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Anthropogenic landscape change is a leading driver of biodiversity loss. Preceding dramatic changes such as wildlife population declines and range shifts, more subtle responses may signal impending larger‐scale change. For example, disturbance‐induced shifts to species’ activity patterns may disrupt temporal niche partitioning along the 24‐h time axis, compromising community structure via altered competitive interactions. We investigated the impacts of human landscape disturbance on species’ activity patterns and temporal niche partitioning in the Canadian Rocky Mountain carnivore guild using camera trap images collected across two regions encompassing a wide gradient of human footprint. Applying kernel density estimation techniques, we tested for carnivore species’ activity shifts 1) between a low versus high disturbance landscape, and 2) in relation to site‐scale disturbance. To test our hypothesis that human disturbance impacts species’ temporal niche partitioning, we modelled activity overlap between co‐occurring carnivore species in relation to natural and anthropogenic landscape features, as well as carnivore community composition. Multiple carnivore species altered activity patterns between the low versus high disturbance landscapes and camera sites, but these shifts varied considerably among species. While wolves appeared to increase nocturnal activity in relation to disturbance, coyote activity consistently trended towards cathemerality and marten increased diurnal activity. Detecting effects of landscape disturbance on activity overlap between co‐occurring species was highly sensitive to site‐level detection sample sizes, and our results suggest altered temporal niche partitioning between marten and wolverine in relation to forest cover. This study indicates that mesocarnivores may respond differently and perhaps indirectly to anthropogenic disturbance compared to apex predators. Apex predator shifts to nocturnality may facilitate a ‘behavioural release’ in mesocarnivores. This may be a likely component of mesocarnivore population release, with important management implications for ecological communities on disturbed landscapes.

Leptospirosis is a globally important, fatal disease of humans, and over 160 species of animals are associated with more than 250 bacterial serovars in 64 species, but its ecology varies regionally...

Interactions among terrestrial carnivores involve a complex interplay of competition, predation and facilitation via carrion provisioning, and these negative and positive pathways may be closely linked. Here, we developed an integrative framework and synthesized data from 256 studies of intraguild predation, scavenging, kleptoparisitism and resource availability to examine global patterns of suppression and facilitation. Large carnivores were responsible for one third of mesocarnivore mortality (n = 1,581 individuals), and intraguild mortality rates were superadditive, increasing from 10.6% to 25.5% in systems with two vs. three large carnivores. Scavenged ungulates comprised 30% of mesocarnivore diets, with larger mesocarnivores relying most heavily on carrion. Large carnivores provided 1,351 kg of carrion per individual per year to scavengers, and this subsidy decreased at higher latitudes. However, reliance on carrion by mesocarnivores remained high, and abundance correlations among sympatric carnivores were more negative in these stressful, high-latitude systems. Carrion provisioning by large carnivores may therefore enhance suppression rather than benefiting mesocarnivores. These findings highlight the synergistic effects of scavenging and predation risk in structuring carnivore communities, suggesting that the ecosystem service of mesocarnivore suppression provided by large carnivores is strong and not easily replaced by humans.

The role of wildlife in the dissemination of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) in the environment is of increasing concern. We investigated the occurrence, richness and transmissibility potential of ARGs detected in the faeces of three mesocarnivore species: the coyote (Canis latrans), raccoon (Procyon lotor) and Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), and of stray and owned dogs in suburban Chicago, IL, USA. Rectal swabs were collected from live-captured coyotes (n = 32), raccoons (n = 31) and Virginia opossums (n = 22). Fresh faecal samples were collected from locally owned (n = 13) and stray dogs (n = 18) and from the live-captured mesocarnivores, when available. Faecal samples and rectal swabs were enriched to select for Enterobacteriaceae and pooled by mesocarnivore species and dog type (owned or stray). Pooled enriched samples were then analysed for the presence of ARGs using shotgun sequencing. The three mesocarnivore and stray dog samples had twice as many unique ARGs compared to the owned dog sample, which was partly driven by a greater richness of beta-lactamase genes (genes conferring resistance to penicillins and cephalosporins). Raccoon and stray dog samples had the most ARGs in common, suggesting possible exposure to similar environmental sources of ARGs. In addition to identifying clinically relevant ARGs (e.g. blaCMY and qnrB), some ARGs were linked to the class 1 integrase gene, intI1, which may indicate anthropogenic origin. Findings from this pilot investigation suggest that the microbial communities of suburban mesocarnivores and stray dogs can host ARGs that can confer resistance to several antimicrobials used in human and veterinary medicine.

The bobcat (Lynx rufus) is a widespread mesocarnivore that declined in the USA as immigration and settlement proceeded. It was considered extirpated in Ohio (OH) around 1850, and generally extinct for a century. Listed as state-endangered in 1974, verified reports increased in the 1990s. Population clusters developed in 2 areas of OH, and genetically stratified. The eastern population increased more rapidly, and the southern was part of a multistate population including West Virginia (WV) and Kentucky (KY). To investigate the recovering bobcat’s population ecology, the State of OH collected carcasses of bobcats who died mostly from vehicle collision while state-listed. We processed specimens for demographic data, and supplemented the southern sample with western WV and eastern KY harvest data given genetic relatedness. We applied a vertical life table framework interpreting our population cross-section as a recovery period. We estimated age structure, fecundity, and population status of eastern OH bobcats, and compared fecundity between areas. Life-table analyses indicated an eastern OH population hovering around zero growth. Juvenile females contained most reproductive value, and most males died as young adults. Fecundity in eastern OH surpassed that of the multistate population overall where comparable. Fecundity increased through several years of life as bobcats matured. Our results suggest, after a rapid recovery of eastern OH bobcats, population growth slowed as they began to saturate their environment. OH delisted bobcats in 2014 and proposed a harvest season in 2018. With loosening regulation, we recommend more robust sampling for improved population modeling after expansion of the recovered population’s range.

