TERRITORIAL BEHAVIOR OF TALPA-ROMANA IN 2 DIFFERENT HABITATS - FOOD RESOURCES AND REPRODUCTIVE NEEDS AS POTENTIAL CAUSES OF VARIATION

Differences observed in the territorial behaviour of two populations o f the Roman mole, Talpa romana, have been explored through quantitativ e and qualitative analyses of food resources available in the soil. Sa mples of soil were collected and analysed to detect the composition an d the biomass of the soil fauna. Data are related to spatial and tempo ral differences observed in the home ranges of the two populations. Re sults indicate a general inverse relationship between the availability of food and the size of territories, which is particularly evident fo r females. Differences in the pattern of food dispersion in the two ar eas are associated with the spatial distribution of female moles, whic h in turn relates to the territorial behaviour of males during the rep roductive season.