Download or read book A Comparative Ecological Study Between Coyotes Canis Latrans in a Protected and Urban Habitat written by Denara Lynn Manning and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ABSTRACT: Coyotes (Canis latrans) have inhabited Florida (USA) since the 1960s and are currently found throughout the state. The purpose of the present study was to obtain information on enteric parasites and diet of Florida coyotes from two different habitat types. Seasonal variation in diet was also examined. Fresh coyote fecal samples were collected from protected and urban habitats in Pinellas County, Florida (USA; 27°54' n, 82°41'w) from may 2005 to march 2007. A standard fecal flotation examination and formalin-ethyl acetate sedimentation were utilized on fecal samples collected from the protected (n=40) and urban (n=50) habitats. Five novel (newly documented) parasites of coyotes were discovered; one cestode (Hymenolepis spp.), one nematode (Ascaris spp.), and three protozoa (Balantidium coli, Blastocystis spp., and Entamoeba histolytica). Novel parasites of Florida coyotes were also discovered two cestodes (diphyllobothrium latum and dipylidium caninum), two nematodes (toxocara canis and uncinaria stenocephala), one trematode (paragonimus spp.), and four protozoa (cryptosporidium spp., giardia canis, isospora spp., and sarcocystis cruzi). One cestode (Taenia spp.), three nematodes (Ancylostoma caninum, Physaloptera spp., and Trichurus vulpis), and one trematode (Alaria spp.) were also recovered, all of which have previously been documented in Florida coyotes. Diet items were identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level by gross morphological characteristics and medullary configurations of dorsal guard hairs. A poisson regression was utilized to determine the relation between diet items and habitat, season, and interaction. In the protected habitat (n=49), vegetative matter (96%), Insecta (53%), and Rodentia (45%) were recovered most often, as opposed to berries (56%) and Lagomorpha (32%) in the urban habitats (n=71). Overall, vegetative matter, berries, and Lagomorpha were recovered most often from Florida coyote fecal samples. Odocoileus virginianus, Lagomorpha, and berries varied the most between wet and dry seasons. It is suggested that Florida coyotes are more susceptible to reinfection by novel parasites because of their rapid range expansion and lack of acquired immunity. Rapid habitat loss in Florida (i.e., urbanization) lowers survival of adult coyotes, increases the probability of transmission of disease between wild and domestic canids, and alters the diet of coyotes by lowering biological diversity of available prey items.

Download or read book Urban Coyote Canis Latrans Ecology written by Rita Collins and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 65 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abstract: Non-habituated coyotes (Canis latrans) avoid direct interactions with humans. Reliance on human food sources has been linked to gradual habituation, a precursor to conflict and attacks on domestic pets and humans. Diet and activity patterns of urban coyotes inhabiting natural fragments in Long Beach, CA were monitored through scat collection and camera trapping over a year (Aug 2016 – Aug 2017). Local urban coyotes are relying predominately on natural foods, with an increase in mammalian prey in the wet season and an increase in vegetation and insect consumption in the dry season. Anthropogenic items, food and food related inedible items, appeared in 14% of scats overall, with no significant seasonal change. Cat remains were found in 14% of scat samples, but only triggered cameras once throughout the 2,857 camera nights of the study. Coyote activity was centered on nights in both seasons, with greater dawn activity in the dry season, indicating an avoidance of peak human activity. This reliance on natural foods and avoidance of human activity reduces the opportunities for human-wildlife conflicts in our local area.

