https://doi.org/10.4081/nhs.2024.746
A Eurasian otter Lutra lutra (Linnaeus 1758) (Carnivora: Mustelidae) in the Tiber basin near Rome: relict or range expansion?
Submitted: 1 January 2024
Accepted: 29 April 2024
Published: 25 June 2024
Accepted: 29 April 2024
Abstract Views: 1796
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SUPPORTING INFORMATION: 143
SUPPORTING INFORMATION: 143
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All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
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The Eurasian otter Lutra lutra faced a significant decline in Italy during the 20th century, leading to local extinctions. After fifty years of otter disappearance from the Tiber basin, this study documents a sighting near Rome, obtained during a long-term trail camera monitoring. The study area, Rio Moscio, offers a habitat rich in hygrophilous vegetation and diverse fauna, including other protected species such as the Italian wolf, the European wildcat, and the European polecat. The observed otter could either mark a potential range expansion or could challenge the presumed extinctions in this region, since it could be in dispersal from the closer known populations or an individual from a Tiber basin relict population. The study emphasises the need for continued monitoring and prompt future genetic analyses to obtain necessary insights for conserving otters in Central Italy.
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How to Cite
Cervoni, F., Giardini, M., D’Urbano, S., Marini, D., & Grispigni Manetti, C. (2024). A Eurasian otter <i>Lutra lutra</i> (Linnaeus 1758) (Carnivora: Mustelidae) in the Tiber basin near Rome: relict or range expansion?. Natural History Sciences. https://doi.org/10.4081/nhs.2024.746
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