Spatial Distribution and Habitat Utilization of Reptiles in a Mediterranean Area (Castel di Guido, Rome, Italy)

Abstract

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to describe, for the LIPU Castel di Guido Oasis, within the Castel di Guido Farm, on the Roman coast, the different spatial distribution of the different species of reptiles that coexist in the area. The work also defines correlations between the presence of animals and the various environmental and vegetation types present. In the study area, Testudo hermanni is a species that has the feeding areas, as well as the deposition areas, in the prairies adjacent the plant formation of the Mediterranean maquis(within 5 meters). Hemidactylus turcicus and Tarentola mauritanica seem to have a localization exclusively in the context of anthropic structures. Chalcides chalcides and Podarcis siculus appear to be confined to prairie areas, while Podarcis muralis is associated with the presence of trees of high-trunk plant associations. For Lacerta bilineata, a correspondence is outlined for the areas with arboreal shrubby vegetation, especially close to more humid habitats. Among the snakes Hierophis viridiflavus appears to be an ubiquitous species, with the frequentation of different habitats in the same percentage; more localized appear Vipera aspis and Elaphe quatuorlineata, the first more linked to wooded areas with the presence of bushy and shrubby vegetal coverings, the second is often associated with the simultaneous presence of forests and water collections. In general it is confirmed, as regards the snake community, the importance of ecotonal and transitional zones. The work also highlights how the study area is important for the conservation of reptile populations in the Roman area.