Dietary Differentiation Mitigates Interspecific Interference Competition Between Sympatric Pallas’s Cats (Otocolobus manul) and Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes)

The comparative analysis of the feeding ecology among sympatric small carnivores reveals both differentiation and overlap in resource utilization patterns, which serves as a critical pathway for understanding interspecific interactions and maintaining ecosystem stability. In this study, we collected fecal samples from sympatric Pallas's cats (<i>Otocolobus manul</i>, <i>n</i> = 26) and red foxes (<i>Vulpes vulpes</i>, <i>n</i> = 13) within the Sanjiangyuan National Park (SNP) in China. Subsequently, DNA barcoding technology was employed to analyze the dietary composition and interspecific differences of these two small carnivores. The results demonstrated that both species primarily prey on plateau pikas (<i>Ochotona curzoniae</i>) and small rodents. Despite a high trophic niche overlap between Pallas's cats and red foxes (<i>O_jk</i> = 0.81), interspecific competition is mitigated through differentiate feeding proportions of shared prey species. Furthermore, the trophic niche breadth of red foxes (<i>B</i> = 267.89) exceeds that of Pallas's cats (<i>B</i> = 162.94), reflecting a greater diversity of prey resources utilized by red foxes. Consequently, the two small carnivores achieve sympatric coexistence via differentiated resource utilization. These findings enhance our understanding of the coexistence mechanisms within carnivore communities and provide a scientific basis for the conservation of wildlife in the SNP.