Contrasting Responses of Two Sympatric Canids, the African Golden Wolf and Red Fox, to Anthropogenic and Habitat Related Factors in Arid Landscapes of Southern Tunisia

ABSTRACT Human‐induced landscape changes increasingly shape the spatial ecology of wildlife, particularly in arid ecosystems where resources are limited. This study investigates how the combined effects of anthropogenic pressures and prey availability influence the distribution and abundance of two sympatric canids: the African golden wolf ( Canis anthus ) and the red fox ( Vulpes vulpes ) in southern Tunisia. We surveyed 122 sites over 8 months using 500 m transects with a 20 m search width, recording presence indices (tracks, scats) alongside environmental variables including land use, proximity to roads, livestock density, and prey abundance. Species‐specific negative binomial generalized linear models (NB‐GLMs) within an information‐theoretic framework revealed divergent responses driven by the combined effects of anthropogenic factors and prey availability. The African golden wolf showed negative associations with urban and agricultural land cover and occurred mainly in natural habitats, while its abundance increased with livestock and wild prey availability, suggesting a trade‐off between disturbance avoidance and resource exploitation. In contrast, the red fox was positively associated with agricultural and urban environments, with its distribution and abundance positively related to rodent and invertebrate availability, reflecting ecological flexibility in human‐modified landscapes. These findings highlight contrasting species‐specific strategies shaped by the interaction between anthropogenic pressures and resource availability and emphasize the relative importance of landscape transformation and local resource conditions in structuring carnivore communities in arid regions. Our study provides critical insights into canid responses to rapid environmental change and informs sustainable land‐use planning in North African ecosystems.