Snake species richness and shrubland correlate with the short-toed eagle (Circaetus gallicus) distribution in south- eastern Spain

The short-toed eagle (Circaetus gallicus) is a trophic specialist with a diet based almost exclusively on ophidians. In this work, the distribution of this eagle in southeastern Spain taken from national atlases, is analysed in relation to environmental variables. The results show that the short-toed eagle is distributed primarily in shrublands, probably because there it can easily locate and capture its prey. It also prefers an intermediate cover of forest, because it needs trees for nesting. Lastly, there was a correlation, after statistically controlling for other variables, between snake species richness and eagle presence. It is possible that snake species richness favours the presence of this raptor, as it preys on different species. Alternatively, because this raptor preys preferentially on dominant ophidians in the study area, it is also possible that the presence of this eagle favours snake diversity by a top-down regulation on the ophidian community.