatula in otter diet. Diet composition along the River San showed little variation in 1993, except from the section closest to dam reservoir where it was characterised by the highest frequency of occurrence of perch Perca fluviatilis, cyprinids and amphibians. The share of perch in otter diet decreased, while that of noble crayfish Astacus astacus increased with the distance from Solina reservoir. Changes in otter diet between 1993–2010 were characterized by an increase of the consumption of perch and cyprinids on the one hand, and a decrease of the consumption of crayfish, on the other. Both spatial and temporal changes in otter diet reflected the effect of Solina reservoir on the river community and the availability of prey to otters. The results indicate the ongoing changes in fish community influenced by the construction of Solina reservoir.

The aim of this study is to evaluate how wolves affected the prey community in a newly recolonization area of the Western Alps, the Gran Paradiso National Park (GPNP). Since 1960's, this portion of the Alps hosts a multi-specific wild ungulate community. It lived in absence of large predators for more than a century. In 2006 a couple of wolves re-established in GPNP and in summer 2007 the first reproduction was documented. The present study was conducted during the following two years. In term of biomass consumed (Bio%), Alpine chamois was the main prey of wolves in all seasons (Bio%_{Summer 2007} = 70.13; Bio%_{Winter 2007/2008} = 56.99; Bio%_{Summer 2008} = 67.52; Bio%_{Winter 2008/2009} = 36.35), while roe deer were intensely consumed during the adverse season (Bio%_W2007/2008 = 23.05 %; Bio%_W2008/2009 = 42.47 %). Although cervids were much less abundant than bovids in the area, they represented one of the main food items of wolves, possibly because of the strong habitat overlap and altitude use between predator and preys. Moreover, the minor adaptation of cervids to the Alpine environment compared to bovids could affect their vulnerability and thus the respective consumption of the different species during the adverse season.

With solitary-living species, such as the European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), high individuality is also expected to influence activity. Here we studied the annual activity patterns of European roe deer in the Bavarian Forest National Park. We investigated the influence of age and sex, the weather, and the individuality. We used sex-specific generalized additive models with variables that considered the age of the animal and also the high-resolution site-specific parameters temperature, precipitation, and snow depth. Data from 20 males and 9 females were gathered continuously with GPS-GSM collars carrying a dual-axis acceleration sensor. Our results indicated that the main factors influencing the activity patterns of the crepuscular roe deer in the Bavarian Forest National Park are the individual, the season, and the time of day, and that weather parameters are secondary. GPS-GSM collars with a dual-axis acceleration sensor allow long-term, continuous, and remote activity monitoring of European roe deer.

Vigilance is recognized as the response to potential predation threats. Many factors influence vigilance behaviour, and the effect of group size has had a great deal of attention in recent years. The group size effect hypothesis proposes that there is a negative relationship between group size and vigilance, which has been proven ture for many birds and mammal species. However this relationship has not been investigated for a number of other species including the Equus kiang. The E. kiang is the largest wild ass in the world, and endemic to the Tibetan Plateau. Previous studies have reported its distribution and reproduction, but information about their behaviour especially their daytime activity budgets is still very limited. Also unknown is if the distinctive habitat of the Tibetan Plateau makes their behaviour different from other Equidae species. So in this paper, we discuss our behavioural observations of the daytime activity budgets and the group size effect on vigilance for the E. kiang population in the Arjinshan National Nature Reserve, Xinjiang, China. The results indicate that group size has a significant effect on the vigilance levels: with an increase in group size, both the group scan level decreased and group scan frequency increased. Our results also showed that E. kiang spent most of their time feeding (51.41 ± 2.74 %), followed by moving (22.49 ± 1.40 %), standing (19.62 ± 6.74 %), resting (18.41 ± 2.13 %), and other activities (8.64 ± 0.72 %). Their feeding behaviour showed three distinct activity peaks during the day: early morning (8:00–11:00), midday (14:30–15:30), and around sunset (18:00–19:30). During the peaks of activity, E. kiang spent most of their time feeding, and during the period of inactivity, E. kiang spent most of their time resting and standing. So the group size effect was supported for E. kiang by this study, and our results are consistent with research on other Equidae species.