Interspecific patterns of small cats in an intraguild-killer free area of the threatened Caatinga drylands, Brazil

Abstract

The semi-arid Caatinga is the largest dry forest ecoregion in the Americas; nevertheless, it is experiencing alarming rates of habitat loss. Most vegetation fragments in the biome are either unprotected or within private lands; however, these private areas are susceptible to anthropogenic activity, and often have the presence of non-native wildlife such as domestic dogs and cats. Two small felid species, the northern tiger cat and the jaguarundi co-occur throughout the Caatinga and have overlapping niches, which require segregation mechanisms to avoid interference competition. Assessing these species strategies for coexistence is crucial, as it can guide conservation actions. With this aim, a private ranch in the Brazilian Caatinga drylands was surveyed and multi-species occupancy models were used to assess co-occurrence patterns between northern tiger cats and jaguarundis. The degree of temporal overlap between both felids and domestic dogs and cats were also assessed. Evidence was found of positive co-occurrence between tiger cats and jaguarundis, suggesting a lack of spatial segregation at our study site; and low temporal overlap was found between both felids, with tiger cats being nocturnal and jaguarundis diurnal. High temporal overlap was found though between domestic dogs and both wild felid species. Our results suggest that small felids can coexist in private areas of the Caatinga with sufficient habitat. However, there is a need to highlight the potential threat of disease transmission by non-native carnivores as something that should be addressed in these private landscapes.