Progetto di fototrappolaggio dei Mustelidi e del gatto selvatico, Felis silvestris, nel Parco Nazionale delle Dolomiti Bellunesi (CARNIVORA: MUSTELIDAE, FELIDAE)

Within the research project “Biodiversity survey in alpine habitat”, ran by the DolomitiBellunesi National Park with funds from the Italian Ministry of the Environment, the Museumof Natural History of Venice was commissioned in 2013 to carry out a camera-trapping survey.The target of such survey was both to investigate the distribution and presence of mustelidsand to verify the presence of Felis silvestris. The latter species was considered as potentiallypresent, but so far never unambiguously reported. The information gathered allowed tointegrate the scarce and fragmented data available on mustelid distribution in the area of thePark. Based on preliminary work performed in 2013, a targeted survey in 2014 ascertainedthe presence of the wildcat in the Maè creek basin within the Longarone-Val di Zoldo area