Mammals in MZNA-VERT: pellet sampling

Study Extent

The collection has specimens from 333 localities from Iberian Peninsula but more than three fourths parts of the material come from Navarra and surroundings. Navarra is located in the north of Spain between the western end of the Pyrenees and the Ebro’s basin reaching 10391 km2. Due to its location and topography, Navarra is characterized with a wide range of climates varying from the oceanic to mediterranean climate (Loidi and Báscones 1995). North half of Navarra belongs to Eurosiberian region and the other to Mediterranean which mostly differ s from Eurosiberian by the presence of a drought period in summer (Rivas-Martínez 1987). High diversity of flora and fauna in Navarra derives from this transition from Eurosiberian to Mediterranean bioregion in a relative small distance of 161 km from north to south (Loidi and Báscones 1995).

Sampling

There is not a standardized sampling protocol. Pellets were generally collected from barn owl nests and roosts found in churches and barns from villages. Pellets were transported to the laboratory in bags and then frozen to remove bugs. Afterwards, they were dissected separating skulls and mandibles from the remains. Specimens were identified using a stereoscopic microscope and appropriate literature (Gosálbez 1987, Niethammer and Krapp 1978, 1990). Once identified, they were placed in plastic bags with their unique identification number and stored in the MZNA facilities.

Quality Control

All specimens are deposited in the Zoological Museum of the University of Navarra (MZNA, Pamplona, Spain) in ‘Pellet sampling’ collection. Identification of most of specimens was verified in the laboratory by Carmen Escala using suitable literature (Gosálbez 1987, Niethammer and Krapp 1978, 1982, 1990). Scientific names were validated according to Mammal Species of the World (Wilson and Reeder 2005, Palomo et al. 2007). Unique collections’ accession numbers were assigned to each specimen. Coordinates in UTM/MGRS were transformed to geographic system. The consistency of all records was checked by visual inspection overlapping coordinates with a Europe map using GIS (Chapman 2005) and their uncertainty was calculated in metres using the point-radius method.

Method steps

1. The ‘Pellet sampling’ collection started in the sixties but most of the sampling effort was made between 1968 and 1993 in order to elaborate the ‘Atlas de los insectívoros y roedores de Navarra. Análisis biogeográfico’ (Escala et al., 1997). During all this period there have also been contributions from different sources: research projects, PhD researches, student’s works, donations, volunteers and occasional pellet sampling. The number of specimens has increased all these years reaching more than 73000 records. Material brought to the laboratory was processed, identified and placed in plastic bags. Once identified, data of each specimen was systematically incorporated to MZNA database (Zootron v4.5, Ariño 1991).

All specimens were identified to genus or species level (when possible) using skull’s external morphology, teeth features and looking at suitable literature (Gosálbez 1987, Niethammer and Krapp 1978, 1982, 1990). Mandibles found separated from skulls were generally identified to family level and stored as well as the other remains. The collection is composed of 5 orders, 10 families and 36 species. Rodents and soricomorphs almost constitute the entire collection. The most abundant families are Muridae and Soricidae, being 39.66% and 31.67% respectively, followed by Cricetidae with 28.51% of the total records. Information about bats, lagomorphs and carnivores is scarce representing less than 1% of the collection.

