Activity Rhythm Partitioning and Coexistence Mechanisms of Sympatric Chinese Ferret Badger and Leopard Cat

Sympatric leopard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis) and Chinese ferret badgers (Melogale moschata) exhibit competitive interactions. To investigate their diel activity rhythms, temporal niche partitioning, and coexistence mechanisms, this study deployed 60 infrared cameras in the Liannan Giant Salamander Nature Reserve, Guangdong Province, from May 2016 to March 2018. A total of 256 independent photographs of leopard cats and 1,290 of Chinese ferret badgers were obtained. Analyses were conducted using kernel density estimation, overlap indices, and relative abundance indices. The results indicate that: (1) The Chinese ferret badger is a typical nocturnal species with a bimodal activity pattern, peaking between 03:00–05:00 and 21:00–24:00. The leopard cat is primarily nocturnal but occasionally exhibits diurnal activity, showing distinct crepuscular peaks between 04:00–06:00 and 19:00–24:00. (2) The temporal overlap between leopard cats and Chinese ferret badgers was moderate (∆ = 0.77, P < 0.01), with overlapping activity concentrated between 18:00 and 06:00. (3) Both species showed high seasonal activity rhythm overlap within themselves (leopard cat: ∆ = 0.88, P = 0.13; Chinese ferret badger: ∆ = 0.91, P = 0.01), indicating no significant seasonal temporal niche differentiation. (4) Overlap between the two species was slightly higher in the cold season than in the warm season (cold season ∆ = 0.77, warm season ∆ = 0.73), suggesting increased activity frequency in the cold season without altering their diel activity patterns. (5) Population densities of both species across different elevations in the reserve were similar, with no significant differences in activity rhythms. Their densities were much higher in evergreen broadleaf forests than in evergreen-deciduous broadleaf mixed forests, indicating core distribution areas concentrated in mid-to-low elevation evergreen broadleaf forests. (6) Chinese ferret badgers were much more active in autumn and winter than in spring and summer, while leopard cats showed higher activity frequencies in June, August, December, and January.These findings suggest that leopard cats and Chinese ferret badgers may reduce competition and achieve coexistence by occupying different temporal niches, although temporal niche partitioning is not the primary factor facilitating their sympatric coexistence. It is recommended that the reserve continue to strengthen wildlife monitoring efforts to track dynamic changes in wildlife resources.