The European wildcat is a threatened carnivore, whose ecology is still scarcely studied, especially in Mediterranean areas. In this study, we estimated activity rhythm patterns of this felid, by means of camera-trapping at three spatial scales: (i) whole country (Italy); (ii) biogeographical areas; (iii) latitudinal zones. The activity rhythms patterns were also calculated according to temporal scales: (1) warm semester; (2) cold semester and (3) seasonal scales. Lastly, we also tested whether the effect of moon phases affected the wildcat activity. We conducted the analysis on a total of 975 independent events collected in 2009-2021, from 285 locations, in 65,800 camera days. We showed that the wildcat in Italy exhibits a > 70% nocturnal behaviour, with 20% of diurnal activity, at all spatial scales, and throughout the whole year, with peaks at 10.00 p.m. and 04.00 a.m. We observed a high overlap of wildcat activity rhythms between different biogeographical and latitudinal zones. The wildcat was mainly active on the darkest nights, reducing its activity in bright moonlight nights. Diurnal activity was greater in the warm months and decreased with the distance from shrubs and woodlands, most likely according to activity rhythms of its main prey, water presence in summer, the care of offspring and the availability of shelter sites. Conversely, the distance to paved roads seems to have no significant effects on diurnal activity, suggesting that, in presence of natural shelters, the wildcat probably may tolerate these infrastructures. We suggested limited plasticity in activity rhythm patterns of the wildcat, emphasizing the importance of dark hours for this species.

M.M. was supported by a research contract Ramon y Cajal from the MINECO (RYC-2015-19231) . This study was partly funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness and EU ERDF funds through the project CGL2017-89905-R., The recent SARS-CoV-2 epidemic has highlighted the need to prevent emerging and re-emerging diseases, which means that we must approach the study of diseases from a One Health perspective. The study of pathogen transmission in wildlife is challenging, but it is unquestionably key to understand how epidemiological interactions occur at the wildlife-domestic-human interface. In this context, studying parasite avoidance behaviours may provide essential insights on parasite transmission, host-parasite coevolution, and energy flow through food-webs. However, the strategies of avoiding trophically transmitted parasites in mammalian carnivores have received little scientific attention. Here, we explore the behaviour of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and other mammalian carnivores at conspecific and heterospecific carnivore carcasses using videos recorded by camera traps. We aim to determine 1) the factors influencing the probability of foxes to practice cannibalism, and 2) whether the scavenging behaviour of foxes differ when facing conspecific vs. heterospecific carcasses. We found that red foxes were generally reluctant to consume mesocarnivore carrion, especially of conspecifics. When recorded, consumption by foxes was delayed several days (heterospecific carcasses) or weeks (conspecific carcasses) after carcass detection. Other mammalian scavengers showed a similar pattern. Also, meat-borne parasite transmission from wild carnivore carcasses to domestic dogs and cats was highly unlikely. Our findings challenge the widespread assumption that cannibalistic or intra-specific scavenging is a major transmission route for Trichinella spp. and other meat-borne parasites, especially for the red fox. Overall, our results suggest that the feeding decisions of scavengers are probably shaped by two main contrasting forces, namely the nutritional reward provided by carrion of phylogenetically similar species and the risk of acquiring meat-borne parasites shared with these species. This study illustrates how the detailed monitoring of carnivore behaviour is essential to assess the epidemiological role of these hosts in the maintenance and dispersion of parasites of public and animal health relevance., MINECO RYC-2015-19231, Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness, European Commission CGL2017-89905-R

Wildlife populations are increasingly challenged by human activities that disrupt landscape connectivity, animal movement, population dynamics and population persistence. Yet modified habitats may provide resource subsidies for generalist species resulting in increased selection of disturbed areas. Understanding how species adjust their space use and activity in human-modified landscapes is fundamental to conserving wildlife populations globally. To test three competing hypotheses explaining spatiotemporal responses to human activity, we investigated coarse (3 hour)- and fine (20 minute)- scale habitat selection, activity patterns, and measured home ranges in a human-dominated landscape. We GPS-collared 25 adults and subadult caracals (Caracal caracal) from three contiguous subpopulations in urban and wildland-dominated regions. Caracals in the wildland-dominated region avoided proximity to urban areas while caracals in the urban-dominated region selected for close proximity to urban areas. Selection responses for vegetative cover, freshwater, vineyards, the coast, and burned areas was dependent on age class, diel period, and whether individuals were in close proximity to urban areas. Large home ranges demonstrated habitat selection results were not a result of limited landscape use. Caracals did not shift their temporal activity to avoid humans, but selected for closer proximity to urban areas at night, suggesting they seek spatial refugia during the day. Behavioral plasticity whereby individuals seek out spatial refugia promotes the coexistence of this carnivore in a human-dominated landscape. These data are essential to our understanding of what is viable wildlife habitat to a generalist mesocarnivore and provide opportunities to guide land acquisition and conservation by local management agencies.

