Data from: Females know better: sex-biased habitat selection by the European wildcat

The interactions between animals and their environment vary across
species, regions, but also with gender. Sex‐specific relations between
individuals and the ecosystem may entail different behavioral choices and
be expressed through different patterns of habitat use. Regardless, only
rarely sex‐specific traits are addressed in ecological modeling
approaches. The European wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris) is a
species of conservation concern in Europe, with a highly fragmented and
declining distribution across most of its range. We assessed sex‐specific
habitat selection patterns for the European wildcat, at the landscape and
home range levels, across its Iberian biogeographic distribution using a
multipopulation approach. We developed resource selection functions in a
use‐availability framework using radio‐telemetry data from five wildcat
populations. At the landscape level, we observed that, while both genders
preferentially established home ranges in areas close to broadleaf forests
and far from humanized areas, females selected mid‐range elevation areas
with some topographic complexity, whereas males used lowland areas. At the
home range level, both females and males selected areas dominated by
scrublands or broadleaf forests, but habitat features were less important
at this level. The strength of association to habitat features was higher
for females at both spatial levels, suggesting a tendency to select
habitats with higher quality that can grant them enhanced access to
shelter and feeding resources. Based on our results, we hypothesize that
sex‐biased behavioral patterns may contribute to the resilience of
wildcats’ genetic integrity through influencing the directionality of
hybridization with domestic cats. Our study provides information about
European wildcats’ habitat use in an Iberian context, relevant for the
implementation of conservation plans, and highlights the ecological
relevance of considering sex‐related differences in environmental
preferences.