This study attempts to explore biogeographical patterns in vertebrate assemblages of the Czech Republic and to delineate faunal biogeographical regions of the country. We focused on native terrestrial species and first explored main gradients in the composition of their assemblages. The first gradient revealed by Principal Coordinate Analysis was best correlated with climatic variables, whereas the second gradient can be ascribed rather to longitude and to the associated habitat change. Using the spatially constrained clustering, the Czech Republic was divided into five cohesive regions and species above-average associated with these regions showed distinct distributions within the European continent. Delineated regions also significantly differed at least in three considered environmental variables. We provided clear evidence that species distribution data gathered by national mapping support main biogeographical patterns suggested by previously published expert-based classifications of the country. We also demonstrated that the fauna of the Czech Republic shows a biogeographical pattern very similar to that showed by natural habitats defined in terms of plant communities. This indicates that both fauna and flora of the Czech Republic yield to the same environmental forces and biogeographical processes such as spreading of faunistic and floristic elements from the adjacent Carpathian Mountains and the Pannonian Basin.

Characteristics of annual rings on scales, otoliths, vertebrae, opercular bones and cleithra of two loaches, Misgurnus anguillicaudatus and Paramisgurnus dabryanus collected from Zhengzhou city, Henan Province, China, and the precision of age estimations from the five different structures of these two loaches were investigated in this study. Results obtained here showed that: the scale and otolith were suitable for age estimation in M. anguillicaudatus and P. dabryanus; percent agreements of age estimations based on these two different structures for M. anguillicaudatus and P. dabryanus were respectively 81.5 % and 79.5 %; M. anguillicaudatus and P. dabryanus had similar age compositions including five age groups; while the vertebra, opercular bone and cleithrum were not suitable for age estimation of M. anguillicaudatus and P. dabryanus because of their unclear annual rings.

The aim of the study is to get a representative picture of the diet composition of hoopoes in vineyards as specific man made habitats in Central Europe. Therefore diet composition and its interannual variability and the representativeness of two sampling techniques have been studied in hoopoe nestlings, Upupa epops during two breeding periods. Altogether, 1081 prey items were identified and classified into ca. 90 species, 32 families and 11 orders of invertebrates. Regarding interannual variation, the number of prey items per nestbox did not differ between years in the same nestboxes. A within-nest comparison between the two sampling methods revealed a significant difference in the number of prey items for four categories, namely orthopterans, “other beetles”, arachnids and lepidopterans. Comparing the two sampling methods, revealed reversed results regarding the proportion of the main prey categories; e.g. scarabaeid larvae, abundant in the camera samples, were less frequent in faeces, whereas “other beetles” were common in faeces, but were only occasionally detected in the camera recordings. The occurrence of the earthworms in the hoopoe's food is novel. We finally discuss advantages as well as the drawbacks of both methods and the possibility to use both these contrasting, but non-invasive techniques.

Many migratory bird species winter in southern Europe and weather influences their abundance, distribution, arrival and departure dates. This study compares the influence of air temperature and precipitation on abundance of waterfowl (Anas spp., Anser albifrons and Fulica atra), woodcock (Scolopax rusticola), skylark (Alauda arvensis) and meadow pipit (Anthus pratensis), representative species of wetland, woodland and farmland ecosystems, in Hellas (Greece). The harsh winter of 2001–2002 led initially to the increase of waterfowl abundance, however the prolonged cold weather forced the birds south. The following year's counts showed an increase of larger bodied and a decrease of smaller bodied waterfowl species. In forestland, the woodcock abandoned its mountainous wintering area in low temperatures and its abundance decreased the year following the harsh winter. Precipitation during November and December influenced negatively the abundance of woodcocks along the studied route probably due to their increased dispersion. In farmland, the preliminary results did not indicate any clear relation between the abundance or departure of skylarks and meadow pipits and air temperature and precipitation. A trend of skylarks to stay longer in the study area was observed with lower air temperatures in March. The influence of meteorological conditions differs from species to species due to their various ecological demands and different habitats. Future climate change is expected to influence abundance, duration of stay and the distribution of wintering birds.

The Japanese scops owl (Otus semitorques) and Ural owl (Strix uralensis), found in the forests of northeastern China, differ in body size and foraging tactics, and are thus expected to prey on different rodent species. We hypothesized that the Japanese scops owl, an active predator, would prey on smaller and younger individuals than the Ural owl, a sit-and-wait predator. We used pellet analyses to evaluate selection of rodents by the two owls in relation to prey species, age, and size. Although the two owl species consumed a wide range of food items, rodents constituted the most common prey with the greatest biomass in the Japanese scops owl. The Japanese scops owl also foraged on insects and birds, whereas the Ural owl complemented its diet of rodents with spiders, scorpions and snakes. The Japanese scops owl selected smaller and younger rodents and the Ural owl preyed on larger and older individuals. Morphology and behaviour of both prey and predators may explain this differential predation between the two species.

