# Creek Beds and Cape Hares: Spatial and Seasonal Determinants of Caracal Movement and Diet in a Hyperarid Desert Ecosystem

## TL;DR

Caracals in a desert region prefer creek beds for hunting and avoid human infrastructure, relying mainly on wild prey like hares.

## Contribution

The study reveals sex-specific and seasonal habitat preferences of caracals and their reliance on creek beds for natural prey in a human-impacted desert.

## Key findings

- Caracals strongly selected creek beds year-round, likely due to high prey availability and favorable microclimates.
- Males had larger home ranges than females, with sex-specific differences in habitat selection linked to topography and human infrastructure.
- Caracals primarily consumed wild prey, with less than 12% of scat samples containing human-provided food.

## Abstract

Native mesopredators face challenges adapting to landscapes modified by human activities, particularly in arid regions, where resources are naturally limited and ecological dynamics are sensitive to disturbance. The caracal (
Caracal caracal
), a behaviorally flexible predator found across Africa and Asia, offers insights into how such carnivores navigate the balance between natural habitat requirements and anthropogenic pressures. We investigated habitat selection and dietary patterns of caracals in southern Israel's hyperarid Arava Valley using radiotelemetry data from 10 collared individuals (n = 75 tracking days) and scat samples collected during 1986–1987, complemented by ranger observations spanning the four subsequent decades. Resource Selection Function analyzes revealed pronounced sex‐specific and seasonal patterns of habitat selection within observed areas of use. Males exhibited larger areas of use than females, whereas habitat selection differed primarily through sex‐dependent responses to topography, elevation, hydrological features, and anthropogenic drivers rather than consistent differences in overall terrain preferences. These sex‐specific differences were evident in both seasons but were most pronounced during the dry season, suggesting increased habitat segregation under conditions of heightened resource limitation. Both sexes strongly selected for proximity to creek beds across seasons, likely reflecting high natural prey availability—particularly Cape hares, as well as more buffered microclimatic conditions. Caracals demonstrated context dependence in their response to human infrastructure—avoiding paved roads during the dry season, showing seasonal shifts in their use of dirt roads, and selecting areas closer to agricultural fields primarily during the dry season, especially females. Dietary analysis indicated a strong reliance on wild prey, dominated by Cape hares, small rodents, and desert partridge. Only 11.3% of fecal samples contained anthropogenic food items. Long‐term observational data confirmed that both caracals and their primary prey exhibited significant spatial association with creek beds. Together, these complementary lines of evidence suggest that natural prey availability remains the dominant driver of caracal habitat selection in this resource‐limited system. Conservation efforts should prioritize the protection and connectivity of creek bed habitats to support the persistence of caracals and other native species in increasingly human‐dominated arid landscapes.

This study examined habitat selection and diet of caracals in Israel's hyperarid Arava Valley using radio‐telemetry data, scat analysis, and four decades of observations, revealing that caracals strongly prefer creek bed habitats year‐round while showing sex‐specific differences in home range size and seasonal responses to human infrastructure. The dietary analysis demonstrated that caracals primarily consume wild prey (Cape hares, small rodents, and desert partridge) rather than human‐provided food sources, with both predators and prey showing strong spatial association with creek beds. The findings suggest that natural prey availability drives caracal habitat selection in this resource‐limited environment, highlighting the importance of protecting creek bed habitats and maintaining connectivity for conservation of desert carnivores.