Open AccessDISTRIBUTION AND GENETIC ANALYSIS OF WILD-LIVING EURASIAN BEAVERS IN CENTRAL ITALY
Author(s) -
Emiliano Mori,
Andrea Viviano,
Leonardo Brustenga,
Francesco Olivetti,
Luca Peppucci,
Chiara Pucci,
Davide Senserini,
Umberto Sergiacomi,
Cristiano Spilinga,
Pio Federico Roversi,
Giuseppe Mazza
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
redia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.297
H-Index - 11
eISSN - 2035-6382
pISSN - 0370-4327
DOI - 10.19263/redia-104.21.24
Subject(s) - beaver , geography , range (aeronautics) , northern italy , distribution (mathematics) , ecology , archaeology , biology , mathematical analysis , materials science , mathematics , european union , business , composite material , economic policy
The presence of the Eurasian beaver Castor fiber L. has been recently confirmed with two separated populations in Tuscany (Central Italy) and probably represents the result of an unofficial release. In late spring and summer 2021, seven reliable records of Eurasian beaver have been collected in Umbria and other neighbouring regions, implying that the distribution of this large rodent is even wider than previously reported. In this short work, we updated the distribution of this protected species in Central Italy, by collecting and mapping all the confirmed occurrences. Beavers were proved to be present throughout the Tiber (Tevere) river basin in both provinces of Umbria, and another individual has been road-killed in the Marche region, near the border with Tuscany. Other single signs of presence occurred in Emilia Romagna and Latium. The only hair sample we were able to collect confirmed it as the Eurasian beaver species. No reliable evidence is available on the number of free-ranging beavers in Central Italy, and systematic monitoring is needed. Before any management and conservation action, further data are required concerning distribution range, potential origin, social perception, and the effects on the ecosystems.