Plchy (Gliridae) v potrave sov (Strigiformes) na Slovensku [Dormice in the diet of owls in Slovakia]

Ján Obuch

Pages	31–41
Citation	OBUCH, Ján. Plchy (Gliridae) v potrave sov (Strigiformes) na Slovensku [Dormice in the diet of owls in Slovakia]. Lynx, new series. Prague: National Museum, 1998, 29(1), 31–41. ISSN 0024-7774 (print), 1804-6460 (online). Also available from: https://www.nm.cz/en/periodicals/lns/29-1/plchy-gliridae-v-potrave-sov-strigiformes-na-slovensku-dormice-in-the-diet-of-owls-in-slovakia

Lynx, new series | 1998/29/1

Dormice were found in prey remnants of seven owl species in Slovakia: Asio otus and Athene noctua (<0.1% dominance), Tyto alba and Bubo bubo (0.1–1.0% dominance), Aegolius funereus, Strix uralensis, and S. aluco (>1% dominance). The prey of A. otus, A. noctua, and T. alba comprises mostly Muscardinus avellanarius, however, only in lower altitudes (up to 300 m a. s. l.). In the diet of A. funereus from the montane areas of Slovakia (500–1200 m a. s. l.) M. avellanarius prevails and in the Kysuce region (NW Slovakia), Dryomys nitedula is quite abundant as well. Bubo bubo most frequently forages on Glis glis (37% of the dormice prey), particularly in lower altitudes (the Slovenský kras Mts); M. avellanarius is more abundant in prey remnants from nests in higher altitudes (the Orava Region), Eliomys quercinus is most frequent in the Turiec region and D. nitedula appears only in restricted areas (the Horehronie region and the Orava region). M. avellanarius is the fourth most abundant prey of S. aluco, particularly in mid-altitudes (500–1000 m a. s. l.), whereas in low mountains (the Cerová Vrchovina Mts, the Revúcka Vrchovina Mts, the Slovenský kras Mts), G. glis appears to be a more abundant prey. During the recent and subrecent period, D. nitedula was absent in the samples from some W and C Slovakian mountains. In the samples from 1970s, E. quercinus occurred regularly in the diet of S. aluco, in fresh pellets from 1980s it was missing and reappeared in 1990s in two pellet samples (Zbojnícka Jaskyňa Cave, Dolný Harmanec).