Download or read book Analyses of Coyote canis Latrans Consumption of Anthropogenic Material and Dietary Composition in Urban and Non urban Habitats written by Audrey A. Hayes and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 87 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Coyotes are a generalist species that have adapted to nearly every terrestrial habitat in the United States. The species' success is heavily attributed to their omnivorous diets and tolerance for environments that are regularly disturbed. Because the larger predator species that typically act as apex predators are sensitive to highly fragmented landscapes, the coyote is the functioning apex predator in many ecosystems where large predators, such as wolves, have been extirpated. The coyotes' ecological role in urban ecosystems has received much attention in the last few decades as the species' presence in cities and suburbs has increased, along with human-coyote conflicts. Anthropogenic supplementation, and reliance on anthropogenic food in particular, is regularly cited as the reason for coyotes being in urban areas. However, the inconsistencies reported in the literature indicate that the mechanisms driving coyotes into urban areas may be more complex than coyotes' potential attraction to human food. Coyotes are foragers and scavengers whose diets reflect the seasonal and local availability of food, where prey items that are more abundant are likely to be encountered and consumed more frequently than prey that are hard to find. This is also what makes coyotes so successful in colonizing most types of habitats. The purpose of this study was to investigate how coyotes' consumption of anthropogenic food varies between urban and non-urban habitats and if their consumption of anthropogenic food is selective or just a reflection of its increased availability in urban habitats. I conducted a meta-analysis on coyote dietary studies from 1975 to 2020 to identify trends in anthropogenic consumption and dietary composition in relation to habitat type, geographic region, season, and year of study. I also conducted a field study with scent-baited camera traps and scat analyses to test if coyotes in the Dayton area metroparks were attracted to anthropogenic food to the same degree as natural food, and to test if this attraction differed between urban and rural populations as a potential explanation for the increased prevalence of coyotes in urban areas. The scats were analyzed for [delta]13C and [delta]15N stable isotope ratios so that stable isotope mixing models could be used to estimate urban and rural coyote diet compositions from local prey isotope values. The results from the meta-analysis showed that coyote consumption of anthropogenic food is significantly higher in urban and agricultural habitats when compared to non-urban habitats (p

Download or read book A Comparison of Coyote Diets in Urban and Rural Habitats in the Piedmont of South Carolina written by Bethany Krug and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 98 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "With increasing rates of urban expansion, interactions between humans and wildlife become inevitable. These urban environments present novel situations to native species, frequently resulting in their displacement or extirpation. However, some species, often referred to as "urban adapters", have thrived in these landscapes. Coyotes (Canis latrans) are a prime example of a species that has adapted to exploit urban habitats. Coyotes are omnivores with food choices ranging from small/medium mammals to invertebrates, depending on habitat. With their recent range expansion into the Southeast, little is known of their behavioral ecology in the region, especially details relating to their diet. Macroscopic and stable isotope analyses of scat were used to study the diets of rural and urban coyotes in the Piedmont Region of South Carolina to assess the relative content of anthropogenic food sources in their diet"--Abstract, leaf ii.

Download or read book An Ecological Study of the Coyote Canis Latrans in Some Bottomland Hardwood and Coastal Plain Ecosystems of West Alabama and East Mississippi written by Edward P. Hill and published by . This book was released on 1984 with total page 110 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Urban Wildlife Conservation written by Robert A. McCleery and published by Springer. This book was released on 2014-11-11 with total page 408 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the past, wildlife living in urban areas were ignored by wildlife professionals and urban planners because cities were perceived as places for people and not for wild animals. Paradoxically, though, many species of wildlife thrive in these built environments. Interactions between humans and wildlife are more frequent in urban areas than any other place on earth and these interactions impact human health, safety and welfare in both positive and negative ways. Although urban wildlife control pest species, pollinate plants and are fun to watch, they also damage property, spread disease and even attack people and pets. In urban areas, the combination of dense human populations, buildings, impermeable surfaces, introduced vegetation, and high concentrations of food, water and pollution alter wildlife populations and communities in ways unseen in more natural environments. For these ecological and practical reasons, researchers and mangers have shown a growing interest in urban wildlife ecology and management. This growing interest in urban wildlife has inspired many studies on the subject that have yet to be synthesized in a cohesive narrative. Urban Wildlife: Theory and Practice fills this void by synthesizing the latest ecological and social knowledge in the subject area into an interdisciplinary and practical text. This volume provides a foundation for the future growth and understanding of urban wildlife ecology and management by: • Clearly defining th e concepts used to study and describe urban wildlife, • Offering a cohesive understanding of the coupled natural and social drivers that shape urban wildlife ecology, • Presenting the patterns and processes of wildlife response to an urbanizing world and explaining the mechanisms behind them and • Proposing means to create physical and social environments that are mutually beneficial for both humans and wildlife.

