The Chilean Mediterranean ecosystem is threatened by anthropogenic pressures, such as habitat loss by intensive agriculture and urban sprawl. Abandoned dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) and cats (Felis silvestris catus) pose conservation challenges for Chilean wildlife including the pampas cat (Leopardus colocolo) and the güiña (Leopardus guigna). We used camera trap data to investigate influences of natural and anthropogenic landscape features on spatiotemporal trends of these species. We also used co-occurrence modeling and kernel density estimation to investigate spatial and temporal patterns overlap of wildcats, free-ranging (FR) dogs, and FR-cats. FR-dogs showed the highest detection and site use probabilities, while güiñas had the lowest across 80 camera trap sites. Top models showed no spatial avoidance between species and co-occurrence of wildcats was positively influenced by forest habitat. However, FR-dogs negatively affected detection of wildcats. Ravines surrounded by forest positively influenced güiña and pampas cat detection probabilities when dominant species were not present. FR-dogs and wildcats had significantly different temporal activity patterns and low overlap coefficients, while wildcats and FR-cats showed high overlap in activity patterns. We suggest changing current policies to control domestic animals and strategic planning in agricultural areas of central Chile to better conserve native wildcat species.

Gastrointestinal parasites are well-documented in small mammals from north-central Chile, but little is known about endoparasites of rodents in southern Chile. A survey was conducted between January and February 2018 to evaluate gastrointestinal parasites and risk factors of wild rodents that live in rural areas in Northern Chiloé Island, Chile. A total of 174 fecal samples from rodents of six native and one introduced species were collected and examined using the Mini-FLOTAC method. Also, 41 individuals of four native wild rodent species were examined furtherly to determinate adult parasites from gastrointestinal tracts. The overall prevalence of endoparasites was 89.65% (156). Helminth egg types included: Rodentolepis spp., Capillariidae, Trichuris sp., Syphacia sp., oxyurid-type eggs, Strongyloides sp., Spirurid-type eggs, Strongilid-type eggs, Moniliformis sp., and an unidentified nematode egg and larvae. Protozoa comprised coccidia, amoeba, and unidentified cysts. From necropsies, adult parasites involved Syphacia sp. Trichuris sp., Protospirura sp. and Physaloptera sp. In Abrothrix olivacea, individuals with low-body-mass index exhibited reduced infection probability for Spirurid-type and Strongilid-type eggs. Some parasites in this study may affect human health. In rural settings where environmental conditions are changing, more research should be undertaken to understand parasitic infections in wildlife and implications for public health and conservation.