Understanding how fire influences animal behaviour, such as movement and resource selection, is important for ecosystem management because it can improve our capacity to predict species will respond. We assessed microhabitat selection by two small mammals, the bush rat (Rattus fuscipes) agile antechinus (Antechinus agilis), in response a low intensity prescribed fire. used spool line tracking t...

In this paper we analyze the seed dispersal stage of the Prunus mahaleb–frugivorous bird interaction from fruit removal through seed delivery within the context of disperser effectiveness. The effectiveness of a frugivorous species as a seed disperser is the contribution it makes to plant fitness. Effectiveness depends on the quantity of seed dispersed (‘‘quantity component’’) and the quality o...

—Nesting success of birds often is influenced by habitat features surrounding nests. However, few studies have investigated habitat influences at multiple levels and spatial scales. We examined the relationship between Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) nesting success and habitat at three levels (macrohabitat, microhabitat, and nest site) and at three different scales within the microhabitat level...

Aggregations (e.g. group basking) by snakes are usually limited to specific life cycle phases mating) or a consequence of drastic environmental changes habitat destruction), high prey densities highly resources within an environment basking sites, wintering dens). Here, we report intra- and interspecific observations four reptile species (primarily Natrix natrix Vipera berus ) sharing sites at ...

Studies on the population genetics, phylogenetic relationships, systematics and evolution of arthropods that inhabit necrotic tissue of cacti in the Sonoran Desert of North America are reviewed. These studies have focused upon several species of insects (orders Diptera and Coleoptera) and arachnids (order Pseudoscorpiones). For most taxa studied, little genetic structure and high dispersal abil...

The Mediterranean Sea constitutes a unique environment to study cold-seep ecosystems due to the presence of different geodynamic settings, from an active margin along the Mediterranean Ridge (MR) to a passive margin in the Nile Deep-Sea Fan (NDSF). We attempted to identify the structure of benthic communities associated with the Napoli and Amsterdam mud volcanoes (MVs) located on the MR and to ...

Where animals sleep may be an important component of their behavioral ecology, as sleeping renders animals immobile and hypothetically vulnerable for long periods. Yet, sleep is rarely studied outside of the laboratory. To investigate factors that influence natural sleeping behavior, we examined sleeping locations of three sympatric species of territorial Anolis lizards (Anolis lineatopus, A. g...