1. Animalia
   rank: kingdom
2. Chordata
   rank: phylum
3. Mammalia
   rank: class
4. Carnivora
   rank: order
5. Chiroptera
   rank: order
6. Lagomorpha
   rank: order
7. Rodentia
   rank: order
8. Soricomorpha
   rank: order
9. Cricetidae
   rank: family
10. Gliridae
    rank: family
11. Leporidae
    rank: family
12. Molossidae
    rank: family
13. Muridae
    rank: family
14. Mustelidae
    rank: family
15. Rhinolophidae
    rank: family
16. Soricidae
    rank: family
17. Talpidae
    rank: family
18. Vespertilionidae
    rank: family
19. Apodemus
    rank: genus
20. Arvicola
    rank: genus
21. Chionomys
    rank: genus
22. Crocidura
    rank: genus
23. Eliomys
    rank: genus
24. Glis
    rank: genus
25. Lepus
    rank: genus
26. Microtus
    rank: genus
27. Mus
    rank: genus
28. Mustela
    rank: genus
29. Myodes
    rank: genus
30. Myotis
    rank: genus
31. Neomys
    rank: genus
32. Oryctolagus
    rank: genus
33. Pipistrellus
    rank: genus
34. Plecotus
    rank: genus
35. Rattus
    rank: genus
36. Rhinolophus
    rank: genus
37. Apodemus sp
    rank: species
38. Apodemus flavicollis
    common name: Yellow-necked field mouse rank: species
39. Apodemus sylvaticus
    common name: Long-tailed field mouse rank: species
40. Arvicola sp
    rank: species
41. Arvicola sapidus
    common name: Southwestern water vole rank: species
42. Arvicola terrestris
    common name: Eurasian water vole rank: species
43. Chionomys nivalis
    common name: European snow vole rank: species
44. Crocidura sp
    rank: species
45. Crocidura russula
    common name: Greater white-toothed shrew rank: species
46. Crocidura suaveolens
    common name: Lesser white-toothed shrew rank: species
47. Eliomys quercinus
    common name: Garden dormouse rank: species
48. Glis glis
    common name: Fat dormouse rank: species
49. Lepus sp
    rank: species
50. Micromys minutus
    common name: Harvest mouse rank: species
51. Microtus sp
    rank: species
52. Microtus agrestis
    common name: Fiedl vole rank: species
53. Microtus arvalis
    common name: Common vole rank: species
54. Microtus cabrerae
    common name: Cabrera's vole rank: species
55. Microtus duodecimcostatus
    common name: Mediterranean pine vole rank: species
56. Microtus gerbei
    common name: Pyreneean pine vole rank: species
57. Microtus lusitanicus
    common name: Lusitanian pine vole rank: species
58. Mus sp
    rank: species
59. Mus domesticus
    common name: House mouse rank: species
60. Mus spretus
    common name: Western meditarrean mouse rank: species
61. Mustela nivalis
    common name: Least weasel rank: species
62. Myodes glareolus
    common name: Bank vole rank: species
63. Myotis myotis
    common name: Greater-mouse-eared bat rank: species
64. Neomys sp
    rank: species
65. Neomys anomalus
    common name: Mediterranean water shrew rank: species
66. Neomys fodiens
    common name: Eurasian water shrew rank: species
67. Oryctolagus cuniculus
    common name: European rabbit rank: species
68. Pipistrellus sp
    rank: species
69. Pipistrellus kuhlii
    common name: Kuhl's pipistrelle rank: species
70. Pipistrellus pipistrellus
    common name: Common pipistrelle rank: species
71. Plecotus austriacus
    common name: Gray long-eared bat rank: species
72. Rattus sp
    rank: species
73. Rattus norvegicus
    common name: Brown rat rank: species
74. Rattus rattus
    common name: Roof rat rank: species
75. Rhinolophus ferrumequinum
    common name: Greater horsehoe bat rank: species
76. Rhinolophus hipposideros
    common name: Lesser horsehoe bat rank: species
77. Sorex sp
    rank: species
78. Sorex araneus
    common name: Common shrew rank: species
79. Sorex coronatus
    common name: Millet's shrew rank: species
80. Sorex granarius
    common name: Iberian shrew rank: species
81. Sorex minutus
    common name: Eurasian pygmy shrew rank: species
82. Suncus etruscus
    common name: Etruscan shrew rank: species
83. Tadarida sp
    rank: species
84. Talpa sp
    rank: species
85. Talpa europaea
    common name: European mole rank: species
86. Talpa occidentalis
    common name: Spanish mole rank: species

The collection is primarily formed by specimens from the region of Navarra (75,38%), north of Spain. It also contains specimens from other administrative territories of Spain such as Huesca, Zaragoza and Cáceres.