Lagoviruses belong to the Caliciviridae family. They were first recognized as highly pathogenic viruses of the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and European brown hare (Lepus europaeus) that emerged in the 1970–1980s, namely, rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) and European brown hare syndrome virus (EBHSV), according to the host species from which they had been first detected. However, the diversity of lagoviruses has recently expanded to include new related viruses with varying pathogenicity, geographic distribution and host ranges. Together with the frequent recombination observed amongst circulating viruses, there is a clear need to establish precise guidelines for classifying and naming lagovirus strains. Therefore, here we propose a new nomenclature based on phylogenetic relationships. In this new nomenclature, a single species of lagovirus would be recognized and called Lagovirus europaeus. The species would be divided into two genogroups that correspond to RHDV- and EBHSV-related viruses, respectively. Genogroups could be subdivided into genotypes, which could themselves be subdivided into phylogenetically well-supported variants. Based on available sequences, pairwise distance cutoffs have been defined, but with the accumulation of new sequences these cutoffs may need to be revised. We propose that an international working group could coordinate the nomenclature of lagoviruses and any proposals for revision.

Competition is a widespread interaction among carnivores, ultimately manifested through one or more dimensions of the species' ecological niche. One of the most explicit manifestations of competitive interactions regards spatial displacement. Its interpretation under a theoretical context provides an important tool to deepen our understanding of biological systems and communities, but also for wildlife management and conservation. We used Bayesian multispecies occupancy models on camera‐trapping data from multiple sites in Southwestern Europe (SWE) to investigate competitive interactions within a carnivore guild, and to evaluate how species' ecological traits are shaping coexistence patterns. Seventeen out of 26 pairwise interactions departed from a hypothesis of independent occurrence, with spatial association being twice as frequent as avoidance. Association behaviors were only detected among mesocarnivores, while avoidance mainly involved mesocarnivores avoiding the apex predator (n = 4) and mesocarnivore‐only interactions (n = 2). Body mass ratios, defined as the dominant over the subordinate species body mass, revealed an important negative effect ( ) on co‐occurrence probability, and support that spatially explicit competitive interactions are mostly expressed by larger species able to dominate over smaller ones, with a threshold in body mass ratios of ~4, above which local‐scale intraguild coexistence is unlikely. We found a weak relationship between pairwise trophic niche overlap and the probability of coexistence ( ), suggesting that competition for feeding resources may not be a key driver of competition, at least at the scale of our analysis. Despite local‐scale avoidance, regional‐scale coexistence appears to be maintained by the spatial structuring of the competitive environment. We provide evidence that SWE ecosystems consist of spatially structured competitive environments, and propose that coexistence among near‐sized species is likely achieved through the interplay of “facultative” and “behavioral” character displacements. Factors influencing carnivore coexistence likely include context‐dependent density and trait‐mediated effects, which should be carefully considered for a sound understanding of the mechanisms regulating these communities.

Accurate analyses of the diets of predators are key to understand trophic interactions and defining conservation strategies. Diets are commonly assessed through analysis of non‐invasively collected scats, and the use of faecal DNA (fDNA) analysis can reduce the species misidentifications that could lead to biased ecological inference. We review the scientific literature since publication of the first paper on amplifying fDNA, in order to assess trends in the use of genetic non‐invasive sampling (gNIS) for predator species identification in scat‐based diet studies of North American and European terrestrial mammalian carnivores (Carnivora). We quantify error rates in morphology‐based predator species identification. We then provide an overview of how applying gNIS would improve research on trophic interactions and other areas of carnivore ecology. We found that carnivore species identity was verified by using gNIS in only 8% of 400 studies of carnivore diets based on scats. The median percentage of false positives (i.e. samples wrongly identified as belonging to the target species) in morphology‐based studies was 18%, and was consistent regardless of species’ body size. We did not find an increasing trend in the use of gNIS over time, despite the existing technical capability to identify almost all carnivore species. New directions for fDNA studies include employing high‐throughput sequencing (HTS) and DNA metabarcoding to identify the predator species, the individual predator, the entire assemblage of consumed items, and the microbiome of the predator and pathogens. We conclude that HTS protocols and metagenomic approaches hold great promise for elevating gNIS as a fundamental cornerstone for future research in ecology and conservation biology of mammals.

Despite some populations of European wildcat Felis silvestris in central Europe are stable or increasing, the Iberian subpopulation is in decline and is listed as ‘vulnerable’. In Portugal, little is known about wildcat populations, making conservation policies extremely difficult to define. Furthermore, the secretive behaviour of these mammals, along with low population densities, make data collection complicated. Thus, it is crucial to develop efficient analytical tools to interpret existing data for this species. In this study, we determine the home‐range size and environmental factors related to wildcat spatial ecology in a Mediterranean ecosystem using a combined analysis of habitat selection and maximum entropy (Maxent) modelling. Simultaneously, we test the feasibility of using radio‐tracking locations to construct an ecologically meaningful distribution model. Six wildcats were captured and tracked. The average home‐range size (MCP95) was 2.28 km² for females and 13.71 km² for one male. The Maxent model built from radio‐tracking locations indicated that the abundance of the European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus and limited human disturbance were the most important correlates of wildcat presence. Habitat selection analysis revealed that wildcats tend to use scrubland areas significantly more than expected by chance. A mosaic of scrublands and agricultural areas, with a higher proportion of the former, benefits wildcat presence in the study area; however, species distribution is mainly constrained by availability of prey and resting sites. The Maxent model validation with camera‐trapping data indicated that highly adequate model performance. This technique may prove useful for recovering small radio‐tracking datasets as it provides a new alternative for handling data and maximizing the ecological information on a target population, which can then be used for conservation planning.