Climate change and anthropogenic modifications to the landscape can have both positive and negative effects on an animal. Linking landscape change to physiological stress and fitness of an animal is a fundamental tenet to be examined in applied ecology. Cortisol is a glucocorticoid hormone that can be used to indicate an animal’s physiological stress response. In the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, fishers (Pekania pennanti) are a threatened mesocarnivore that have been subjected to rapid landscape changes due to anthropogenic modifications and tree mortality related to a 4-year drought. We measured cortisol concentrations in the hair of 64 fishers (41 females, 23 males) captured and radio-collared in the Sierra National Forest, California. We addressed two main questions: (1) Is the physiological stress response of fishers influenced by anthropogenic factors, habitat type, canopy cover, and tree mortality due to drought in their home range? (2) Does the physiological stress response influence survival, reproduction, or body condition? We examined these factors within a fisher home range at 3 scales (30, 60, 95% isopleths). Using model selection, we found that tree mortality was the principle driver influencing stress levels among individual fishers with female and male fishers having increasing cortisol levels in home ranges with increasing tree mortality. Most importantly, we also found a link between physiological stress and demography where female fishers with low cortisol levels had the highest annual survival rate (0.94), whereas females with medium and high cortisol had lower annual survival rates, 0.78 and 0.81, respectively. We found no significant relationships between cortisol levels and body condition, male survival, or litter size. We concluded that tree mortality related to a 4-year drought has created a “landscape of stress” for this small, isolated fisher population.

Increased agricultural intensification and extensive woody plant encroachment are having widespread effects on the functioning of grass-dominated systems at multiple spatial scales. Yet there is little understanding of how the provisioning of biodiversity-based ecosystem services might be altered by these ongoing changes. One fundamental ecosystem service that is decreasing globally, especially in human-altered landscapes, is scavenging that regulates disease processes, alters species distributions, and influences nutrient cycling. Accordingly, our goal was to understand how facultative scavenging, particularly that of mesocarnivores, was affected by landscape heterogeneity and woody encroachment in tropical-grassy savannas within an agricultural landscape mosaic. We baited (using chicken carcasses) plots across a gradient of land cover heterogeneity in areas with an open and closed canopy and subsequently measured scavenging rates. We found that scavenging efficiency of mesocarnivores and other small vertebrates was dependent on environmental variation at multiple spatial scales within our savanna agroecosystem. Mesocarnivores removed more bait when the overstory canopy at the plot (i.e., exact location of bait station) was more closed; in contrast, mesocarnivore scavenging was less efficient when patches (50 × 50 m area around the bait station) within the site had a higher density of shrubs. At the landscape scale, increased land cover fragmentation resulted in decreased amounts of scavenging by mesocarnivores. This study demonstrates that a relatively transformed agroecosystem can support the provision of important ecosystem services and offer an important buffer against loss of ecosystem services. Our results suggest that targeted woody encroachment control, protection of large trees, and management or mitigation of extreme levels of fragmentation can help maintain ecosystem service provision and biodiversity.

For trophic systems regulated by top-down processes, top carnivores may determine species composition of lower trophic levels. Removal of top predators could therefore cause a shift in community composition. If predators play a role in limiting the population of endangered prey animals, removing carnivores may have unintended consequences for conservation. Lethal predator removal to benefit prey species is a widely used management strategy. Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are a common nest predator of threatened piping plovers (Charadrius melodus) and are often the primary target of predator removal programs, yet predation remains the number one cause of piping plover nest loss. Predator exclusion cages (hereafter, exclosures) around nests are often used to keep foxes from eating eggs, as an alternative to predator removal. Fox removals may increase the presence or activity of smaller predators, including American mink (Neovison vison), which can enter exclosures. We predicted that when foxes were removed from plover breeding sites, mesopredator release of mink would occur and lead to increased predation levels of plover nests. Average probability of mink occupancy was higher when foxes were absent (0.26 [95% BCI = 0.16, 0.38]) than when they were present (0.04 [0.01, 0.09]). For nests not protected by exclosures, nest predation was similar at sites with (0.42 [0.12, 0.68]) and without foxes (0.38 [0.10, 0.64]). At sites where foxes were absent, however, predation rates of exclosed nests were 3-fold higher (foxes absent [0.25 {0.06, 0.52}]) compared to sites where foxes remained [0.06 {0.01, 0.18}]). Our results suggest that removal of foxes from plover breeding sites allowed American mink to expand their local range. In turn, removal of foxes led to a decrease in nest survival of an endangered ground-nesting bird. Conservation within complex trophic systems may fail if interactions among species are not well understood when implementing lethal predator removal.

Globally, anthropogenic land conversion has resulted in reduced natural land available for free-roaming wildlife, and a shift in species composition. Certain mesocarnivores exhibit an ability to adapt and expand distribution ranges under differing anthropogenic pressures. Our study addressed the socio-ecological attitudes and general perspectives towards mammalian mesocarnivores across a land-use gradient (rural–urban) from the uMgungundlovu to eThekwini municipalities of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. We determined threats, conflicts and attitudes towards mammalian mesocarnivores using an online questionnaire survey. The public held a range of opinions on mesocarnivores. Participants from both land-use types generally regarded mesocarnivores as non-threatening and vital for the environment. However, not all mesocarnivores were regarded with equal benevolence. Black-backed jackals, Canis mesomelas, were consistently singled out as a problematic species by rural inhabitants and this intensified reactions when a confrontation occurred. Smaller and more behaviourally flexible mesocarnivores (mongoose spp. and Cape genets, Genetta tigrina) were the most observed species in both land-use types, indicating potential population increases. Vehicle collision was the leading cause of mesocarnivore fatalities. Overall, perceived impacts and threats of mesocarnivores differed across the land-use gradients. Our study illustrates the importance of citizen science and community engagement across a land-use gradient in wildlife conservation efforts.