Download or read book Urbanization and Its Effects on Resource Use and Individual Specialization in Coyotes Canis Latrans in a Southern California written by Rachel Nicole Larson and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ecological opportunity in the form of habitat and food heterogeneity are thought to be important mechanisms in maintaining individual specialization. Urban environments are unique because fragments of natural or semi-natural habitat are embedded within a permeable matrix of human-dominated areas, creating increased habitat heterogeneity compared to the surrounding landscape. In addition, urban areas can provide diet subsidies in the form of human trash and domestic animals, which also increases ecological opportunities. I investigated the degree to which coyotes (Canis latrans) utilized anthropogenic subsidies and exhibited individual specialization across the urban-rural gradient in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, California. I used scat analysis to analyze population-level differences in diet combined with stable isotope analysis to understand diet variation on an individual level. Land use surrounding scat and isotope sample collection sites was also evaluated to determine the effect of urban land cover on diet. Human food constituted a significant portion of urban coyote diet (22% of scats, 38% of diet as estimated by stable isotope analysis). Domestic cats (Felis catus) and non-native fruit and seeds were also important prey items in urban coyote diets. Consumption of anthropogenic items decreased with decreasing urbanization. In suburban areas, seasonality influenced the frequency of occurrence of anthropogenic subsidies with increased consumption in the dry season. Seasonal effects were not seen in urban areas. The amount of altered open space (defined as golf courses, cemeteries, and mowed parks) in a coyote's home range had a negative effect on the consumption of anthropogenic items. Urban coyotes displayed reduced among-individual variation compared to suburban and rural coyotes. It is possible that the core urban areas of cities are so densely developed and subsidized that wildlife inhabiting these areas actually have reduced ecological opportunity. Suburban animals had the broadest isotopic niches and maintained similar individual specialization to rural coyotes. Wildlife in suburban areas still have access to relatively undisturbed natural areas while being able to take advantage of anthropogenic subsidies in neighboring residential areas. Therefore, areas with intermediate urban development may be associated with increased ecological opportunity and specialization.

Download or read book Assessment of Habitat Use by Eastern Coyote Canis Latrans Along an Urban parkland Gradient written by Beth A. Judy and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 88 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study used coyote howl surveys combined with GIS to locate local coyote (Canis latrans) populations, determine the habitats where coyotes occur and estimate coyote group sizes in Bedford, North Chagrin and West Creek Reservations within the Cleveland Metroparks, Ohio. The CMP were established in 1917 and are the oldest park districts in the state of Ohio. There are 8,500 hectares (21,000 acres) of land in 16 reservations and in 2008 approximately 43,000,000 people visited the Cleveland Metroparks. Bedford, North Chagrin and West Creek Reservations have a mixture of park, forest, woodlots, residential neighborhoods, industrial areas, commercial property, open water, streams and wetlands. Coyotes have become the "top terrestrial predator" in northeastern North America and these animals are choosing to live in urban areas where humans are present and few natural habitats are available. Very little is known about the ecology and behavior of these elusive Canids around residential neighborhoods. I examined where coyotes actually lived along park boundaries. I performed howl surveys in Bedford, North Chagrin, and West Creek Reservations. Data were collected to determine coyote location, estimation of coyote group sizes and what types of habitats coyotes responded from. Overall, coyotes were heard 16.9% of the time when howl surveys were performed. Bedford Reservation had a minimum of 13 coyotes during winter months and 11 coyotes during the summer. It is believed that three coyote groups (Bedford, Cuyahoga Valley National Park and Walton Hills) were present around Bedford Reservation. North Chagrin Reservation had at least five coyotes during the winter and four coyotes in the summer months. West Creek Reservation had three coyotes respond to surveys in the winter and five coyotes replied during summer surveys. North Chagrin and West Creek Reservation each had one coyote group. Bedford Reservation coyote groups had similar responses during all three seasons (dispersal, breeding and pup-rearing). North Chagrin coyotes responded the most during the dispersal and pup-rearing seasons. West Creek Reservation had peak coyote responses during the breeding and pup-rearing seasons. For all three reservations, coyotes responded from natural areas more than from urban areas (Bedford 65%, North Chagrin 79%, and West Creek 83%). Statistics showed that Bedford coyotes responded more than West Creek coyotes. More coyotes responded during the dispersal season than during the pup-rearing season. Coyote response rates increased the closer howl surveys were performed to sunset and/or later at night (closer to midnight). Coyotes also responded more to howl surveys when temperatures were low and the moon was visible. Overall, howl surveys allowed for inexpensive monitoring of coyotes over large areas in urban-park environments. Coupled with GIS, these surveys identified where coyotes lived and the habitats they used, and therefore these methods provide the tools to inform the public better about how they may coexist with coyotes.

