Food preference of the European ground squirrels (Spermophilus citellus) in South-Western Slovakia - investigation by microhystological faecal analysis and vegetation composition sampling in four natural habitats - with an extra-feeding measurement

As participant of the Interreg V-A SK-CZ/14-20 project we have investigated four population of the ground squirrels which were under regular monitoring and conservational care of the DAPHNE non-governmental organization in SW Slovakia. For the benefit of the more targeted grassland management knowledge and advices to the landowners, we investigated the diet composition by collecting faecal samples from the four habitat sites in April, June and August in 2019. In the three period of the active season non-invasively we picked up fresh faecal pellets from 5-10 individual burrow entrances for diet analysis. At the same times, vegetation as foodscale was checked on each site by botanical sampling in 5 quadrats, including identification and botanical cover estimation of all plant species, beside collecting plant material into herbary as later tissue references. As a result, once the average food preference of the ground squirrels will be revealed in the region. Second, we can compare the different habitat sites both in vegetation and diet composition, third we are able to follow the seasonal changes, too. Moreover, we tried to investigate the effect of the regular extra-feeding with sunflower seeds on these sites by dividing the areas into feeded and non-feeded parts. For extra-food effect measurements 5-10 more faecal samples were picked up from each site in the three periods.