Viviano Andrea, Mori Emiliano, Fattorini Niccolò, Mazza Giuseppe, Lazzeri Lorenzo, Panichi Alessandra, Strianese Luigi, Mohamed Walid Fathy
Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Università degli Studi di Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Ricerca sugli Ecosistemi Terrestri, Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.
Animals (Basel). 2021 Feb 21;11(2):562. doi: 10.3390/ani11020562.
Analysis of spatiotemporal partitioning is pivotal to shed light on interspecific coexistence. Most research effort has involved large-sized carnivores and their prey, whereas little attention has been devoted to lagomorphs. We assessed spatiotemporal overlap among the European brown hare and its potential competitors and predators through camera-trapping in an area in Central Italy. We estimated the interspecific patterns of the spatiotemporal activity rhythms of brown hares, its potential predators (the red fox the pine marten , the domestic cat and the domestic dog ), and a competitor, the roe deer . Brown hare activity was studied in natural conditions as well as in a fenced area that excluded terrestrial predators and competitors. Free-ranging hares developed a more nocturnal behavior to avoid diurnal predators (i.e., domestic carnivores and martens). Although high temporal overlap was observed between free-ranging brown hares and both red foxes (82%) and roe deer (81%), hares avoided fox by being more active on darkest nights, as well as avoided roe deer through spatial partitioning. We suggest that hares may adapt their spatiotemporal behavior to avoid potential predators and competitors.
时空划分分析对于阐明种间共存至关重要。大多数研究工作都涉及大型食肉动物及其猎物，而对兔形目动物的关注较少。我们通过在意大利中部一个地区进行相机陷阱监测，评估了欧洲棕兔与其潜在竞争者和捕食者之间的时空重叠情况。我们估计了棕兔、其潜在捕食者（赤狐、松貂、家猫和家犬）以及竞争者狍的时空活动节律的种间模式。在自然条件下以及在排除陆地捕食者和竞争者的围栏区域内研究了棕兔的活动。自由放养的野兔为避免日间捕食者（即家猫科动物和貂）而形成了更多的夜间活动行为。尽管在自由放养的棕兔与赤狐（82%）和狍（81%）之间都观察到了较高的时间重叠，但野兔通过在最黑暗的夜晚更加活跃来避开狐狸，并且通过空间划分来避开狍。我们认为野兔可能会调整其时空行为以避免潜在的捕食者和竞争者。