Download or read book Connectivity of Two Urban Coyote Canis Latrans Populations Sacramento and San Francisco to Surrounding Rural Populations written by Katherine Frances Marquez and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 104 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The total land-mass of urban areas is rapidly increasing, forcing wildlife species to respond either by reductions in their distribution and abundance or acclimation to urban and otherwise modified habitats. Coyotes (Canis latrans) are found in the heart of some major cities within their range but relegated to the fringes of others. I examined two urban coyote populations. One population, San Francisco, is relatively new, having become established in patches of habitat within the city only within the last several years, providing a window into the process of colonization. The other, Sacramento, is linear and provides a natural connection between the valley and the foothills. The goal of my research is to investigate genetic connectivity between these two urban coyote populations and surrounding rural populations and to assess the possibility of a single founder pair origin for the San Francisco population. Recent research in provides evidence for natal habitat preference in California coyotes. Using genetic assignment methods, at least four genetic subdivisions, corresponding to bioregions, were found: Great Valley, Cascades/Sierra Nevada/Modoc (hereafter referred to as Sierra Nevada), Northwestern, and Central Western. Coyote DNA from scat and some opportunistically collected blood and tissue samples from our two study sites were genotyped at 14 microsatellite loci. Those genotypes were ran in STRUCTURE along with reference genotypes from previously establish clusters in order to determine assignment. The American River Parkway results indicate both a high level of assignment to the Sierra Nevada cluster and no assignment to the Great Valley cluster. The elevational change along the American River Parkway did not appear to have an effect on the results. When the data were analyzed in STUCTURE with K = 3, most coyotes assigned to a cluster distinct from the Great Valley or Sierra Nevada, which indicates high genetic similarity among the American River Parkway coyotes relative to the surrounding populations. The San Francisco population, having allele counts of greater than four for half of our loci, does not support the single founder pair hypothesis but these counts could have been skewed due to genotyping error. The significant difference between the number of loci with allele counts greater than four in the sample population and the Northwestern reference population provides support for a small founding population. We did not see a strong clustering of the San Francisco genotypes with either the Northwestern or Central Western cluster. The single individual that did assign to the Central Western cluster was from the most southern park sampled, indicating that there is some immigration from the Central Western population. The high relatedness among San Francisco individuals does not support a hypothesis of high immigration from either/or both the Northwestern or Central Western populations. The Central Western displayed high levels of within cluster relatedness, similar to within San Francisco, but Northwestern displayed low levels of relatedness within its cluster. When assessing relatedness among populations we found some error due to probability. This error is evident in relationship levels between the Northwestern cluster and the Central Western cluster, which are geographically isolated from each other. When assessing relationships by park, high relatedness was seen within the Presidio. Among the different parks, the pairs of parks that showed the three highest number of relationships were between Glen Park and each of the other three parks. This shows both evidence of the willingness of coyotes to traverse urban landscapes and the inability of small parks to sustain many individuals. I used noninvasive genetic sampling, which has inherent limitations to for genetic analysis because it yields low quality and quantity DNA. For this reason, genotypic error due to allelic dropout is common. Lack of detection can produce null alleles that may result in false homozygotes. In addition, season/weather, age of feces at collection, and time between preservation and DNA extraction all greatly affect PCR amplification success. Both the American River Parkway and the San Francisco study sites offer insight from a wildlife management perspective. This information can be used, either for the development of corridors and wildlife areas to promote urban wildlife and/or for strategies in managing the population size of current urban coyote populations. Both strategies meet the purpose of limiting the human-wildlife interface within urban areas and thus limiting the opportunity for conflict.

