Atlas of terrestrial mammals of the Ionian and Aegean islands

The goal of this book is to foster better knowledge of the mammalian fauna of the Mediterranean islands. The atlas presents the current state of knowledge of the past and present distribution of the non-flying terrestrial mammals of the Ionian and Aegean islands. It provides a distribution map for each species with extensive references and a description of all the mammalian taxa. The book also focuses on the important role of human beings in the redefinition of the insular ecological equilibrium, as well as on the environmental impact of biological invasions. The protection and study of this fauna can provide an opportunity for testing a range of different evolutionary theories.

1;Preface;7 2;Acknowledgments;11 3;1 Introduction;17 4;2 Materials and methods;23 5;3 The natural setting;25 6;4 The islands endemics. The mammals of the Upper Pleistocene;31 7;5 The disappearance of the endemics. Holocene relics of a vanished world;37 7.1;5.1 The island of Tilos in the Dodecanese: a case study;40 8;6 Atlas of the non-volant mammals of the Ionian and the Aegean islands. The species account;47 8.1;6.1 Northern white-breasted hedgehog, Erinaceus roumanicus;47 8.2;6.2 Eurasian pygmy shrew, Sorex minutus;51 8.3;6.3 Mediterranean water shrew or Millers water shrew, Neomys anomalus;53 8.4;6.4 Bi-coloured, white-toothed shrew, Crocidura leucodon;54 8.5;6.5 Lesser white-toothed shrew, Crocidura suaveolens;56 8.6;6.6 Zimmermanns white-toothed shrew or Cretan white-toothed shrew, Crocidura zimmermanni;58 8.7;6.7 Pygmy white-toothed shrew, Suncus etruscus;61 8.8;6.8 Balkan mole, Talpa stankovici;63 8.9;6.9 European or brown hare, Lepus europaeus;65 8.10;6.10 Wild or European rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus;70 8.11;6.11 Persian squirrel, golden squirrel or Caucasian squirrel, Sciurus anomalus;76 8.12;6.12 Grey hamster, Cricetulus migratorius;78 8.13;6.13 Common vole, Microtus arvalis;79 8.14;6.14 Guenthers vole, Microtus guentheri;81 8.15;6.15 Thomas vole, Microtus thomasi;83 8.16;6.16 Snow vole, Chionomys nivalis;84 8.17;6.17 Tristrams jird, Meriones tristrami;86 8.18;6.18 Lesser mole rat, Nannospalax leucodon;87 8.19;6.19 Yellow-necked mouse, Apodemus flavicollis;90 8.20;6.20 Rock mouse or eastern broad-toothed field mouse, Apodemus mystacinus;91 8.21;6.21 Wood mouse, Apodemus sylvaticus;94 8.22;6.22 Steppe field mouse, Apodemus witherbyi;96 8.23;6.23 Brown rat, Rattus norvegicus;98 8.24;6.24 Black rat or ship rat, Rattus rattus;100 8.25;6.25 House mouse, Mus musculus;106 8.26;6.26 Balkan short-tailed mouse, Macedonian mouse or short-tailed mouse, Mus macedonicus;111 8.27;6.27 Steppe mouse or mound-building mouse, Mus spicilegus;113 8.28;6.28 Cretan spiny mouse
, Acomys cahirinus minous;115 8.29;6.29 Fat dormouse or edible dormouse, Glis glis;117 8.30;6.30 Common or hazel dormouse, Muscardinus avellanarius;120 8.31;6.31 Golden jackal or Asiatic jackal, Canis aureus;122 8.32;6.32 Red fox, Vulpes vulpes;125 8.33;6.33 Weasel or least weasel, Mustela nivalis;128 8.34;6.34 Beech marten or stone marten, Martes foina;132 8.35;6.35 Eurasian badger, Meles meles;138 8.36;6.36 Eurasian otter, Lutra lutra;142 8.37;6.37 African wildcat, Felis silvestris;144 8.38;6.38 Leopard, Panthera pardus;148 8.39;6.39 Wild boar, Sus scrofa;155 8.40;6.40 European fallow deer or common fallow deer, Dama dama dama;160 8.41;6.41 Red deer, Cervus elaphus;166 8.42;6.42 Roe deer, Capreolus capreolus;173 8.43;6.43 Wild goat, Bezoar goat or Asiatic pasang, Capra aegagrus;175 8.44;6.44 Asiatic mouflon or wild sheep, Ovis orientalis;184 9;7 Species dubiously or erroneously recorded from the Ionian and Aegean islands;187 9.1;7.1 Southern white-breasted hedgehog, Erinaceus concolor;187 9.2;7.2 Blind mole, Talpa caeca;188 9.3;7.3 Red squirrel, Sciurus vulgaris;188 9.4;7.4 Common pine vole, Microtus subterraneus;189 9.5;7.5 Forest dormouse, Dryomis nitedula;189 9.6;7.6 Crested porcupine, Hystrix cristata;190 9.7;7.7 Eurasian lynx, Lynx lynx;192 10;8 Archaeozoological evidence of the diffusion of mammalian species of different and/or exotic origin or durable parts of them;195 10.1;8.1 Brown bear, Ursus arctos;201 10.2;8.2 Lion, Panthera leo;203 11;9 Biogeographical remarks;207 11.1;9.1 Invasive alien species;211 11.2;9.2 Characters of the extant insular mammals: generalist colonisers of pre-deserts;213 12;10 A weighty legacy: concluding remarks;217 13;Appendix A. Native domestic breeds;223 13.1;A.1 The Aegean bay horse;223 13.2;A.2 Other local and/or dwarf domestic breeds;228 13.3;A.3 The water buffalo, Bubalus bubalis Linnaeus, 1758;234 14;Appendix B. Chiroptera reported from the Ionian and Aegean islands;237 15;Appendix C. Cetaceans reported from the Ionian and
the Aegean Seas;241 16;Appendix D. The monk seal, Monachus monachus Hermann, 1779;247 16.1;D.1 Honoured with its ancient owner, a monk seal buried in Rhodes over 2000 years ago;250 17;Bibliography;253 18;Index;315