Ecological release: swimming and diving behavior of an allopatric population of the Mediterranean water shrew
Journal: Journal of Mammalogy
Year: 2013

In regions where the 2 species are sympatric, the Eurasian water shrew, Neomys fodiens, dominates behaviorally and numerically over the Mediterranean water shrew, Neomys anomalus, and tends to exclude it from direct access to aquatic habitats. In Portugal, ecological release can be expected in behavioral traits of N. anomalus due to the absence of the dominant N. fodiens. We investigated swimming and diving skills and efficiency in underwater foraging in 9 individuals of N. anomalus from Serra d