The discipline of subterranean biology has provided us incredible information on the
diversity, ecology and evolution of species living in different typologies of subterranean …

Intraspecific trait variation in generalist animals is widespread in nature, yet its effects on
community ecology are not well understood. Newts are considered opportunistic feeders …

Spatial distribution of animals is affected by environmental and social factors, acting both at
inter-and intraspecific levels, and generating patterns of segregation or aggregation. Several …

Leeches can parasitize many vertebrate taxa. In amphibians, leech parasitism often has
potential detrimental effects including population decline. Most of studies on the host …

Subterranean environments are often characterized by a natural gradient of microclimatic
conditions and trophic resources, showing a higher trophic availability and a lower …

After metamorphosis, fire salamander is considered fully terrestrial, usually inhabiting
wooded areas around aquatic habitats. It is often reported that only females go back to water …

Simple Summary Organisms compete for resources, such as food and space, and
competition can occur in two ways: exploitative competition or interference competition. In …

Natrix natrix cetti is endemic to Sardinia (Italy)(Vanni & Cimmaruta 2010). Information on the
biology of this species is scarce. On several occasions (January 2016, September 2016 and …

Simple Summary Here, we provide the information derived from the first monitoring activities
performed on the endangered Sette Fratelli cave salamander, Speleomantes sarrabusensis …

Biological studies on factors shaping underground communities are poor, especially those
considering simultaneously organisms with different degrees of adaptation to cave life. In …