Scavenger Activity and Anti-Predator Behaviour in an Apennine Wolf Area

Scavenging guilds often have several trophic levels with varying dominance and intra-guild predation, competition, interaction. Apex predators can control subordinate by limiting their numbers affecting behaviour but also supply a continuous food source abandoning carcasses. Camera traps monitored the scavenger guild in Alpe di Catenaia, Tuscan Apennine, for three years to determine intraguild interactions response. Wild boar visited most feeding sites only scavenged 1.4% of visits. Red fox was frequent scavenger, traded vigilance equally, selected low vegetation density, while marten invested more than vigilance. Marten prime follower, appearing within shortest time after another had left site. occasionally looked upwards, possibly detect birds prey. Badger showed scarcely any vigilance, did not feed much on carcasses scent-marked abundantly. Wolves highest proportion at among scavengers. Sites good visibility were all scavengers except martens who poor new moon illumination. Scavengers mostly nocturnal, weak responses twilight hours or lunar illumination, red avoided human disturbance areas.