The spatiotemporal distribution of parasites in ecosystems is heterogeneous. High infection risk is often associated with aggregations of animals around attractive resources. Here, we explore the behavior of potential hosts of non-trophically transmitted parasites at mesocarnivore carcass sites. We used videos recorded by camera traps at 56 red fox (Vulpes vulpes) carcasses and 10 carcasses of other wild carnivore species in three areas of southeastern Spain. In general, scavenging species, especially wild canids, mustelids and viverrids that display rubbing behavior, were more exposed to infection risk at carnivore carcass sites than non-scavenging and domestic species. The red fox was the species that most frequently contacted carcasses and marked and rubbed carcass sites. Foxes contacted heterospecific carcasses more frequently and earlier than conspecific ones, and close contact was more frequently observed at heterospecific carcasses. Thus, foxes seemed to avoid contacting carcasses in those periods and at carcass types of maximum risk of acquiring parasites. Overall, our results suggest that infection risk at carnivore carcass sites may take place mainly for visitor-carcass contact or contact with feces and urine rather than direct contact between visitors. Moreover, contact events between scavengers and carnivore carcasses are far more frequent than consumption events, which indicates that scavenger behavior is more constrained by the risk of acquiring meat-borne parasites than non-trophically transmitted parasites. This study contributes to filling key gaps in understanding the role of carrion in the landscape of disgust, which may be especially relevant in the current global context of emerging and re-emerging pathogens.

Predator communities are changing worldwide: large carnivores are declining while mesocarnivores (medium-sized mammalian predators) are increasing in number and ecological influence. Predator choice of prey is not random and different predators select prey with different characteristics. Changes in predator communities can change predation patterns experienced by prey. Little is known about how mesocarnivore communities influence prey morphology. We used 14 years of mark-recapture data to investigate how mesocarnivore exclusion affected body mass of hispid cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus). Finding adult male cotton rats were 9% heavier with mesocarnivore exclusion, we developed hypotheses to explain this observation. Greater adult male body mass in exclosures resulted from: (1) a non-significant trend of increased survival of large males, (2) faster juvenile male growth during the fall and a similar non-significant trend among adult males, and (3) spatial partitioning by size among males. Taxa-specific predation rates (i.e., rates of predation by snakes, raptors, or mesocarnivores) did not differ among male body mass classes. Mesocarnivores disproportionately preyed on large females while raptors targeted small females, but female body mass was not influenced by mesocarnivore exclusion. Changes in predator communities can result in multiple small effects that collectively result in large differences in prey morphology.

Invasive species are considered as one of the major threats to biodiversity and represent a major challenge in the conservation of natural ecosystems, in preventing damage to agricultural production, and human health risks. Environmental Niche Modelling has emerged as a powerful tool to predict the patterns of range expansion of non-native species and to direct effective strategies for managing biological invasions. The raccoon, Procyon lotor, is a wild mesocarnivore presenting a high adaptability and showing successful introduced populations worldwide. Here, we modelled the current and future climatically favourable areas for the raccoon using two protocols, based on data sets filtrated in geographic and environmental spaces. Projections from these models show extensive current favourable geographical areas covering extensive regions of temperate biomes. Moreover, predictions for 2050 reveals extensive new favourable areas north of the current favourable regions. However, the results of the two modeling approaches differ in the extent of predicted favourable spaces. Protocols using geographically filtered data present more conservative forecasts, while protocol using environmental filtration presents forecasts across greater areas. Given the biological characteristics and the ecological requirements of a generalist carnivore such as the raccoon, the latter forecasts appears more relevant and should be privileged in the development of conservation plans for ecosystems.

Eastern spotted skunks (Spilogale putorius) have suffered a dramatic range-wide decline leading to concern that the species is likely vulnerable to extinction, but were recently discovered to persist in a portion of the southern Appalachian Mountains (United States). For 2 years we investigated habitat selection by eastern spotted skunks to develop an understanding of their habitat and conservation needs in northwestern South Carolina. We used a discrete choice modeling framework to evaluate vegetative and topographic features that we predicted would influence rest site selection by male and female spotted skunks. Using VHF telemetry, we tracked 15 spotted skunks (10 males and 5 females) to 215 day-time rest sites between the months of April and August. Spotted skunks selected rest sites in close proximity to drainage channels, where the relative probability of selection decreased 18% and 50% with every 20-m increase in distance to a drainage channel for males and females, respectively. Relative probability of selection by female spotted skunks increased 30% for every one-unit increase in coarse woody debris (CWD), and relative probability of selection by male spotted skunks increased 25% for every 10% increase in understory cover. These results are consistent with previous studies that have identified cover as important for protection from predators; however, we additionally identified CWD and drainage channels as important to habitat selection by spotted skunks. These latter attributes are likely selected based on prey availability, but alternate ecological functions of these features warrant further investigation. Preservation of understory vegetation and CWD within drainage networks might benefit conservation of eastern spotted skunks in the southern Appalachians.

A wide variety of baits is used in camera trap studies, but few have been validated to obtain optimal and comparable results. The present study aimed to analyze the effectiveness of different baits commonly used in camera trap studies in the Iberian Peninsula. First, a bibliographic review was performed in order to identify the most common baits. Then, an intensive camera trap monitoring program was carried out with the identified baits. Finally, we estimate the effect of bait type on the average detection of several target and nontarget mammal species. Results show that chicken- and fish-baited cameras produced satisfactory results for targeted species. Chicken meat showed higher detection for badgers, stone martens, and common genets. Canned sardines in vegetable oil resulted an attractive bait for red foxes and feral dogs. Unbaited cameras, vegetable-based baits, or scats and urine as operational attractants resulted ineffective baits for mesocarnivores, with the exception of feral cats. A variety of baits has been used for mesocarnivore inventories or single-species studies in the Iberian Peninsula. In consequence, most of these inventories and studies cannot be fully compared. Moreover, as baits are not equally effective, diversity and abundance data could be underestimated and compromise the quality of the survey data. The present results highlight the need for standardized methods in camera trap studies to follow a replicable methodology in order to obtain feasible and comparable results among studies.

Roads have impacts on the fauna arising from habitat fragmentation, roadkill and the barrier effect. Furthermore, roads lead species to change their activity with repercussions on predator–prey interactions and trigger indirect effects that are currently unknown. This study analyzes the effect of a motorway on the trophic behavior of the terrestrial carnivore community of its surroundings. Monthly scat sampling was conducted over a year at three distances from a motorway (0–50 m, 500–550 m and 1000–1050 m). We collected 498 scats, these originating from red fox (39.16%), cat (24.50%), stone marten (24.09%) and badger (12.25%). The relative abundance of the trophic resources in them was estimated together with the trophic diversity and niche overlap of the carnivore species. The results showed a distinct effect of distance from the road on trophic behavior of carnivores, as well as differences between species and seasons. The scats nearest the road had 10–20% more biomass of small mammals, equivalent in relative terms to a 21–48% increase in small mammals’ biomass when compared with scats collected further from the road. This finding indicates changes in predator–prey interactions near the road and shows that the human-generated structural and functional changes to ecosystems spread throughout trophic networks.

Context. Some prey species can shift their daily activity patterns to reduce the risk of encountering predators, and, in turn, predators develop strategies to increase their chances of meeting prey. European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is a key species in Iberian Mediterranean ecosystems. It is the main prey for many vertebrate predators. It is also a game species and is often the target of management measures such as translocations. Aims. To test whether rabbits adjust their activity patterns in response to differing predation regimes in a management context. Methods. Rabbits were translocated from a donor area, with a high rabbit density, to a release area in central Spain, with a semi-permeable fenced plot and an unfenced plot, which had no rabbits before the translocation. We estimated daily activity patterns and relative abundance index (RAI) for mesocarnivores and rabbits by using camera-traps, and calculated Jacobs selection index (JSI) to classify each species in a diel period. Additionally, we calculated the activity overlap between prey and mesocarnivores in the different areas. Key results. Rabbits were nocturnal in the donor area, where only two mesocarnivore species were detected, red fox (Vulpes vulpes, with a high RAI) and Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon, with a low RAI). However, in the unfenced area, where five mesocarnivore species were present, rabbits showed a crepuscular trend with two activity peaks, around sunrise and around sunset. In contrast, rabbits showed a nocturnal activity in the fenced plot, where four mesocarnivore species were detected but where only the Egyptian mongoose (strictly diurnal) had a high RAI value. Conclusions and implications. The results suggest that rabbits in the fenced plot adapted their activity to avoid the diurnal mongooses. Conversely, rabbits in unfenced areas showed a trend towards day/twilight activity patterns as an adaptation to a diverse community of mesocarnivores. Rabbits can adapt their daily activity patterns to reduce predation risk depending on the pressure exerted by different predator species, with conservation and management implications. These adaptations would allow higher success of rabbit translocations despite the risk of predation by carnivores and could help in the management design of future translocations of this key species., Contexto: algunas especies de presas pueden cambiar sus patrones de actividad diaria para reducir el riesgo de encontrarse con depredadores y, a su vez, los depredadores desarrollan estrategias para aumentar sus posibilidades de encontrarse con presas. El conejo europeo ( Oryctolagus cuniculus ) es una especie clave en los ecosistemas mediterráneos ibéricos. Es la principal presa de muchos depredadores vertebrados. También es una especie de caza y, a menudo, es objeto de medidas de gestión como las translocaciones. Objetivos: probar si los conejos ajustan sus patrones de actividad en respuesta a diferentes regímenes de depredación en un contexto de gestión. Métodos: Los conejos se translocaron desde una zona donante, con una alta densidad de conejos, a una zona de liberación en el centro de España, con una parcela vallada semipermeable y una parcela sin vallar, que no tenía conejos antes de la translocación. Estimamos los patrones de actividad diaria y el índice de abundancia relativa (RAI) para mesocarnívoros y conejos usando cámaras trampa, y calculamos el índice de selección de Jacobs (JSI) para clasificar cada especie en un período diario. Además, calculamos la superposición de actividad entre presas y mesocarnívoros en las diferentes áreas. Resultados clave: Los conejos eran nocturnos en el área donante, donde solo se detectaron dos especies de mesocarnívoros, zorro rojo ( Vulpes vulpes , con RAI alto) y mangosta egipcia ( Herpestes ichneumon , con RAI bajo). Sin embargo, en el área sin cercar, donde estaban presentes cinco especies de mesocarnívoros, los conejos mostraron una tendencia crepuscular con dos picos de actividad, alrededor del amanecer y alrededor del atardecer. En cambio, los conejos mostraron una actividad nocturna en la parcela cercada, donde se detectaron cuatro especies de mesocarnívoros pero donde solo la mangosta egipcia (estrictamente diurna) tuvo un valor alto de RAI. Conclusiones e implicaciones: Los resultados sugieren que los conejos en la parcela cercada adaptaron su actividad para evitar las mangostas diurnas. Por el contrario, los conejos en áreas no cercadas mostraron una tendencia hacia patrones de actividad diurno/crepuscular como una adaptación a una comunidad diversa de mesocarnívoros. Los conejos pueden adaptar sus patrones de actividad diaria para reducir el riesgo de depredación dependiendo de la presión ejercida por diferentes especies de depredadores, con implicaciones de conservación y gestión. Estas adaptaciones permitirían un mayor éxito de las translocaciones de conejos a pesar del riesgo de depredación por carnívoros y podrían ayudar en el diseño de gestión de futuras translocaciones de esta especie clave.

