Temporal Responses and Direct Encounters Among Native and Invasive Carnivores: Behavioral Evaluation Using Artificial Bait Sites

ABSTRACT

Interference competition shapes the community structure by constraining access to resources, and such interactions are often particularly pronounced among carnivores. However, empirical findings on these dynamics have been inconsistent and remain insufficiently investigated. In addition, invasive predators may exhibit traits that allow them to outcompete native competitors, thereby influencing interference competition outcomes. Therefore, we investigated the temporal responses and direct encounters among three mesocarnivore species (red foxes Vulpes vulpes , raccoon dogs Nyctereutes procyonoides , and invasive masked palm civets Paguma larvata ). We installed 92 artificial bait sites during summer in a forest area in northeast Japan and recorded videos of visiting carnivores. Diel activity patterns overlapped among all three species. Time‐to‐event analysis showed that time intervals were significantly longer when raccoon dogs appeared after foxes than when foxes appeared after raccoon dogs. In contrast, for species pairs involving civets (i.e., with raccoon dogs or foxes), the order of appearance did not significantly affect the time intervals. In direct encounter events, the winning rate of raccoon dogs was significantly higher than that of foxes. The winning rates of native species (raccoon dogs and foxes) were significantly higher than those of civets. Raccoon dogs showed a temporal negative response (larger time interval) to foxes but exhibited dominance in direct encounters. This is likely driven by their heightened nutritional requirements before overwintering. Their behavior may reflect a mixture of temporal avoidance and conflict‐winning ability against foxes. The lack of temporal avoidance by civets, despite losing all recorded encounters, may suggest behavioral unresponsiveness. Although our study relied on artificial bait sites and therefore may not fully capture processes in natural settings, the observed field interactions nonetheless offer valuable insights into interspecific relationships among mesocarnivores.