Trophic spectrum of adult Salamandra salamandra in the Carpathians with the first note on food intake by the species during winter

We carried out an overall analysis of the fire salamander trophic spectrum in the Carpathian Mountains, where prey linked to forest and wet sites such as Araneae, Gastropoda, and Diplopoda, were predominant. These taxa were also an important food component of active salamanders from two localities in the eastern part of Slovakia. Besides invertebrate prey we also recorded the presence of vegetal fragments and gastropod eggs in the stomach contents. Furthermore, overall analysis from Carpathians showed that differentiation of the trophic spectrum does not show a geographic pattern but probably rather reflects habitat differences. In wintering salamanders we did not confirm the presence of invertebrate prey in their stomach contents, but we did record intensive dermatophagy, which was probably not accidental and could indicate the possible phenomenon of reclaiming epidermal proteins during this period.