Data from: Ecological correlates of the spatial co-occurrence of sympatric mammalian carnivores worldwide

The composition of local mammalian carnivore communities has far-reaching
effects on terrestrial ecosystems worldwide. To better understand how
carnivore communities are structured, we analyzed camera trap data for
108,087 trap days across 12 countries spanning 5 continents. We estimate
local probabilities of co-occurrence among 768 species pairs from the
order Carnivora and evaluate how shared ecological traits correlated with
probabilities of co-occurrence. Within individual study areas, species
pairs co-occurred more frequently than expected at random. Co-occurrence
probabilities were greatest for species pairs that shared ecological
traits including similar body size, temporal activity pattern, and diet.
However, co-occurrence decreased as compared to other species pairs when
the pair included a large-bodied carnivore. Our results suggest that a
combination of shared traits and top-down regulation by large carnivores
shape local carnivore communities globally.