Agricultural damages caused by wild boar Sus scrofa have given farmers a negative impression of protected areas and their management. To mitigate those damages and the social conflicts that they create, hunting battues involving experienced local hunters were used as a lethal population control method in a protected Iberian wetland. In the Ebro Sotos and Galachos Nature Reserve, Spain, between 1994 and 2011, 259 wild boars were culled during 476 battues. On average, battues involved six hunters and ten dogs, and culling efficiency (number of animals killed per animals seen during battues) was 39 %. The number of battues per year and the area of crop damages caused by wild boar were significantly negatively correlated, demonstrating battue efficiency to decrease damages. Moreover, intermittent population control through culling led to a substantial increase in the wild boar population, with an increase in crop damages. This underlines the importance of constant control. The numbers of hunters and dogs and the number of wild boar seen during battues were strongly correlated. To minimize the conflicts between farmers and the management of protected areas, we suggest that the inexpensive, volunteer-based population control program could be enhanced by incorporating stalking and mobile electric fences.

Wild boar diet composition highly reflects the management of the species as well as the level of its damaging effect. For this reason we tried to prove similarity and reliability of three methods of wild boar diet analysis to find out their suitability in practical use. Gastrointestinal tracts of 27 wild boar specimens were sampled, with the stomach and faecal contents of each individual being analysed and compared. Stomach and faeces analyses were done by identification of food items under microscope and measuring their quantity volumetrically. The third method, so called “veterinary”, was the simplest one lying in the visual estimation of diet items percentage content diluted and spread in water on a tray. The similarity evaluation by qualitative and quantitative indices and additionally the generalised additive model confirmed that it is possible to identify all major food items which indicate the main diet strategy using all three analysis methods. All three tested methods were relevant in terms of basic features of quantitative and qualitative dietary assessment. The simple “veterinary” method, based on pure estimation, was proved to be suitable for field studies.

Transport infrastructure is a critical threat to populations of animals; wildlife crossing structures are therefore commonly applied as a measure to sustain animal movements across roads and railways. Research on the efficiency of crossing structures is needed to provide scientific underpinnings to conservation efforts. Year-round monitoring of a large underpass on the S69 expressway in the western Polish Carpathians revealed that the crossing structure was mainly used by wild mammals (68.6 %), followed by domestic animals (22.1 %) and people (9.3 %). Wild mammals (14 species) were represented by both game and protected species, including largebodied species like red deer Cervus elaphus, roe deer Capreolus capreolus and wild boar Sus scrofa. The Shannon species diversity index and Shannon's evenness index varied seasonally, with the highest number of species recorded in summer and lowest in winter. Red deer neither avoided nor selected for the wildlife crossing structure, while roe deer selected for it, and wild boar avoided it. This study indicates that large underpasses in mountains are used by a rich community of mammals, even if located close to human settlements.

The Maghreb endemic Cuvier's gazelle experienced a dramatic decline during the 20^th century, both in distribution and abundance. After the syntheses published in the 1990's, we update the knowledge on the distribution and abundance of this species in Algeria from two independent sources: (1) field surveys, (2) answers to a questionnaire. The comparison of data collected 25 years after the last inventories suggests a slight reduction of the range, Cuvier's gazelles retreating to the optimum habitats along the south-western part of Algeria. Populations in Tiaret and M'sila governorates, which were particularly monitored, showed different ecology and dynamics.

Multiparasitism is a common ecological phenomenon, being the norm rather than the exception, in the wild. This article describes the case of a wood mouse, Apodemus sylvaticus, originating from a post-fire regeneration area, infected with multiple helminth species and remarkable overweight. The mouse analyzed was captured at a post-fire regeneration site in the Serra Calderona Natural Park (Comunitat Valenciana, Spain). The rodent was captured and marked for the first time in the spring of 2011, weighing 22.5 g. When it was recaptured in the winter of 2012, it weighed 44.0 g. The mouse was parasitized by a total of 31 helminths belonging to seven species, including six Taenia parva metacestodes. These tapeworm juveniles reached a weight of 12.0 g, more than 25 % of the host's weight. Therefore, multiple parasitism should be considered the real cause of its elevated weight. Although only one case of this unusual overweight has been found in this post-fire regeneration area, it, nevertheless, supports the theory that ecosystem instability can induce unusual situations in the parasite-host system.

Species coexistence depends mainly on the spatiotemporal distribution of resources, and, in extreme cases, results in direct competition (interference). In the present study, we report for the first time an agonistic interaction between marsupials and bats, and food defense behaviour in the black-eared opossum Didelphis aurita. We describe the agonistic interaction between the opossum and a bat of the species Artibeus lituratus while they foraged on the same infructescences of Cecropia glaziovii and C. hololeuca in an Atlantic Forest area. While competing for food, the bats foraged in group (of approximately six individuals) and apparently showed a synchronized and coordinated behaviour to pick the infructescences. Then, a male D. aurita showed an aggressive behaviour toward the bats, moving on branches and leaf petioles and vocalizing to the bats, apparently trying to scare them away. We conclude that D. aurita defends food in a way consistent with the concept of economic defendability. We know little about how Neotropical mammals share resources in time and space, so future studies on the foraging behaviour of the black-eared opossum should focus on agonistic interaction with competitive species.