Download or read book Anthropogenic Influence on Coyote Canis Latrans Winter Movements in Eastern New Brunswick written by Mathieu Dumond and published by Halifax : Parks Canada, Atlantic Region. This book was released on 2001 with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report presents the results of 2 capture and restrain procedures used on coyotes in the Greater Kouchibouguac Ecosystem in New Brunswick. It describes the capture methods, their efficiency, and by-catch management, and addresses recommendations for future studies needing to live-trap canids. It also presents the results of an assessment of anthropogenic influence on coyote winter movements, by comparing the home ranges, movements and activity of radio-collared coyotes.

Download or read book Coyotes written by Marc Bekoff and published by . This book was released on 1978 with total page 416 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Originally published in 1978, this text pulls together much disparate research in coyote evolution, taxonomy, reproduction, communication, behavioral development, population dynamics, and ecological studies in the Southwest, Minnesota, Iowa, New England, and Wyoming. (Animals/Pets)

Download or read book Boldness Behavior and Chronic Stress in Free ranging Urban Coyotes Canis Latrans written by Katie E. Robertson and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 146 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Wildlife have responded to urbanization in a variety of ways. While some species have been displaced from developed areas, others have learned to tolerate and even thrive in anthropogenic landscapes. Even within a single species, there are inter-individual variations in behavior. Such variations are sometimes attributed to the presence of behavioral syndromes (i.e., suites of correlated behaviors in response to a common stimuli). Behavioral syndromes imply that while a population may contain variations in behavior, each individual has a limited amount of behavioral plasticity. If individuals consistently respond to stressors in a particular manner and some responses are more beneficial than others, the environment may influence which behavioral tendencies dominate in a given location. One commonly-studied set of behavioral syndromes are those associated with the bold-shy spectrum. Bolder individuals are typically defined as being more risk-prone, more exploratory, less neophobic, and less sensitive to stressors. In urban environments, high levels of disturbance, increased human activity, and large quantities of novel items may favor bolder, less anxious individuals over shy individuals. If that is the case, one would expect to find a greater proportion of bold individuals in areas with increased development. Using the Greater Chicago Metropolitan Area as a case study location, we conducted flight initiation distance (FID) tests (n= 78) and novel object tests (n=50) on free-ranging coyotes from 2015-2017. Additionally, hair cortisol concentrations (n= 198) were measured from coyote hair samples that were collected from 2014-2018. We found that coyotes in more developed locations tended to have lower FIDs, behave less cautiously around novel objects, and show slightly higher hair cortisol concentrations than coyotes in more natural settings. Flight initiation distances were consistent across trials for individuals who were tested more than once (n= 18) and coyote responses to two different novel objects (i.e., a garden gnome and a ring stacker toy) were similar, thus providing further evidence that individuals may be predisposed to behave in a particular way each time they are presented with a similar stimulus. The relationship between hair cortisol concentration and behavioral measures was not clear. In addition to urbanization level, coyote social status, health condition, and age were significant predictors of hair cortisol concentration. The findings from this study may have ecological and management implications, as they do imply that human activity and development may be indirectly altering coyote boldness behavior and cortisol production. If coyotes are becoming bolder, their increased tolerance of human activities could lead to increased human-wildlife encounters and more difficulties managing nuisance individuals. Further studies are needed to determine what mechanisms led to the observed differences in coyote boldness across the urbanization gradient (i.e., Are bold individuals the ones that are colonizing urban areas first, do they have higher fitness levels in urban areas and thus are selected for by the environment, or are individual coyotes simply habituating to human disturbance over time?). Additional studies are also needed to determine if the patterns we observed in Chicago’s coyotes are similar to those found in other species and/or in other major metropolitan areas.

