Dietary data from surface and subterranean populations of Speleomantes cave salamanders

We provide here a dataset that collects dietary data from 36 populations belonging to seven of the eight Speleomantes species (S. strinatii, S. ambrosii, S. italicus, S. flavus, S. imperialis, S. sarrabusensis, S. genei) and the natural hybrid zone S. italicus × S. ambrosii. Eleven populations were sampled in natural and artificial subterranean environments for a total surveyed area of 4,667 m2. Twenty-five surface populations were sampled in woodlands, garrigues, and dry-stone walls for a total surveyed area of 34,640 m2. Data collection took place from 2021 to 2024. Twenty-seven populations were surveyed only once; the other nine were surveyed twice during different seasons/years. The dataset contains information on a total of 1,108 captured salamanders. We used stomach flushing to obtain the stomach contents of the salamanders, which were assessed qualitatively and quantitatively using the stereomicroscope. In 930 salamanders, we were able to recognize a total of 8,899 consumed prey items belonging to 50 different prey categories (e.g., order level or lower).