Although it is still common in undisturbed tropical habitats, populations of yellow-throated marten (Martes flavigula) have continuously declined throughout their range, particularly in South Korea where the population has been designated as an endangered species. Despite their threatened status, the northeastern population of yellow-throated marten and their habitats are poorly studied, and limited information exists to aid recovery and conservation of this mesocarnivore. In this study, presence data of martens were analyzed using 23 raster datasets for MaxEnt and Biomapper modeling. We assessed resulting habitat models for yellow-throated marten in 773 of 10 × 10 km survey grids in South Korea using field sign and trail cameras in 2018 and 2019. With 2667 confirmed sightings of this species, we created the first distribution map of yellow-throated martens in South Korea. We then analyzed 13 environmental features related to marten occurrence using linear mixed-effects models. Our top models indicated that altitude, precipitation, seasonality, land cover, land price, rail, roads, tourism attractions, and traffic volume explained marten occurrence. Direct human activities were the most reliable indicators of disturbance rather than stationary features such as roads and buildings. Our results also suggest that yellow-throated martens can exist in areas of high human population density. The new ecological information we provide on the distribution and habitat relationships of yellow-throated martens in South Korea will be beneficial for management and conservation of this species in Southeast Asia.

Urbanisation is rapidly transforming natural habitats with the potential to benefit synanthropic species, especially mesocarnivore species. Knowledge of the spatio-temporal ecology of mongoose species in an urban matrix is limited. Consequently, we examined the home range and habitat use of water mongoose (Atilax paludinosus, n = 14) in an urban matrix landscape. Mongooses were collared and radio-tracked using Global Positioning System (GPS)-Ultra high frequency (UHF) transmitters between July 2018 and October 2019 in the Upper Highway area’s urban matrix, eThekwini Municipality, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Habitat selection for water mongoose indicated that the species avoided built-up urban areas favouring fragments of forest and bushland habitat types close to natural water sources within the urban mosaic. The adaptability and generalist nature of water mongoose has facilitated their persistence in the urban mosaic. Variability in the home range size and habitat use of individuals of the water mongooses highlights their ability to adapt to anthropogenically modified landscape, yet they were highly dependent on natural refugia in this urban matrix.

This work was supported by the Peace Parks Foundation; G.C.S. was funded by a doctoral grant from Fundacão para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT: PD/BD/114037/2015); L.H.S. was supported by the National Research Foundation, South Africa (UID: 107099 and 115040) and by the African Institute for Conservation Ecology. Apex predator reintroductions have proliferated across southern Africa, yet their ecological effects and proposed umbrella benefits of associated management lack empirical evaluations. Despite a rich theory on top-down ecosystem regulation via mesopredator suppression, a knowledge gap exists relating to the influence of lions (Panthera leo) over Africa's diverse mesocarnivore (less than 20 kg) communities. We investigate how geographical variation in mesocarnivore community richness and occupancy across South African reserves is associated with the presence of lions. An interesting duality emerged: lion reserves held more mesocarnivore-rich communities, yet mesocarnivore occupancy rates and evenness-weighted diversity were lower in the presence of lions. Human population density in the reserve surroundings had a similarly ubiquitous negative effect on mesocarnivore occupancy. The positive association between species richness and lion presence corroborated the umbrella species concept but translated into small differences in community size. Distributional contractions of mesocarnivore species within lion reserves, and potentially corresponding numerical reductions, suggest within-community mesopredator suppression by lions, probably as a result of lethal encounters and responses to a landscape of fear. Our findings offer empirical support for the theoretical understanding of processes underpinning carnivore community assembly and are of conservation relevance under current large-predator orientated management and conservation paradigms. Postprint

Not enough room Modern carnivore communities include species that span a range of body sizes. For example, on the African savannah, there are small species (mongooses), medium species (wild dogs), and large species (lions). This variation reflects available prey sources that best suit each group. Carnivorous dinosaur communities, however, were missing species that fall into the middle, or mesocarnivore, group as adults. Schroeder et al. looked across communities, space, and time and found that this absence appears to have been driven by the distinctive biology of dinosaurs, in which giant adults start out as tiny hatchlings. Growing juvenile dinosaurs thus filled the other niches and limited trophic species diversity. Science , this issue p. 941

Background: Wildlife populations are increasingly challenged by human activities that disrupt landscape connectivity and animal movement, and thus population dynamics and persistence. Yet modified habitats may provide resource subsidies for generalist species resulting in increased selection of disturbed areas. Understanding how species adjust their space use and activity in human-modified landscapes is increasingly critical to conserving wildlife populations globally. Methods: To test three competing hypotheses explaining spatiotemporal responses to human activity, we GPS-collared 26 individual adults and subadults from three contiguous subpopulations in wildland and urban-dominated regions. We investigated coarse (3 hour)- and fine (20 minute)- scale movement-explicit habitat selection using step selection functions and tested for increased nocturnality of caracals (Caracal caracal) in a human-dominated landscape in South Africa. Results: Caracals in a wildland-dominated landscape were on average > 8.0 km from the urban-natural boundary and strongly selected for proximity to the coastline. Caracals in the urban-dominated landscape were on average Conclusions: Behavioral plasticity whereby individuals seek out spatial, but not temporal refugia, appears to promote the coexistence of this generalist carnivore in a human-dominated landscape. Both age class and degree of exposure to anthropogenic activities influence habitat selection, while some individuals have learned to successfully exploit the riskiest areas at night. These data are essential to our understanding of what is viable wildlife habitat in this rapidly urbanizing landscape and provide opportunities to guide land acquisition and conservation guidelines by local management agencies.

