Biological invasions pose a major threat to biodiversity, yet their nonlethal, behaviorally mediated effects on native wildlife remain poorly understood, particularly in tropical systems. Domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) and wild boars (Sus scrofa) rank among the world’s worst invasive species and are recognized for their significant negative impacts on the ecosystem. Using long-term camera-trap data from two protected areas in Brazilian Cerrado, we investigated how invasive species influence native mammals across temporal and spatial dimensions. The effects of both invasive species were evaluated on seven native mammals with contrasting ecological traits: two canids, an apex predator, and four prey species. We assessed (i) changes in activity patterns through kernel density overlap, (ii) short-term attraction or avoidance using piece-wise exponential additive mixed models, and (iii) spatial responses via abundance-mediated multi-species occupancy models. Our results reveal that native species responded primarily through temporal adjustments rather than spatial exclusion. Xenarthrans were particularly affected, exhibiting activity pattern shifts that could carry energetic costs given their physiological constraints as imperfect homeotherms. Crab-eating foxes and opossums showed flexible, context-dependent responses. We found an exploratory hypothesis based on spatial trends, suggesting that apex predators may create spatial refugia that buffer native species from invasive species pressure. These findings highlight the urgency of domestic dog control, underscore that apex predator conservation could be a critical component of effective invasive species management, and that their management must be context-dependent.
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