Habitat Suitability and Relative Abundance of the European Wildcat (<i>Felis silvestris</i>) in the Southeastern Part of Its Range.

ABSTRACT: The European wildcat exhibits considerable plasticity in its habitat requirements across its distribution, with differences increasing along a continental-scale latitudinal gradient. While wildcats often favor deciduous and mixed forests with dense cover and prey, studies show these preferences vary across their expansion. Range-wide conservation efforts will benefit from incorporating knowledge generated by robust regional ecological models. We used data from a large camera trap grid (n = 292 stations), spanning across eight wildcat-associated habitats, within its range in northern Greece, to understand the regional ecological parameters affecting the species' habitat selection. We analyzed the data using single-season density-induced detection heterogeneity occupancy models (Royle-Nichol

SUBMITTER: Migli D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12524287 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature