Temporal Partitioning between Forest-Dwelling Small Rodents in a Mediterranean Deciduous Woodland.

Temporal partitioning is reported as one of the main strategies adopted by coexisting mammal species to limit interspecific competition and behavioural interference. In the last decades, camera-trapping surveys have provided valuable insights in assessing temporal niche and activity rhythms of medium and large-sized mammalian species. Conversely, this method has been poorly applied to small rodents. In this work we aimed at assessing temporal niche partitioning between two species of forest-dwelling small rodents- and -by means of intensive camera-trapping. Camera traps were placed in areas where previous genetic analyses have confirmed the only presence of amongst wood mice species, to prevent misinterpretation of records. We collected 124 independent records of and 67 records of over three years. The former was mostly nocturnal, with activity peaking after midnight, whereas the latter was mostly active at dawn and dusk. Therefore, a limited temporal overlap was observed, confirming the potential for interspecific competition. Intraguild interference competition between and may play a pivotal role forcing to be more active in daylight hours where, the more strictly nocturnal is present. Nocturnal activity of was limited and not influenced by moon phases, whereas was mostly active in the darkest nights, avoiding bright moonlight nights.