Original scientific paper
Climatic and environmental influence on the distribution of lacertid lizards in the southern Po River Basin (Northern Italy)
Stefano Mazzotti
; Museo di Storia Naturale, Via De Pisis 24, I–44100 Ferrara, Italy
Abstract
The present study is a synthesis of data collected from 1980 to 1997 on lacertid lizards in the southern Po river basin (Northern Italy), investigated using the data from the Herpetological Data base of the Natural History Museum of Ferrara. In this area three species of lacertid lizards were recorded: Lacerta bilineata, Podarcis siculus and Podarcis muralis. The ordination of the UTM 10x10 km squares showed that P. muralis and L. bilineata had no particular distribution whereas P. siculus was restricted to the coastal areas and the Po plain zone. The climatic analysis reflected the altitudinal differentiation as the three species showed quite evident differences in distribution in relation to temperature rainfall and the thermo-pluviometric index distribution. In general the frequency of all species was considerable in urban areas; P. siculus and L. bilineata were present above all in fallow fields while P. muralis preferred ruins and walls. The former species were also present in shrubs; whereas P. siculus preferred dunes and beaches, P. muralis gravel and stones.
Keywords
Po River Basin; Podarcis siculus; Podarcis muralis; Lacerta bilineata; thermo-pluviometric gradient; altitudinal range; habitat selections
Hrčak ID:
54829
URI
Publication date:
30.9.1999.
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