A new study by researchers from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has found that the elusive leopard cat and more dominant red fox co-occur in certain parts of Himachal Pradesh, even though leopard cats generally avoid habitats with a high red fox abundance. The research points to changes in habitat use and occupancy, spurred by human interventions and other factors.

The intraguild relationships between small carnivores – particularly the leopard cat and red fox – are not very well understood. Small carnivores play important roles in regulating prey populations and seed dispersal. “We chose to study the intraguild dynamics between red foxes and leopard cats due to their different ecological roles, with red foxes displaying omnivorous behaviour and leopard cats being obligate carnivores,” said Salvador Lyngdoh, a scientist with the WII and co-author of the paper.

The researchers studied the interactions among leopard cats, red foxes, and the omnivorous yellow throated martens in Dhauladhar Wildlife Sanctuary in Himachal Pradesh. “Although they have diverse dietary preferences, both the leopard cat and red fox depend on common prey items, such as small animals and birds. This dietary overlap surely results in direct competition, particularly in conditions with limited resources,” said Lyngdoh.

Modeling population estimates

The researchers selected Dhauladhar Wildlife Sanctuary, a high-altitude forest spread across 982 square kilometres in Himachal Pradesh, because it hosts a wide array of species. They used a series of models to record observations of leopard cats, red foxes, and yellow throated martens and then estimate their population density and occupancy range. The study estimated a population abundance of 18.2 leopard cat individuals, 23.9 red fox individuals and 44 yellow throated martens per 100 sq. kms.

“We obtained data from camera traps over a span of several weeks, generating a chronological record of the animals’ detections with locations and times. The model uses factors such as habitat types and environmental conditions to predict the potential sites of each species. Through the process of comparing several models, we can identify the key elements that have the most impact on their presence and understand how these factors interact within their environment,” said Tushar Parab, a PhD student at WII and primary author of the study.

The yellow throated martens were included as an “indicator species of the forest ecosystem,” and also because they’re an agile species where resource competition could have a bearing on the presence of leopard cats in a given area. While leopard cats and red foxes are more nocturnal, the yellow throated marten is diurnal, or more active in the daytime.

‘Forced’ cohabitation

The population abundance analysis found that in places where red foxes were abundant, leopard cats were fewer or absent. Simultaneously, the occupancy analysis, which captures habitat use, found that the two species are “forced to co-occur due to their habitat requirement.” This could be due to a variety of factors, including seasonal resource availability, human interventions, and changes in seasonal patterns.

Leopard cats prefer forested areas, with denser vegetation cover and more abundance of prey. Red foxes are more versatile, inhabiting a wider array of habitat types, such as open scrublands, mixed forests, agricultural areas, and urban habitats. “Growing human interventions, such as urbanisation and deforestation, have a substantial impact on the habitats of both species. Human encroachment and land-use changes may reduce the availability of preferred habitats for leopard cats, which are also adaptive in other ranges, forcing them to inhabit places where red foxes are already established,” explained Parab, adding “in regions where there is human presence, carnivorous animals such as red foxes could possess more potential to adjust due to their ability to consume both plants and animals and their wider spectrum of suitable habitats.”

Though they are generally tolerant of human presence, proximity to human habitation was found to be a threat to leopard cats in the Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve, according to another recent study. A habitat suitability map for leopard cats in Sikkim showed that a majority of the habitat was unsuitable, due to differences in climatic temperature suitability and competition with other carnivores, the same study found. Even though leopard cats are among the world’s most widely occurring small cat species, in India, small cats in general lack concerted conservation focus.

The “forced cohabitation” of leopard cats and red foxes may result in the former becoming more vulnerable to the latter, but more observations are needed to fully understand the consequences of these changes in habitat use, said Lyngdoh. “There are surely many consequences of forced cohabitation but these are only initial patterns. Long term research may provide more insights into increased competition for resources, behavioural changes such as increased stress and avoidance strategy, population structure and impacts on predator-prey relationships,” he said.

Banner image: A leopard cat. Image by Shan2797 via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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Aditi Tandon Senior Production Editor

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Animal BehaviourAnimalsCatsHabitat LossHimachal PradeshHimalayasIndia

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