Drobní savci (Insectivora, Rodentia) Horního Poohří v potravě sovy pálené (Tyto alba) [Small mammals (Insectivora, Rodentia) of the Horní Poohří region (Czech Republic) in the food of the barn owl (Tyto alba)]

Pages

43–56

Citation

VOHRALÍK, Vladimír a LAZAROVÁ, Jitka. Drobní savci (Insectivora, Rodentia) Horního Poohří v potravě sovy pálené (Tyto alba) [Small mammals (Insectivora, Rodentia) of the Horní Poohří region (Czech Republic) in the food of the barn owl (Tyto alba)]. Lynx, new series. Prague: National Museum, 1998, 29(1), 43–56. ISSN 0024-7774 (print), 1804-6460 (online). Also available from: https://www.nm.cz/en/periodicals/lns/29-1/drobni-savci-insectivora-rodentia-horniho-poohri-v-potrave-sovy-palene-tyto-alba-small-mammals-insectivora-rodentia-of-the-horni-poohri-region-czech-republic-in-the-food-of-the-barn-owl-tyto-alba

Lynx, new series | 1998/29/1

Fauna of small terrestrial mammals in the Horní Poohří region (western Bohemia, Czech Republic) was studied by the analysis of barn owl pellets. With the exception of a single locality sampled in 1963, the material from the other 25 localities was collected between July 1978 and February 1980. The analysis yielded skull remnants of 16 161 individuals belonging to 24 mammal species. Samples from four major geographical units of the studied area, i. e. Smrčiny, Chebská pánev, Sokolovská pánev and Doupovské hory were compared. In spite of negligible variation in the qualitative composition, considerable differences were found in the quantitative composition between the samples from the above four regions. The detailed evaluation of the ratio between pairs of species possessing different ecological preferences (Microtus agrestis vers. M. arvalis, Neomys anomalus vers. N. fodiens, Crocidura leucodon vers. C. suaveolens, and Sorex araneus vers. M. arvalis) revealed similarity between samples from the southern part of the Smrčiny region (i. e. Hazlovská vrchovina) and Chebská pánev on the one hand, and the samples from the northern part of Smrčiny (i. e. Ašská pahorkatina), Sokolovská pánev and Doupovské hory on the other hand. This conclusion was supported also by results of the cluster analysis (UPGMA – complete linkage). The former area and its mammal fauna is considered to be more affected by negative anthropic activities, while these influences are less pronounced in the latter area. Nevertheless, the Horní Poohří region exhibits still a rich fauna of small terrestrial mammals. From the faunistic point of view, e. g. widespread Neomys anomalus, Crocidura leucodon and Microtus agrestis are noteworthy. As our results reflect the situation before 1980, they can be used as a basis for a study of the next development of the small mammal fauna of that region.