Spatial Ecology and Diel Activity of European Wildcat (Felis silvestris) in a Protected Lowland Area in Northern Greece

Can an Enrichment Programme with Novel Manipulative and Scent Stimuli Change the Behaviour of Zoo-Housed European Wildcats? A Case Study

Objects and semiochemicals may be used as enrichment in zoos. Domestic cats release Fraction 3 of Facial Pheromone (F3) by rubbing the muzzle to convey relational and territorial information. We aimed to evaluate whether and how the introduction of novel objects and scent stimuli could change the behaviour of one group (N = 5 subjects) of adult European wildcats (Felis silvestris silvestris) hosted at Parco Natura Viva-Garda Zoological Park, Italy. We assessed the behavioural changes following the introduction of novel objects (blocks and rags) and scent (synthetic F3) via observations over four experimental conditions (baseline, rags, F3 rags, blocks) using continuous focal animal sampling. Our results showed that no behavioural differences were found between the different conditions and the baseline, except for the condition with blocks when significantly less exploration was observed. Between conditions, wildcats performed significantly less individual explorative, affiliative, and agonistic behaviours, but more individual inactivity, when exposed to rags after F3 administration. Our findings suggest that the enrichment programme did not substantively affect the behaviour of the zoo-housed wildcats. However, the behavioural differences recorded between conditions suggest that, while novel objects introduced as visual stimuli (blocks) do not affect the wildcat behaviour, novel manipulative objects (rags) might impact their behaviour. Moreover, the changes in affiliative and agonistic behaviours displayed during the condition with exposure to rags sprayed with F3 suggest that such semiochemical could play an appeasement role within this study group.

Spatio-temporal patterns of the European wildcat in a Mediterranean coastal area

Like most small felids, the European wildcat Felis silvestris is a rather elusive species, poorly detectable in the wild, due to several aspects of its biology. Camera trapping can represent a suitable tool to understand temporal activity patterns and habitat preferences of such elusive species. We used intensive camera trapping over two full years to investigate spatio-temporal patterns of the wildcat in a Mediterranean coastal protected area (Maremma Regional Park, central Italy). At the seasonal scale, the wildcat showed a marked twilight activity in summer and winter (mating period), and nocturnal activity in autumn. Conversely, a peak of activity during the day, i.e., in broad daylight, was reported in spring. Reproductive females may limit their nocturnal movements in spring to increase protection from predators to their kittens at the den, although further data are required to support this conclusion. At seasonal, semestral, and yearly temporal scales, the frequency of wildcat detections increased along with availability of shrubwood. These results emphasise the importance for this small felid of areas with dense vegetation cover (Mediterranean maquis and shrubwood, in our study area). Areas densely covered with shrubby vegetation are expected to provide benefits to this elusive small cat in terms of reduced human disturbance (included tourists), availability of prey (e.g., small mammals), as well as shelter, essential to ensure protection towards potential larger predators.

The rhythm of the night: patterns of activity of the European wildcat in the Italian peninsula

The European wildcat is a threatened carnivore, whose ecology is still scarcely studied, especially in Mediterranean areas. In this study, we estimated activity rhythm patterns of this felid, by means of camera-trapping at three spatial scales: (i) whole country (Italy); (ii) biogeographical areas; (iii) latitudinal zones. The activity rhythms patterns were also calculated according to temporal scales: (1) warm semester; (2) cold semester and (3) seasonal scales. Lastly, we also tested whether the effect of moon phases affected the wildcat activity. We conducted the analysis on a total of 975 independent events collected in 2009–2021, from 285 locations, in ~ 65,800 camera days. We showed that the wildcat in Italy exhibits a > 70% nocturnal behaviour, with 20% of diurnal activity, at all spatial scales, and throughout the whole year, with peaks at 10.00 p.m. and 04.00 a.m. We observed a high overlap of wildcat activity rhythms between different biogeographical and latitudinal zones. The wildcat was mainly active on the darkest nights, reducing its activity in bright moonlight nights. Diurnal activity was greater in the warm months and decreased with the distance from shrubs and woodlands, most likely according to activity rhythms of its main prey, water presence in summer, the care of offspring and the availability of shelter sites. Conversely, the distance to paved roads seems to have no significant effects on diurnal activity, suggesting that, in presence of natural shelters, the wildcat probably may tolerate these infrastructures. We suggested limited plasticity in activity rhythm patterns of the wildcat, emphasizing the importance of dark hours for this species.

Diel and monthly activity pattern of brown bears and sika deer in the Shiretoko Peninsula, Hokkaido, Japan

Mammals exhibit several types of diel activity pattern, including nocturnal, diurnal, crepuscular, and cathemeral. These patterns vary inter- and intra-specifically and are affected by environmental factors, individual status, and interactions with other individuals or species. Determining the factors that shape diel activity patterns is challenging but essential for understanding the behavioral ecology of animal species, and for wildlife conservation and management. Using camera-trap surveys, we investigated the species distributions and activity patterns of terrestrial mammals on the Shiretoko Peninsula, Hokkaido, Japan, with particular focus on brown bears and sika deer. From June to October 2019, a total of 7,530 observations were recorded by 65 camera-traps for eight species, including two alien species. The diel activity pattern of brown bears was diurnal/crepuscular, similar to that of bears in North America, but different from European populations. Bear observations were more frequent during the autumnal hyperphagia period, and adult females and sub-adults were more diurnal than adult males. In addition, bears inside the protected area were more diurnal than those outside it. These findings suggest that appetite motivation, competitive interactions between conspecifics, and human activities potentially affect bear activity patterns. Similar to other sika deer populations and other deer species, the diel activity patterns of sika deer were crepuscular. Deer showed less variation in activity patterns among months and sex-age classes, while adult males were observed more frequently during the autumn copulation period, suggesting that reproductive motivation affects their activity patterns.

Spatial–Temporal Patterns of Sympatric Asiatic Black Bears (Ursus thibetanus) and Brown Bears (Ursus arctos) in Northeastern China

Studying the spatial and temporal interactions between sympatric animal species is essential for understanding the mechanisms of interspecific coexistence. Both Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) and brown bears (Ursus arctos) inhabit northeastern China, but their spatial–temporal patterns and the mechanism of coexistence were unclear until now. Camera traps were set in Heilongjiang Taipinggou National Nature Reserve (TPGNR) from January 2017 to December 2017 to collect photos of the two sympatric bear species. The Pianka index, kernel density estimation, and the coefficient of overlap were used to analyze the spatial and temporal patterns of the two sympatric species. Our findings indicated that the spatial overlap between Asiatic black bears and brown bears was low, as Asiatic black bears occupied higher elevations than brown bears. The two species’ temporal activity patterns were similar at sites where only one species existed, yet they were different at the co–occurrence sites. Asiatic black bears and brown bears are competitors in this area, but they can coexist by changing their daily activity patterns. Compared to brown bears, Asiatic black bears behaved more diurnally. Our study revealed distinct spatial and temporal differentiation within the two species in TPGNR, which can reduce interspecific competition and facilitate coexistence between them.