Coexistence mechanisms of carnivores revealed at a fine behavioral scale within the mountains of southwest China

Understanding mechanisms of species coexistence is critical in biodiversity research, with behavior playing a key role as species respond to internal and external environments, revealing crucial insights into species interactions and coexistence mechanisms. Carnivore communities are integral components of ecosystems, regulating ecosystem structure and function. However, there is a lack of research from a behavioral ecology perspective on coexistence mechanisms within carnivore communities, leading to an incomplete understanding of their complex interspecies interactions. This study investigates behavioral strategy differences between top and secondary predators in the carnivore community of Xinlong, China. From March 2022 to June 2023, we surveyed behavioral changes of five carnivore species—leopard (Panthera pardus), wolf (Canis lupus), yellow-throated marten (Mustela sibirica), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), and leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis)—using infrared cameras. We analyzed habitat impacts on behavioral hierarchy using linear mixed-effects models.