Reproductive tracts of 214 female wild boars collected in Central Portugal between October and February over the period 1997 to 2001 were examined. From this material, we were able to determine reproductive phenology (conception and birth periods) as well as age and weight of sows at puberty, ovulation rates of adults, foetal sex ratio, levels of intrauterine mortality, final litter size and postnatal mortality. Differences between year, region, age and body weight were analysed. A total of 66.8% of the females examined were gestating or lactating and 96.3% of these weighed >40 kg. The highest proportions of pregnant sows were found in the adult age/weight classes (74%). None of the juvenile females (1 year old and younger) were lactating and only 7% was pregnant. The average number of foetuses/female (4.1±1.2SD) and that of corpora lutea per female (4.6±1.7SD) increased from lighter and younger to heavier and older wild sows. Foetal sex ratio was biased towards males (1.3:1). Observed intrauterine mortality rate (9.7%) and postnatal mortality (6.3%) were among the lowest recorded in European wild boar populations. The productivity rate of the Central Portuguese wild boar population was calculated as 1.1 young per individual in the population. Conception and birth periods did not differ significantly between the considered 4 years. Birth synchronisation was pronounced in all the years, with a peak of births occurring in March.

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Understanding distributional patterns and mechanisms used by species for habitat selection is crucial to adopt effective land management policies in terms of biodiversity conservation. A heterogeneous landscape may allow coexistence of species. That coexistence will be dependent on the availability of the resources in the habitat that has to be sufficient to fulfil their basic needs. The present study aimed to investigate habitat selection, niche breadth and niche overlap of three sympatric carnivore species (Vulpes vulpes,Genetta genetta and Martes foina) in a typically fragmented landscape from Central Portugal, using camera‐trapping techniques. The results obtained revealed that the investigated species use the available habitats differently and in a non‐random way. The red fox showed the most specialized behaviour, positively selecting coniferous forests. The common genet preferred eucalyptus, avoiding old‐growth mixed woodland, in contrast with stone marten that exhibited a strong preference for this late habitat, avoiding eucalyptus. Concerning the niche breadth, the genet had the highest value while the red fox had the lowest one. The results obtained at the camera‐trap level showed that the highest niche overlap occurred between the genet and the stone marten which suggests that these species can coexist and share the available resources. Regarding the habitat level, the greatest niche overlap was found for the stone marten and the red fox, indicating the exploration of the same general habitat conditions by both species. The results obtained in the present study support the concept that landscape complexity allows coexistence between species within the same trophic level.

Borrelia lusitaniae is a pathogen frequent in the Mediterranean area. Apart from lizards, evidence for birds and small mammals as competent reservoirs for this genospecies has been occasional. We collected questing ticks, skin biopsies and Ixodes sp. ticks feeding on lizards, birds and small mammals in a B. burgdorferi s.l. (sensu lato) enzootic area to assess their importance in the maintenance of B. lusitaniae. Borrelia lusitaniae was the most prevalent genospecies in questing ticks and was commonly found in larvae feeding on Psammodromus algirus. One biopsy infected with B. lusitaniae was collected from the tail of one Podarcis hispanica, which suggests systemic infection. Ixodes ricinus larvae feeding on Apodemus sylvaticus were infected with B. lusitaniae but with a lower prevalence. Our results reinforce the importance of lizards as reservoirs for B. lusitaniae, suggesting that P. algirus, in particular, acts as main reservoir for B. lusitaniae in Portugal.

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