First Results on the Presence of Mycotoxins in the Liver of Pregnant Fallow Deer (Dama dama) Hinds and Fetuses

Reproductive abnormalities have been observed in fallow deer populations in Hungary. We supposed mycotoxin contamination to be one of the possible causes because multi-mycotoxin contamination is known to be dangerous even at low toxin levels, especially for young animals. We investigated the spatial pattern of mycotoxin occurrences and the relationship between maternal and fetal mycotoxin levels. A total of 72 fallow deer embryos and their mothers were sampled in seven forested regions in Hungary in the 2020/2021 hunting season. We analyzed Aflatoxin (AF), Zearalenone (ZEA), Fumonizin B1 (FB1), DON, and T2-toxin concentrations in maternal and fetal livers by ELISA. AF was present in 70% and 82%, ZEA in 41% and 96%, DON in 90% and 98%, T2-toxin in 96% and 85%, and FB1 in 84% and 3% of hind and fetus livers, respectively. All mycotoxins passed into the fetus, but only Fumonizin B1 rarely passed. The individual variability of mycotoxin levels was extremely high, but the spatial differences were moderate. We could not prove a relation between the maternal and fetal mycotoxin concentrations, but we found an accumulation of ZEA and DON in the fetuses. These results reflect the possible threats of mycotoxins to the population dynamics and reproduction of wild fallow deer.

Difference in small mammal assemblages in the diet of the Common Barn-Owl Tyto alba between two landscapes

As an opportunistic predator, the Common Barn-owl (Tyto alba) proved to be an appropriate model organism to survey the composition of small mammal assemblages. This study analysed barn owls’ pellet samples from 14 localities containing 34 animal taxa and 4,088 prey items in two years (2015–2016). Two groups of samples (7–7 localities) were separated based on the dominance of semi-natural habitats and agricultural lands. Rarefaction analysis proved that the species richness and diversity of barn owls’ diet were significantly higher in semi-natural landscapes. The multiple regression analysis between PCA scores showed that in the agrarian landscape the abundance of generalist species was influenced by the proportion of forests, while the value of the trophic level index was determined by the size of arable fields. In the case of semi-natural landscapes, the abundance of the synantrop guild and generalist species, especially S. araneus and A. agrarius, was influenced by the proportion of urban areas, the number of habitats and the size of arable fields. The results of this study suggested that the small mammal consumption of the Common Barn-owl is significantly different in the two landscapes, which reflects the impact of habitat heterogeneity and agricultural activity on prey availability.

New record of the viviparous lizard Zootoca vivipara (Jacquin, 1787) in Hungary

The lowland populations of the viviparous lizard Zootoca vivipara in the Carpathian Basin occur in cold, marshy relict habitats. In one of the largest wetlands in Hungary, Kis-Balaton, in 2016 its presence was confirmed by catching an individual with a small mammal live-trap. This new record is significant, since the nearest known sites of occurrence are at great distance and it is situated between the lowland viviparous populations of the north-northeast and the oviparous populations of the south (in Croatia).

Genetic variability and conservation of the endangered Pannonian root vole in fragmented habitats of an agricultural landscape

The distribution of the endangered glacial relict subspecies, the Pannonian root vole Alexandromys oeconomus mehelyi Éhik, 1928, is restricted to scattered localities in south-western Slovakia, which belong to the north-eastern zone of its range. Human-induced changes and fragmentation of the landscape have led to the gradual loss of suitable habitats and threaten its long-term survival. The study area in the Danubian Lowland is characterised by small habitat fragments and temporal fluctuations of the habitat area. Root voles were sampled at nine sites to study the level of genetic variability and structure of local subpopulations by scoring 13 microsatellite loci in 69 individuals. Genetic differentiation varied amongst local populations and we did not find a significant isolation-by-distance pattern. Bayesian clustering analysis suggested that dispersal effectively prevents marked genetic subdivision between studied habitat fragments. Significant pairwise differentiation between some subpopulations, however, may be the result of putatively suppressed gene flow. Low genetic diversity in the recent populations probably reflects the isolated location of the study area in the agricultural landscape, suggesting that long-term survival may not be assured. In order to maintain genetic diversity, it is essential to preserve (or even restore) habitats and ensure the possibility of gene flow; habitat protection is, therefore, recommended. Continuous assessment is necessary for effective conservation management and to predict the long-term survival chances of the Pannonian root vole in the study area.

Fossorial morphotype does not make a species in water voles

Phenetic and ecological plasticity in