The methods used to assess the significance of land cover in the vicinity of a road for the mortality of mesopredators are diverse. In assessing the effect of land cover along the road on road causalities, scientists use various buffer sizes, or even no buffer along the road. The aim of this study was to verify how results of land cover effects on the mortality of mesopredators on roads may differ when analyzing various buffer sizes from the road. We assessed road causalities in the Warmian-Masurian voivodeship (Poland) from 3 consecutive years: 2015, 2016, and 2017. The roads were divided into equal sections of 2000 m each with buffer size of radius: 10, 250, 500, and 1000 m. We analyzed the number of road kills of red fox and European badger separately in a generalized linear model, whereas explanatory variables we used land cover types (based on the Corine Land Cover inventory) and traffic volume. Mean annual mortality from road collisions amounts to 2.36% of the red fox population and 3.82% of the European badger population. We found that the buffer size determines the results of the impact of land cover on mesocarnivore mortality on roads. The red fox differed from the European badger in response to land cover depending on the buffer size. The differences we have shown relate in particular to built-up areas. Our results indicate a 500-m buffer as best reflecting the land cover effects in road kills of both species. This was confirmed by model evaluation and a tendency to use or avoid the vicinity of human settlements of the analyzed species. We concluded that buffer size will probably affect mostly the significance of cover types that are spatially correlated with roads, positively or negatively. We suggest that the home range size of given species in local conditions should be assessed before determining the size of the buffer for analysis.

Knowing the distribution of expanding carnivore species is paramount for identifying and addressing potential human–wildlife conflicts. Occupancy models are useful tools to estimate the distribution and the probability of detection of wildlife species. In this study, we used these models with an empirical dataset to compare different survey methods and their combinations in order to optimize the estimated distribution in central Iberian Peninsula of the Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon), the only Herpestidae species occurring in Europe. In particular, we aimed to identify the most cost-effective (most accurate, with the lowest bias and cost) method or combination of methods. Sign surveys along transects on foot, hair-traps (baited and unbaited) and camera-traps were used as detection methods. We replicated these methods in 10 sampling units within four study zones in which the species was known to occur. We employed occupancy models to estimate the detection probability for each method in each zone, using covariates exclusively for detection probability, and made combinations of all methods. Camera-trapping was the most precise and least biased single method, followed by transects on foot. In contrast, both baited and unbaited hair-traps produced biased estimates of occupancy. However, camera-traps was the most costly method, whereas single unbaited hair-traps had the lowest cost. Our results demonstrate that the combination of several methods provides more precise and unbiased estimates of occupancy than those obtained from single methods. Even so, a biased method could contribute to improve the estimates if combined with other unbiased and precise methods. We recommend considering not only the precision and bias, but also the cost and effort required by each method to achieve the most cost-effective results in distribution studies of carnivore species., Conocer la distribución de las especies de carnívoros en expansión es fundamental para identificar y abordar posibles conflictos entre humanos y vida silvestre. Los modelos de ocupación son herramientas útiles para estimar la distribución y la probabilidad de detección de especies de vida silvestre. En este estudio, utilizamos estos modelos con un conjunto de datos empíricos para comparar diferentes métodos de prospección y sus combinaciones con el fin de optimizar la distribución estimada en el centro de la Península Ibérica de la mangosta egipcia ( Herpestes ichneumon), la única especie de Herpestidae presente en Europa. En particular, nuestro objetivo fue identificar el método o la combinación de métodos más rentable (más preciso, con el sesgo y el costo más bajos). Se utilizaron como métodos de detección estudios de señales a lo largo de transectos a pie, trampas de pelo (con y sin cebo) y cámaras trampa. Repetimos estos métodos en 10 unidades de muestreo dentro de cuatro zonas de estudio en las que se sabía que se encontraba la especie. Empleamos modelos de ocupación para estimar la probabilidad de detección de cada método en cada zona, usando covariables exclusivamente para la probabilidad de detección e hicimos combinaciones de todos los métodos. La cámara trampa fue el método individual más preciso y menos sesgado, seguido de los transectos a pie. Por el contrario, tanto las trampas para el pelo con cebo como las que no lo tenían produjeron estimaciones de ocupación sesgadas. Sin embargo, las cámaras trampa fueron el método más costoso, mientras que las trampas para el cabello sin cebo tuvieron el costo más bajo. Nuestros resultados demuestran que la combinación de varios métodos proporciona estimaciones de ocupación más precisas e imparciales que las obtenidas con métodos individuales. Aun así, un método sesgado podría contribuir a mejorar las estimaciones si se combina con otros métodos imparciales y precisos. Recomendamos considerar no solo la precisión y el sesgo, sino también el costo y el esfuerzo requerido por cada método para lograr los resultados más rentables en los estudios de distribución de especies de carnívoros. un método sesgado podría contribuir a mejorar las estimaciones si se combina con otros métodos precisos e imparciales. Recomendamos considerar no solo la precisión y el sesgo, sino también el costo y el esfuerzo requerido por cada método para lograr los resultados más rentables en los estudios de distribución de especies de carnívoros. un método sesgado podría contribuir a mejorar las estimaciones si se combina con otros métodos precisos e imparciales. Recomendamos considerar no solo la precisión y el sesgo, sino también el costo y el esfuerzo requerido por cada método para lograr los resultados más rentables en los estudios de distribución de especies de carnívoros.

The partition of the ecological niche can enhance the coexistence of predators due to differences in how they exploit three main resources: food, space, and time, the latter being an axis that often remains unexplored. 2. We studied niche segregation in a Mediterranean mesocarnivore community composed by Vulpes vulpes, Genetta genetta, Meles meles, and Herpestes ichneumon, addressing simultaneously different niche axes: the temporal, trophic, and spatial axes. 3. We assessed temporal segregation between mesopredators and prey and between potential competitors, using camera trap data between 2018 and 2020 in a Mediterranean landscape in Southern Spain. We deployed camera traps in 35 stations in three sites with varying vegetation cover within Doñana National Park. We further examined the spatial overlap in activity centers and trophic preferences between potential competitors using diet information from studies performed in the study area. 4. We found an overall temporal segregation between trophic generalist species, with species showing higher temporal overlap differing in their trophic preferences and/or showing limited spatial overlap. Furthermore, we observed an overall high overlap between the activity patterns of predators and their major prey in the area (the common genet vs. small mammals and the red fox vs. European rabbit). 5. Our study suggests that coexistence of the different species that compose the mesocarnivore assemblage in Mediterranean landscapes can be facilitated by subtle differences along the three main niche axes, with temporal segregation being a most pronounced mechanism. Our findings reinforce the idea that the coexistence mechanisms underlying community structure are multidimensional

