FOOD-HABITS AND TROPHIC RELATIONSHIPS OF SMALL MAMMALS IN 6 HABITATS OF THE NORTHERN PO PLAIN (ITALY)

The diets of seven species of rodents and shrews were studied quantita tively. Animal food was the most important resource for shrews, but pl ants and seeds were also important components of their diet. Among rod ents, the bank vole Clethrionomys glareolus and the house mouse Mus do mesticus ate mainly green plant parts (leaves and stems), whereas the diet of the wood mouse Apodemus sylvaticus was strongly dominated by s eeds. Differences in food habits between habitats were small for roden ts and slightly higher for shrews ; seasonal dietary variations were s light for the main food resources. The seasonal variation in the diet of bank voles and wood mice differed substantially from the dietary pa ttern described in Northern and Central Europe ; these differences pro bably reflect the temporal difference in food availability in differin g geographical locations.