Noninvasive molecular and morphological evidences for an undiscovered population of snow vole in Southern Spain.

Capturing wild animals can be time consuming and difficult or even impractical. Noninvasive sampling is potentially a cost-effective and efficient means to monitor wild animals, thereby avoiding the need of capture and disturb species in the wild. On the basis of the morphological and genetic analyses of owl pellet contents, a so far undetected European snow vole (Chionomys nivalis) population was discovered in the Sierra Segura mountain range (Southern Spain).