Divergent foraging strategies facilitate the coexistence of sympatric red fox ( Vulpes vulpes ) and Tibetan fox ( V. ferrilata ) on the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Carnivores play a key role in maintaining ecosystem structure, function, and ecological processes. Understanding the coexistence mechanisms of sympatric species with similar niches is a central question in community ecology and biodiversity conservation. In this study, we applied DNA metabarcoding techniques to analyse the dietary composition and trophic niche partitioning between two sympatric canids on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and the Tibetan fox (V. ferrilata). Our results indicated that the winter diet of the red fox primarily consisted of Ochotonidae, Cricetidae, and Bovidae, whereas the Tibetan fox mainly consumed Ochotonidae, Spalacidae, and Cricetidae. Despite dietary niche overlap, significant differences were detected in both dietary composition and richness (P < .05). Further analysis indicated that the Tibetan fox had a significantly narrower niche breadth than the red fox (P < .05), indicating clear divergence in foraging strategies between these two congeneric canids. We demonstrated that the red fox and Tibetan fox achieve stable coexistence via divergent foraging strategies, generalist vs. specialist, respectively. These findings provide key insights into the mechanisms underpinning the coexistence of sympatric mesocarnivores, and offer critical empirical support for the conservation management of alpine carnivore communities.