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(19'16), such tax:a should be included in the domestic species (Capra

hircrts, Ovis aries) and not as subspecies of the wild tax:a (Capra aegagrus, Ovis

gmdini). Similar conclusions have been reached for insular populations ofrabbit

(Hardy et al., 1995). It should be stressed that antropochorous mamma! tax:a

are llOt exclusive ofislands, but there are many examples especially in the Iberian

Peninsula and Maghreb (Dobson, 1998). Furthermore, ancient introductions

have also ìnterested other tax:onomic groups such as reptiles (Paulo et al., 2002),

a fa<t which is further confìrmed by the synonymy ofthe subspecies Vipera aspis

mo?ltecristi, ofMontecristo Island, with Vipera aspis hugyi ofsouthern Italy (Zuffi

andBonnet, 1999)

CONSERVATION IMPLICATIONS

\>:lhat kind ofconservation priority do insular anthropochorous mammals deserve
in the Mediterranean area? This question should be considered in the framework
ofa holistic approach to biodiversity conservation in the region. The Mediterranean
Basin is one of the 25 world biodiversity hotspots given the richness of its flora-
one tenth ofworld plant species in l ,5% ofEarth surface- and the high endemism
rate of about 50% (Blondel and Aronson, 1999; Myers et al., 2000). Islands hold
a high percentage ofendemie plants (Delanoe et al., 1996) and insects (Balletto and
Casde, 1991). Among vertebrates, amphibians, although limited in the region by
theil' biology, show the presence of severa! ancient tax:a which have great
biogeographical relevance, such as Hydromantes the only extra-American
Plaetodomhidae and Euproctus (Blondel and Aronson, 1999). N evertheless,
manunals, especially those oflarge size, tend to receive a disproportionate attention
from both the laymen and the scientists because of their huntìng, symbolic and
cultura! value (Amori and Gippoliti, 2000). Por instance, the mouflon and the
Sardinian red deer (Cervus elaphus corsicanus) have been used in a map to illustrate
the biodiversity of the Mediterranean hotspot (National Geographic, 1999). This
is why it has been suggested to delete antropochorous tax:a from national and
international Red Lists (Gippoliti andAmori, 2002). Some ofthem, however, have
interesting biological peculiarities, such as the Sardinian garden dormouse Eliomys
quercinus, the only member ofthe lusitanicus complex having 2n = 50 (Filippucci
and Capanna, 1996). Our proposal only intends to give the right conservation
weight to the truly endemie insular elements instead of favouring the results of
recent, human-mediated experiments. It is also our aim to discourage further
introductions of 'rare' Mediterranean mammals, in particular tmgulates, on other
islands, especially protected ones, for 'conservation' reasons. Actually, the increase
of ungulates densities, owing to island protected status, should be carefully
monitored in arder to avoid heavy pressures on biocoenosis and loss ofbiodiversity.
Management strategy should consider the paleoecological aspects of each island,

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