Mesopredators retain their fear of humans across a development gradient

Anthropogenic impacts on wildlife behavior arise both from the immediate presence of people, which induces fear responses in many species, and the human footprint on the landscape (i.e., development), which affects animal movement and habitat use. Where both disturbance types co-occur, disentangling their impacts remains a challenge. Disturbance effects may interact such that species respond to increased human footprint by either reducing (habituation) or increasing (sensitization) avoidance of human presence. We experimentally manipulated perceived human presence, using playbacks of people talking, across a gradient of human footprint in California’s Santa Cruz Mountains and used camera traps to quantify the behavioral responses of bobcats (Lynx rufus), striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis), and Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana), mesopredators known to exhibit strong fear response to human presence, but which vary in their use of developed areas. Bobcats and skunks reduced activity...