Date: May 9, 2019
Source: Wiley
The Eurasian
otter typically eats fish, but amphibians, which are in global decline, are
also part of its diet, especially when fish are scarce. In a Mammal Review study,
researchers identified bones of amphibians in otter faeces from southern Italy
to determine which types of amphibians are typically eaten. They also reviewed
64 studies of otter diet.
In the 64
studies, an average of 12 percent of prey items taken by otters were
amphibians. Predation of amphibians increased with longitude and was highest in
the Alpine biogeographical region in winter and spring. Also, 28 amphibian
species (35 percent of European species) were eaten by otters.
In their
analyses from southern Italy, the investigators identified 355 individuals
belonging to at least seven amphibian taxa. The investigators also concluded
that when feeding on frogs and toads, otters are more likely to take the noisy
males than the quieter females.
The findings
suggest that amphibians are a more significant part of the otter's diet than
commonly perceived. While this may constitute a threat to small populations of
endemic amphibians, their global decline is also likely to have consequences for
otter survival wherever fish resources have been depleted by overfishing and
pollution.
"We
knew that amphibians may represent a major food for otters in the Mediterranean
area, but I admit we were amazed and impressed to discover how great the
diversity of this resource could be," said corresponding author Dr.
Alessandro Balestrieri, of the University of Milan, in Italy.
Story
Source:
Materials
provided by Wiley. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal
Reference:
Giorgio
Smiroldo, Andrea Villa, Paolo Tremolada, Pasquale Gariano, Alessandro
Balestrieri, Massimo Delfino. Amphibians in Eurasian otter Lutra lutra
diet: osteological identification unveils hidden prey richness and male‐biased
predation on anurans. Mammal Review, 2019; DOI: 10.1111/mam.12155
Cite This
Page:
Wiley.
"Are otters threatening amphibian populations?." ScienceDaily.
ScienceDaily, 9 May 2019. .
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment
You only need to enter your comment once! Comments will appear once they have been moderated. This is so as to stop the would-be comedian who has been spamming the comments here with inane and often offensive remarks. You know who you are!