Download or read book Ecology and Conservation of Birds in Urban Environments written by Enrique Murgui and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-02-10 with total page 520 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides syntheses of ecological theories and overarching patterns of urban bird ecology that have only recently become available. The numerous habitats represented in this book ranges from rows of trees in wooded alleys, to wastelands and remnants of natural habitats encapsulated in the urban matrix. Authored by leading scientists in this emergent field, the chapters explore how the characteristics of the habitat in urban environments influence bird communities and populations at multiple levels of ecological organization and at different spatial and temporal scales, and how this information should be incorporated in urban planning to achieve an effective conservation of bird fauna in urban environments. Birds are among the most conspicuous and fascinating residents of urban neighborhoods and provide urban citizens with everyday wildlife contact all over the world. However, present urbanization trends are rapidly depleting their habitats, and thus knowledge of urban bird ecology is urgently needed if birds are to thrive in cities. The book is unique in its inclusion of examples from all continents (except Antarctica) in an effort to arrive at a more holistic perspective. Among other issues, the individual chapters address the censusing of birds in urban green spaces; the relationship between bird communities and the structure of urban green spaces; the role of exotic plant species as food sources for urban bird fauna; the influence of artificial light and pollutants on bird fauna; trends in long-term urban bird research, and transdisciplinary studies on bird sounds and their effects on humans. Several chapters investigate how our current knowledge of the ecology of urban bird fauna should be applied in order to achieve better management of urban habitats so as to achieve conservation of species or even increase species diversity. The book also provides a forward-looking summary on potential research directions. As such, it provides a valuable resource for urban ecologists, urban ecology students, landscape architects, city planners, decision makers and anyone with an interest in urban ornithology and bird conservation. Moreover, it provides a comprehensive overview for researchers in the fields of ecology and conservation of urban bird fauna.

Download or read book Dispersal Ecology and Evolution written by Jean Clobert and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2012-09-27 with total page 496 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Now that so many ecosystems face rapid and major environmental change, the ability of species to respond to these changes by dispersing or moving between different patches of habitat can be crucial to ensuring their survival. Understanding dispersal has become key to understanding how populations may persist. Dispersal Ecology and Evolution provides a timely and wide-ranging overview of the fast expanding field of dispersal ecology, incorporating the very latest research. The causes, mechanisms, and consequences of dispersal at the individual, population, species, and community levels are considered. Perspectives and insights are offered from the fields of evolution, behavioural ecology, conservation biology, and genetics. Throughout the book theoretical approaches are combined with empirical data, and care has been taken to include examples from as wide a range of species as possible - both plant and animal.

