Assessment of Detection Methods and Vegetation Associations for Introduced Finlayson’s Squirrels ( Callosciurus finlaysonii ) in Italy

摘要: Managing biological invasions requires rapid, cost-effective assessments of introduced species’ occurrence, and a good understanding the vegetation associations. This is particularly true for species that are elusive or may spread rapidly. Finlayson’s squirrel (Callosciurus finlaysonii) native to Thailand southeastern Asia, two populations occur in peninsular Italy. One rapidly expanding, but neither effective monitoring protocols nor reliable information on associations available. To fill this gap, we conducted visual surveys hair tube sampling periurban landscape southern Italy compare effectiveness these methods assessing presence squirrel. We also determined association with types at detection locations nesting sites. Both effectively assessed presence, tubes resulted fewer false absences. Moreover, when controlled costs labor equipment, were 33.1% less expensive than sampling. Presence squirrels their nests was positively correlated shrub richness, indicating occurrence forests well-developed understory inhibit species.