Snakes use microhabitats created by the great capricorn beetle Cerambyx cerdo in southwest Poland

By

Gottfried, Iwona
Borczyk, Bartosz
Gottfried, Tomasz

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2019-6-12

Original Publication

Subterranean Biology

Volume

32

Pages

133--135

Subjects

ecosystem engineers , Natrix natrix , Niche , saproxylic beetles

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/herpetozoa.32.e35824

 

Abstract

Niche engineering is considered one of the most important interspecific interactions that shape ecosystems, but this kind of interaction network has not been sufficiently studied so far. Here we present the first observation of grass snake Natrixnatrix in the galleries of Cerambyxcerdo. We recorded three grass snake individuals basking and hiding inside the C.cerdo galleries. We suggest the presence of this beetle species may create new environmental niches and improve habitat quality for snakes and other vertebrates.