Activity overlap between mesocarnivores and prey in the Central Mongolian steppe

Research on the ecology and behaviour of mesocarnivores and their prey is scant in Mongolia. We investigated activity patterns of a guild of mesocarnivores (red fox, Pallas's cat and beech marten) and their prey (Siberian marmot, Daurian pika, Brandt vole, Mongolian gerbil and Mongolian silver vole) using 21 camera traps (effort = 1155 camera days) in Central Mongolia from 25st of May to 20th August 2019. Activity patterns of mesocarnivores were cathemeral (i.e. no difference between diurnal, nocturnal and crepuscular detections, although activity peaked at sunrise). Among prey, the Siberian marmot and the Daurian pika were diurnal, whereas the Mongolian gerbil and the Mongolian silver vole…