Spatio-temporal correlations of large predators and their prey in western Thailand

The coexistence of predators with similar morphology can be achieved by avoidance through behavioural, temporal and spatial segregation, which separates niches and reduces competition. Partitioning of space and time can reduce competition by decreasing the frequency of interspecific encounters that exploit a common resource base. We investigated temporal and spatial partitioning of tigers (Panthers tigris), leopards (Panthera pardus), dholes (Cuon alpinus), and their ungulate prey in Thung Yai Naresuan (East) Wildlife Sanctuary in western Thailand from April 2010 to January 2012. We collected camera trap data from 106 locations over 1,817 trap nights. Kernel density estimation and Spearnian's rank correlation were used to quantify temporal and spatial activity patterns. Pianka's index was used to investigate the temporal and spatial overlap for each species pair. Tigers (crepuscular activity pattern) showed no temporal correlation with leopards (mostly diurnal) or dholes (strongly diurnal), but leopard activity appeared to correlate positively with dhole activity. Tigers exhibited temporal overlap with larger gaur (Bos gaurus) and sambar (Rusa unicolor); leopards did so with barking deer (Muntiacus munqak) and wild boar (Sus scrota); and dholes did so with barking deer and wild boar. The spatial correlations of tigers, leopards, and dholes did not significantly overlap, though numerically overlap was higher between felids than with the canid. None of the three predators significantly correlated with prey distribution, except for dholes with sambar. Our findings suggest that tigers, leopards, and dholes co-occur with spatial and temporal partitioning due to differences in prey activity and low overlap in space use correlated to prey preference. The partition in space and time between tigers and leopards can minimise their competition-associated prey activity, while leopards and dholes seem to be more generalist and not spatially correlated with each other.