Download or read book Space Use by Coyotes Canis Latrans in an Urbanizing Landscape and Implications for Management written by Gregory A. Franckowiak and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 127 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the past 100 years, the coyote (Canis latrans) has expanded its geographic range across North America. As a result of their adaptability and behavioral flexibility, coyotes are now a common occupant of urban areas in the United States. Because their expansion from rural to urban areas is recent, there is limited research on coyote space use with in different levels of development when ranging from truly urban to truly rural environments. We studied a total of 34 radiocollared coyotes in the Cuyahoga Valley, OH region from October 2009 through October 2012 to determine variation in coyote home range size, home range land cover composition, and habitat selection in northeast Ohio. Mean ([plus or minus] SE) composite home ranges of transient coyotes (x̄ = 108.614 [plus or minus] 16.667 km2) were significantly larger than those of resident coyotes (x̄ = 6.63 [plus or minus] 0.729 km2) in the Cuyahoga Valley, Ohio. Home ranges did not vary by sex or season for resident and transient coyotes, but resident subadults had significantly larger composite home ranges than other age classes. Home range sizes of transient coyotes were significantly larger than resident coyotes during the breeding, pup-rearing, and dispersal seasons. Neither sex nor age significantly influenced resident or transient coyote seasonal home range. Resident coyote home range size was smaller than found in previous studies. An a priori prediction that coyote home range size in the Cuyahoga Valley would be intermediate to coyote home range size in more urban and more rural habitats was, therefore, not supported. Within the study area and individual home ranges, coyotes commonly avoided land-cover types associated with human development and predominately selected natural habitats (i.e. deciduous forests, grasslands, etc.) more than they were available with little variation as a function of resident status, sex, age, or season. Although we did find that coyotes use areas of high human activity, we found little evidence that coyotes widely utilized areas associated with human development across the landscape.

Download or read book Ecology and Behavior of Coyotes in Urban Environments at Varying Spatial Scales written by Sharon A. Poessel and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Increasing global urbanization has altered landscapes for many wildlife species, including carnivores. Some carnivore species have been able to adapt to and even thrive in urban environments, including coyotes (Canis latrans). As coyotes continue to settle in more urban areas, human-coyote conflicts, such as attacks on humans or pets, are also increasing. Understanding the various factors affecting space use of urban coyotes may assist wildlife officials in reducing such conflicts. We conducted three studies of urban coyotes at varying spatial scales. First, using a captive population of coyotes at a fine spatial scale, we tested whether coyotes preferred urban, natural, or a mixture of habitat structures and whether sex, behavioral profile, biological season, or food manipulation affected coyote patch choice. When investigating novel environments, coyotes, especially females and bold animals, preferred a mixture of urban and natural structures rather than uniform structure. Food had no effect on patch choice, and coyotes appeared to be primarily motivated by the structure of the habitat rather than by the amount of food within each habitat. Second, we examined home-range size, habitat use, and resource selection of 22 coyotes at a local, population scale in the Denver metropolitan area. Mean (℗ł SD) home-range size of resident coyotes (11.6 ℗ł 11.0 km2) was smaller than ranges of transient coyotes (200.7 ℗ł 232.4 km2). Home-range size did not vary by season or sex, but resident coyotes during the day had smaller home ranges than during the night. Coyotes had high percentages of developed lands (44.5 ℗ł 18.9%) within their home ranges, but the percentage of coyote locations in natural lands (48.9 ℗ł 22.4%) was higher than in developed lands (20.6 ℗ł 11.7%). Coyotes selected for natural lands over developed lands, and they increased activity at night. Finally, we surveyed 105 urban areas in the United States, focusing on the occurrence of coyotes and conflicts on a national scale. Larger urban areas were more likely to contain both coyotes and conflicts, and were also more likely to have greater numbers of conflicts. Urban areas in the western regions with larger amounts of high-intensity development and less forested and agricultural areas were more likely to have conflicts. Most urban areas considered the management of conflicts to be of low priority. We conclude from these three studies that coyotes residing in urban areas prefer to spend their time in natural lands where human activity is minimized, especially forested and riparian areas that provide cover for coyotes and their native prey. Habitat management practices, such as sustainable urban planning and landscape design incorporating wildlife habitat requirements, may be an important tool in reducing human-coyote conflicts in highly urbanized environments.

Download or read book Ecology of the Coyote Canis Latrans at Wind Cave National Park written by Jamie M. Chronert and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: