Seasonal cravings: plant food preferences of syntopic small mammals

摘要: Having a thorough understanding of animal feeding behaviour is basic aim in ecology. Food represents crucial resource that can strongly rule populations, especially where food supplies are seasonal, such as temperate areas. In Italy, sub-Mediterranean forests dominated by deciduous oaks commonly inhabited the yellow-necked mouse Apodemus flavicollis, wood A. sylvaticus and bank vole Myodes glareolus. Despite rich literature regarding their diet composition northern Europe, to our knowledge no studies have been published on preferences these rodents syntopy forests. Feeding 33 10 18 M. glareolus reproductive parts (flowers, unripe ripe fruits) 26 representative plant species oak forest central Italy were investigated through seasonal cafeteria-style experiments. Our findings evidence flavicollis exhibited distinct all seasons...