Abstract
The Pyrenean desman (Galemys pyrenaicus) is a globally endangered semiaquatic mammal species restricted to Southwest Europe. It is thought to mostly predate on aquatic prey, particularly macroinvertebrates; yet anecdotal information and recent genetic-based findings suggest higher flexibility in its trophic niche. Here, we report on direct observations of wild-caught Pyrenean desmans attacking, killing and consuming live fish (trout – Salmo trutta fario) and amphibians (Iberian frog – Rana iberica) in semi-captivity conditions providing unquestionable evidence (photos and videos) of vertebrate attack, killing, handling and consumption by the species. This illustrates the species’ ability to kill and eat vertebrates, corroborating recent evidence on its trophic flexibility.
Acknowledgments
LQ’s post-doc fellowship was financed by the EDP (Energias de Portugal) Biodiversity Chair. We thank Diego Gallego for his help during trapping, Rafael Barrientos for a gentle pre-submission review of the manuscript, and two anonymous referees for their useful suggestions.
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Supplementary Material
The online version of this article offers supplementary material (https://doi.org/10.1515/mammalia-2018-0111).
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