Short-term post-fire adaptations in arboreality, temporal activity and moonlight avoidance of the garden dormouse (Eliomys quercinus) in a fire-prone mediterranean ecosystem

Short-term post-fire adaptations in arboreality, temporal activity and moonlight avoidance of the garden dormouse (Eliomys quercinus) in a fire-prone mediterranean ecosystem | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Short-term post-fire adaptations in arboreality, temporal activity and moonlight avoidance of the garden dormouse (Eliomys quercinus) in a fire-prone mediterranean ecosystem Orlando Tomassini, Anna Aghemo, Gianni Bedini, Giulio Petroni, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8768223/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 4 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Fires may exert dramatic impacts particularly on small species with relatively small ranges and arboreal habits, but thanks to behavioural plasticity, some of these species may cope with dramatic habitat changes. We aimed to assess the vertical and temporal habitat use of the garden dormouse (Eliomys quercinus ), in a Mediterranean ecosystem, focusing on the short-term effects of a fire. The study area was located in a mountain-hilly forested system of Monte Pisano (Tuscany, Italy) partially affected in September 2018 by a mixed-severity fire. During late spring-summer 2021, sampling was carried in 50 randomly selected sites, stratified according to forest type and to burnt status, and in each site the occurrence of the garden dormouse along the vertical layers was sampled using both camera traps and hair-tubes checked weekly. The arboreality of the garden dormouse resulted influenced only by habitat category: in the high-severely burnt pine forests the garden dormice were mainly ground-dwelling, whereas in unburnt forests they displayed semi-arboreal habitat use. There were no differences in locomotory activity patterns between burnt and unburnt pine forests, although dormice showed greater use of burnt pine forest during the bright nights, compared to the unburnt pine forest. These findings provide insights into the behavioural plasticity of this glirid, highlighting its adaptability to the post-fire habitats. Understanding these dynamics is essential for conservation strategies targeting arboreal small mammals in fire-prone Mediterranean ecosystems. camera-trap glirid hair-tubes prey recovery wildfire Full Text Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviewers agreed at journal 05 Mar, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 03 Mar, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 15 Feb, 2026 First submitted to journal 10 Feb, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8768223","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":600096938,"identity":"13eae74f-7e63-45f7-9488-ad131051edd8","order_by":0,"name":"Orlando Tomassini","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6963-0903","institution":"Universita degli Studi di Pisa Dipartimento di Biologia","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Orlando","middleName":"","lastName":"Tomassini","suffix":""},{"id":600096939,"identity":"1a99b7a9-c788-4893-acc5-25dd4803c726","order_by":1,"name":"Anna Aghemo","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Universita degli Studi di Pisa Dipartimento di Biologia","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Anna","middleName":"","lastName":"Aghemo","suffix":""},{"id":600096940,"identity":"33ffeee7-03a5-4d94-b660-5867045fbd24","order_by":2,"name":"Gianni Bedini","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Universita degli Studi di Pisa Dipartimento di Biologia","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Gianni","middleName":"","lastName":"Bedini","suffix":""},{"id":600096941,"identity":"a1bd00ad-c0ed-4505-b0ef-e1c8c377f710","order_by":3,"name":"Giulio Petroni","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Universita degli Studi di Pisa Dipartimento di Biologia","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Giulio","middleName":"","lastName":"Petroni","suffix":""},{"id":600096942,"identity":"26d9238d-bc91-4938-af2e-5364d56196cc","order_by":4,"name":"Dimitri Giunchi","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Universita degli Studi di Pisa Dipartimento di Biologia","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Dimitri","middleName":"","lastName":"Giunchi","suffix":""},{"id":600096943,"identity":"6e104b6b-6a09-4a4f-af0f-5a1bd2a9cd83","order_by":5,"name":"Alessandro Massolo","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6333-4281","institution":"Universita degli Studi di Pisa Dipartimento di Biologia","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Alessandro","middleName":"","lastName":"Massolo","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-02-02 18:50:34","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8768223/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8768223/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":104779469,"identity":"b5938a11-f31e-4eef-ac12-059ae589f343","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-17 07:40:41","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1427771,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"mainrevised.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8768223/v1_covered_6172cac7-c7af-466e-8d29-7c6de7764dd6.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"","formattedTitle":"Short-term post-fire adaptations in arboreality, temporal activity and moonlight avoidance of the garden dormouse (Eliomys quercinus) in a fire-prone mediterranean ecosystem","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"mammalian-biology","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"mamb","sideBox":"Learn more about [Mammalian Biology](https://link.springer.com/journal/42991)","snPcode":"42991","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/mamb/default2.aspx","title":"Mammalian Biology","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"camera-trap, glirid, hair-tubes, prey, recovery, wildfire","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8768223/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8768223/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eFires may exert dramatic impacts particularly on small species with relatively small ranges and arboreal habits, but thanks to behavioural plasticity, some of these species may cope with dramatic habitat changes.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWe aimed to assess the vertical and temporal habitat use of the garden dormouse \u003cem\u003e(Eliomys quercinus\u003c/em\u003e), in a Mediterranean ecosystem, focusing on the short-term effects of a fire.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe study area was located in a mountain-hilly forested system of Monte Pisano (Tuscany, Italy) partially affected in September 2018 by a mixed-severity fire. During late spring-summer 2021, sampling was carried in 50 randomly selected sites, stratified according to forest type and to burnt status, and in each site the occurrence of the garden dormouse along the vertical layers was sampled using both camera traps and hair-tubes checked weekly.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe arboreality of the garden dormouse resulted influenced only by habitat category: in the high-severely burnt pine forests the garden dormice were mainly ground-dwelling, whereas in unburnt forests they displayed semi-arboreal habitat use. There were no differences in locomotory activity patterns between burnt and unburnt pine forests, although dormice showed greater use of burnt pine forest during the bright nights, compared to the unburnt pine forest.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThese findings provide insights into the behavioural plasticity of this glirid, highlighting its adaptability to the post-fire habitats. Understanding these dynamics is essential for conservation strategies targeting arboreal small mammals in fire-prone Mediterranean ecosystems.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Short-term post-fire adaptations in arboreality, temporal activity and moonlight avoidance of the garden dormouse (Eliomys quercinus) in a fire-prone mediterranean ecosystem","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-03-08 15:33:51","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8768223/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"","date":"2026-03-05T09:04:57+00:00","index":0,"fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-03-03T15:41:03+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-02-15T07:17:35+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Mammalian Biology","date":"2026-02-10T10:56:07+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"mammalian-biology","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"mamb","sideBox":"Learn more about [Mammalian Biology](https://link.springer.com/journal/42991)","snPcode":"42991","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/mamb/default2.aspx","title":"Mammalian Biology","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"9670d8a0-cdf9-4ae2-afa2-b6d4acbf732a","owner":[],"postedDate":"March 8th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-03-08T15:33:51+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-03-08 15:33:51","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8768223","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8768223","identity":"rs-8768223","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}