The Northern raccoon Procyon lotor is a native mesocarnivore of North America which has been introduced to many Eurasian countries, where invasive populations currently occur. Regarding Italy, the species is present in Lombardy and in the Foreste Casentinesi National Park (Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna). In this work, we conducted a review on food habits of the Northern raccoon both in the native and in the introduced ranges, and we firstly reported the evidence on the impact of this species on native crayfish in Central Italy. We retrieved 18 papers published between 1932 and 2020, 14 from the native range and four from the invasive range. We analysed the frequency of occurrence of nine food categories (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects, crustaceans, fruits, and others). After fruits, crustaceans (where available) were the main food items detected in raccoon scats (up to 60% of the total diet, in the frequency of occurrence). In September 2019, we detected a total of 37 dead adult freshwater white-clawed crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes complex in Central Italy, with evident signs of predation by the Northern raccoon. The local population of Northern raccoon is fast expanding its range, whereas the local population of A. pallipes complex is declining. This crayfish species is protected by national and international laws. Thus, a monitoring program involving all stakeholders and institutions dealing with in environmental management, aiming at removing all raccoons currently present in this area of Central Italy, should be carried out in the short term to limit the potential impacts exerted by the fast-spreading of this invasive mammal.

A species’ potential distribution can be modelled adequately only if no factor other than habitat availability affects its occurrences. Space use by stone marten Martes foina is likely to be affected by interspecific competition with the strictly related pine marten Martes martes, the latter being able to outcompete the first species in forested habitats. Hence, to point out the environmental factors which determine the distribution and density of the stone marten, a relatively understudied mesocarnivore, we applied two non-invasive survey methods, camera-trapping and faecal-DNA based genetic analysis, in an Alpine area where the pine marten was deemed to be absent (Val Grande National Park N Italy). Camera trapping was conducted from October 2014 to November 2015, using up to 27 cameras. Marten scats were searched for between July and November 2015 and, to assess density, in spring 2017. Species identification was accomplished by a PCR-RFLP method, while 17 autosomal microsatellites were used for individual identification. The stone marten occurred in all available habitats (83% of trapping sites and 73.2% of scats); nonetheless, habitat suitability, as assessed using MaxEnt, depended on four major land cover variables—rocky grasslands, rocks and debris, beech forests and chestnut forests—, martens selecting forests and avoiding open rocky areas. Sixteen individuals were identified, of which 14 related to each other, possibly forming six different groups. Using capwire estimators, density was assessed as 0.95 (0.7–1.3) ind/km2. In the study area, the widespread stone marten selected forested areas, attaining density values like those reported for the pine marten in northern Europe and suggesting that patterns of habitat selection may depend on the relative abundance of the two competing martens.

Studying species interactions and niche segregation under human pressure provides important insights into species adaptation, community functioning and ecosystem stability. Due to their high plasticity in behaviour and diet, urban mesocarnivores are ideal species for studying community assembly in novel communities.We analysed the spatial and temporal species interactions of an urban mesocarnivore community composed of the red fox Vulpes vulpes and the marten Martes sp. as native species, the raccoon Procyon lotor as invasive species, and the cat Felis catus as a domestic species in combination with human disturbance modulated by the SARS‐CoV‐2 lockdown effect that happened while the study was conducted.We analysed camera trap data and applied a joint species distribution model to understand not only the environmental variables influencing the detection of mesocarnivores and their use intensity of environmental features but also the species’ co‐occurrences while accounting for environmental variables. We then assessed whether they displayed temporal niche partitioning based on activity analyses, and finally analysed at a smaller temporal scale the time of delay after the detection of another focal species.We found that species were more often detected and displayed a higher use intensity in gardens during the SARS‐CoV‐2 lockdown period, while showing a shorter temporal delay during the same period, meaning a high human‐induced spatiotemporal overlap. All three wild species spatially co‐occurred within the urban area, with a positive response of raccoons to cats in detection and use intensity, whereas foxes showed a negative trend towards cats. When assessing the temporal partitioning, we found that all wild species showed overlapping nocturnal activities. All species displayed temporal segregation based on temporal delay. According to the temporal delay analyses, cats were the species avoided the most by all wild species. To conclude, we found that although the wild species were positively associated in space, the avoidance occurred at a smaller temporal scale, and human pressure in addition led to high spatiotemporal overlap.Our study sheds light to the complex patterns underlying the interactions in a mesocarnivore community both spatially and temporally, and the exacerbated effect of human pressure on community dynamics., This study contains many dimensions of ecological dynamics: human–wildlife interactions and human activities effects, ecological niche theory, species interactions and community assembly. In an urban environment, mesocarnivores displayed similar spatial requirements, their activities were concentrated during the night and the partitioning appears at a smaller temporal scale.

The Fisher (Pekania pennanti) is a mesocarnivore of conservation concern in the Pacific coastal region of North America with a diverse but poorly understood diet. From 1995 to 2001, we collected 297 scats from 11 radio-collared females and 83 scats from 8 radio-collared males, and used frequency of occurrence (percentage of scats containing a particular food item) to investigate their diets. Mammals were the most frequently occurring food item in the diets of both female and male Fishers (84.8 and 77.1 % of scats, respectively); however, the prevalence of small (≤166 g) mammalian prey was relatively low (