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<p>As a top predator, the Iberian Lynx plays a critical role in regulating mesocarnivore communities across the Iberian Peninsula. While species such as the red fox, the Egyptian mongoose, or the European wildcat develop spatial or temporal avoidance behaviours to minimise potentially lethal encounters with the lynx, the relationship between the Eurasian badger and the lynx has been described as one of peaceful coexistence. However, this has not been empirically demonstrated. For the first time, we document close encounters observed between Iberian lynxes and European badgers and shed light on their behavioural interactions. Using camera traps in Montes de Toledo, Spain—an area with a high-density lynx population – we observed that lynxes stayed attentive to the badgers’ activities without showing any signs of alertness, rejection or aggression, between them. These observations challenge traditional assumptions about interspecies interactions among mesocarnivores and provide new insights into the complex dynamics of predator communities in Mediterranean ecosystems.</p>

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Tolerance and intraguild commensalism: the case of the European badger and the Iberian lynx

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2025年1月14日

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  • Isabel Pérez-Vigo,
  • Pablo Ferreras,
  • Rafael Finat,
  • Rafael Villafuerte

摘要

As a top predator, the Iberian Lynx plays a critical role in regulating mesocarnivore communities across the Iberian Peninsula. While species such as the red fox, the Egyptian mongoose, or the European wildcat develop spatial or temporal avoidance behaviours to minimise potentially lethal encounters with the lynx, the relationship between the Eurasian badger and the lynx has been described as one of peaceful coexistence. However, this has not been empirically demonstrated. For the first time, we document close encounters observed between Iberian lynxes and European badgers and shed light on their behavioural interactions. Using camera traps in Montes de Toledo, Spain—an area with a high-density lynx population – we observed that lynxes stayed attentive to the badgers’ activities without showing any signs of alertness, rejection or aggression, between them. These observations challenge traditional assumptions about interspecies interactions among mesocarnivores and provide new insights into the complex dynamics of predator communities in Mediterranean ecosystems.