Forschen und Sammeln.

The partial skeleton of a small tetrapod, collected from the lower Buchenstein Formation (uppermost Illyrian, Anisian Middle Triassic) of Piz da Peres (Northern Dolomites, Italy) is described. Incomplete ossification of some bones indicate that the specimen is a juvenile. Its absolute size and proportions, along with several skeletal structures show striking similarities with a juvenile specimen of Eusaurosphargis dalsassoi from the slightly younger Prosanto Formation (Switzerland), a taxon known also from the Anisian/Ladinian Besano Formation (Italy and Switzerland). The finding may suggest that during the middle-late Anisian the basins of the Northern Dolomites, of the Besano Formation and Prosanto Formation shared not only several taxa of fishes but also the emerged lands nearby had a similar reptilian fauna.

Information about distribution and habitat use of organisms is crucial for conservation. Bird distribution within the breeding season has been usually considered static, but this assumption has been questioned. Within-season movements may allow birds to track changes in habitat quality or to adjust site choice between subsequent breeding attempts. Such movements are especially likely in temperate mountains, given the substantial environmental heterogeneity and changes occurring during bird breeding season. We investigated the within-season movements of breeding songbirds in the European Alps in spring-summer 2018, using repeated point counts and dynamic occupancy models. For all the four species for which we obtained sufficient data, changes in occupancy during the season strongly indicated the occurrence of within-season movements. Species occupancy changed during the season according to fine-scale vegetation/land-cover types, while microclimate (mean temperature) affected initial occupancy in two species. The overall occupancy rate increased throughout the season, suggesting the settlement of new individuals coming from outside the area. A static distribution cannot be assumed during the breeding season for songbirds breeding in temperate mountains. This needs to be considered when planning monitoring and conservation of Alpine birds, as within-season movements may affect the proportion of population/distribution interested by monitoring or conservation programs.

Myricaria germanica in four alpine river basins of north-eastern Italy
The article provides a picture, updated to 2017, of the presence, abundance, distribution and characteristics of the populations of Myricaria germanica in northeastern Italy in 146 sites distributed in four watersheds (Adige, Brenta, Piave, Tagliamento), subject to different levels of natural and anthropogenic disturbance, but comparable in terms of climate, geology and biogeography. It describes the influence of human activities on river geomorphology and its interactions with M. germanica scrub (habitat Natura 2000 3230), assessing its current threats and future prospects.

In this work the eight species of beetles of the genus Tropiphorus present in Trentino-Alto Adige (Italy) are presented. Tropiphorus norici Yunakov, 2013 is confirmed as a species to be added to the Italian checklist of Curculionidae. Tropiphorus ochraceosignatus is reported for the first time from Piemonte and Friuli Venezia Giulia. Tropiphorus paulae and T. bertolinii are endemic species with a more or less restricted range. Ecological notes of all species are reported, also unpublished ones.

The Geological Map of the Western Dolomites is based on the new mapping and compilation of the entire sedimentary cover
of the Autonomous Province of Bozen/Bolzano. It was carried out as part of the project „Geological Base Map of South Tyrol“.
In the course of this new mapping, new lithostratigraphic terms were introduced, or conventional ones redefined, across the
boundaries of official map sheets. This was not always in line with the Italian national mapping programme CARG. New and
newly defined lithostratigraphic terms are explained below. Their position is shown in the lithostratigraphic table

Abstract

The finding of a young adult slow worm, coloured black-blue, from the upper Eisack Valley / Valle Isarco (South Tyrol / Alto Adige [Italy]) is reported. The colouring is attributed to a lack of yellow colour pigments (axanthism). Potential advantages and disadvantages that arise from the colouration are discussed. It is believed that the unusual colouration is due to a spontaneous mutation.
At the time of writing this article the specific status of the slow worm occurring in this region is not known. It could be either a specimen of Anguis fragilis Linnaeus, 1758 or one of Anguis veronensis Pollini, 1818, as well as a hybrid form between these two taxa.