Unveiling correlational nexus among environment, gut microbiota, and personality traits in the Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardinus)

The gut microbiome is increasingly recognized as a pivotal modulator of animal behaviour, yet its influence on wild fauna remains largely unexplored. We investigated the correlational relationship between gut microbiota, behavioural phenotypes, and management practices in 26 captive endangered Iberian lynxs (Lynx pardinus) maintained within the ex-situ Iberian breeding program facilities, in two geographically distant stations in SW Spain. Behavioural observations were intensively recorded over two years, and three personality profiles emerged, i.e., (i) anomalous (with the highest frequencies for stereotypies), and (ii) sedentary and (iii) active (with the highest frequencies for sedentaris