Seasonal variation in the trophic niche of a heterochronic population of Triturus alpestris apuanus from the south-western Alps

Details

Serval ID
serval:BIB_82E63436838F
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Title
Seasonal variation in the trophic niche of a heterochronic population of Triturus alpestris apuanus from the south-western Alps
Journal
Herpetological Journal
Author(s)
Vignoli Leonardo, Bombi Pierluigi, D'Amen Manuela, Bologna Marco A.
ISSN
0268-0130
ISSN-L
0268-0130
Publication state
Published
Issued date
2007
Volume
17
Number
3
Pages
183-191
Language
english
Notes
ISI:000256389400006
Abstract
The aim of this study was to analyse the diet composition and feeding strategy of a heterochronic population of the Alpine newt, Triturus alpestris apuanus (Bonaparte, 1839), in a high-altitude pond in the south-western Alps, characterized by a reduced aquatic habitat and low environmental heterogeneity. The co-existence of both adult newt morphs in such a non-complex habitat with short suitable hydroperiod (water surface free of ice) may not be governed by different microhabitat selection or temporal activity, but could be due to diet composition differentiation among morphs. The diet of the newt was examined and compared with prey availability in summer and autumn. Both numerical and volumetric analyses of the gut contents showed that: 1) metamorphs represented a homogeneous group clearly linked to epineustonic prey categories (exogenous arthropods), whereas paedomorphs showed a prey selection mainly towards planktonic food categories; 2) evident seasonal variations in diet composition not connected to aquatic prey availability were observed in the studied forms; 3) metamorphs and paedomorphs may possibly avoid competition (if there is any) through food resource partitioning rather than microhabitat selection.
Keywords
alpine newt, Amphibia, feeding strategy, high-altitude pond, Salamandridae
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Create date
24/10/2013 11:10
Last modification date
20/08/2019 15:42
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