Vol. 76 (1) 2024

ARTICLES

Surveying Open Habitats in Natura 2000 Sites in Bulgaria to Assess Food Availability for the Marbled Polecat Vormela peregusna (Güldenstädt, 1770) and Steppe Polecat Mustela eversmannii (Lesson, 1827) (Carnivora: Mustelidae)

Sirma A. Zidarova1*, Rumyana D. Kostova2 & Albena Y. Vlasseva1

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*1Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2 Gagarin Street, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria;
E-mail: s.zidarova@gmail.com; mirchevaa@yahoo.com
2Department of Zoology and Anthropology, Faculty of Biology, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, 8 Dragan Tsankov
Blvd., 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria; E-mail: rumy.kostova@gmail.com

https://doi.org/10.71424/azb76.1.002710

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Abstract
A methodology for monitoring the food resources of two threatened species of European mustelids was developed and successfully tested. It was based on abundance estimates of rodents considered the main prey of the Marbled and the Steppe polecats in Bulgaria: the European ground squirrel, the lesser blind mole-rat, and the voles. Most of the sampling sites were characterized by low abundance of all three investigated prey species. Differences in rodent species’ abundance were observed among regions. Among the five examined regions, West Central Bulgaria, which exhibits the highest occurrence of the marbled polecat, is characterized by the most abundant prey, although the optimal prey was not present in the studied sites. Our results suggest that in the western part of its range the distribution of the marbled polecat may not be as reliant on the presence of the European ground squirrel as traditionally assumed. Being simple and unexpensive the proposed transect method for assessment of the polecats’ prey abundance is suitable for conservation purposes and national or regional monitoring.

Key words
Spermophilus, Nannospalax, Microtus, prey abundance

How to Cite
Zidarova S.A., Kostova R.D. & Vlasseva A.Y. 2024. Surveying Open Habitats in Natura 2000 Sites in Bulgaria to Assess Food Availability for the Marbled Polecat Vormela peregusna (Güldenstädt, 1770) and Steppe Polecat Mustela eversmannii (Lesson, 1827) (Carnivora: Mustelidae). Acta zoologica bulgarica 76 (1) 77-86.

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