Behavioral responses of coyotes to wolf recolonization in northwestern Montana

Arjo, Wendy M.; Pletscher, Daniel H.

doi:10.1139/z99-177

Cited by 86 publications

(71 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…And, when the risk is high, such as it seems in the case of cats to quolls in my study area, the presence of a larger predator can result in partial or complete shift in the habitat use of the smaller one. For example, reintroduced wolves caused a shift of habitat in coyotes (Arjo and Pletscher 1999). My results support the observations that cats occur in open habitats while quolls occur in rocky ones, representing one side of the puzzle suggested by Hill and Ward (2010), where rocky habitats provide refuge against predators.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Ecology and predator associations of the northern quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus) in the Pilbara

Hernández-Santín¹

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The northern quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus) is an endangered carnivorous marsupial in the family Dasyuridae that occurs in the northern third of Australia. It has declined throughout its range, especially in open, lowland habitats. This led to the hypothesis that rocky outcrops where it persists provide a safe haven from introduced predators and provide greater microhabitat heterogeneity associated with higher prey availability.Proposed causes of decline include introduced cane toads (Rhinella marina, which are toxic), predation by feral cats (Felis catus), foxes (Vulpes vulpes), and the dingo (Canis lupus), and habitat alteration by changes in fire regimes. The National Recovery Plan highlighted knowledge gaps relevant to the conservation of the northern quoll. These include assembling data on ecology and population status, determining factors in survival, especially introduced predators, selecting areas that can be used as refuges, and identifying and securing key populations. The Pilbara region in Western Australia is a key population currently free of invasive cane toads (a major threat).The Pilbara is a semi-arid to arid area subject to cyclones between December and ). These are dominated by spinifex (hummock) grasslands, with rugged rock outcrops, shrublands, riparian areas, and some soft (tussock) grasslands. They are subject to frequent seasonal fires, creating a mosaic of recently burnt and longer unburnt areas. The overall aim of this study was to assess the ecology of the northern quoll in the Pilbara to understand drivers of density and distribution of this endangered species, to enhance species-specific conservation efforts. I collected field data on six one-month trips over three years, predominantly using live-trapping, camera-trapping, sampling invertebrates, vegetation surveys, habitat structure, and den availability surveys.In the Pilbara, the largest mammalian predators are the introduced dingo and feral cat. The largest native mammalian carnivore is the northern quoll, which is smaller than the introduced predators but larger than the other dasyurids in the guild. In Chapter 2, I explored spatial and temporal associations among introduced predators and quolls and their associations with habitat to assess the impact of introduced predators on quolls. I found evidence that dingo control programs prevent dingoes from fulfilling their role as top predators, leading to mesopredator release of feral cats. Feral cats were associated with 3 open habitats (spinifex grasslands and recently burnt areas), and showed inverse associations to those of quolls, suggesting that quolls avoid cats in space. Quolls were positively associated with rocky habitats. In Chapter 3, I assessed spatial and temporal associations among dasyurids to understand the current role of northern quolls within their guild. I found that range contraction of northern quolls into rocky habitats prevent them from fulfilling their role as top predators across the landscape, potentially leading to mesopredator release of kalutas (Da...

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Ecology and predator associations of the northern quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus) in the Pilbara

Hernández-Santín¹

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“…Extant coyotes change both social structure and diet in response to larger competitors/predators (47). When gray wolves were absent from northwestern Montana between 1980 and 1994, coyotes had minimal pack structure, were usually solitary (66%) or occasionally in pairs (29%), and ate mostly lagomorphs and rodents.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolution in coyotes (Canis latrans) in response to the megafaunal extinctions

Meachen

Samuels

2012

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Living coyotes modify their behavior in the presence of larger carnivores, such as wolves. However, little is known about the effects of competitor presence or absence on morphological change in coyotes or wolves over long periods of time. We examined the evolution of coyotes and wolves through time from the late Pleistocene, during which many large carnivorous species coexisted as predators and competitors, to the Recent; this allowed us to investigate evolutionary changes in these species in response to climate change and megafaunal extinctions at the end of the Pleistocene. We measured postcranial skeletal morphologies of wolves (Canis lupus) and coyotes (C. latrans) from Pleistocene-aged tar deposits, as well as early, mid, and recent Holocene populations of both. We found few morphological differences between Pleistocene and Holocene wolf populations. Conversely, we found many differences in coyotes: Pleistocene coyotes were larger and more robust than Holocene populations. However, within 1,000 y of the megafaunal extinctions, coyotes are morphologically indistinguishable from modern populations. We cannot attribute these differences directly to climate change because modern coyotes do not follow Bergmann's rule, which states body size increases with decreasing temperature. Instead, we suggest that Pleistocene coyotes may have been larger and more robust in response to larger competitors and a larger-bodied prey base. Although we cannot separate competition from predator-prey interactions, this study indicates that the effects of biotic interactions can be detected in the fossil record.Pleistocene extinctions | Canidae | Rancho La Brea

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“…In New Zealand bellbirds (Athornys melanura), dominant individuals forage in the morning when nectar availability peaks, while subordinate males and females forage in the afternoons, with lower rewards, suggesting intraspecific temporal partitioning (Craig & Douglas 1984). Arjo & Pletscher (1999) documented interference competition between coyotes and recolonizing wolves in Montana, with records of wolves killing coyotes, and found increased temporal partitioning and changes in coyote behavior after wolf recolonization, in particular in winter (Arjo & Pletscher 1999).…”

Section: Temporal Shifts Of Competitorsmentioning

confidence: 93%

Partitioning of Time as an Ecological Resource

Kronfeld‐Schor

Dayan

2003

Annu. Rev. Ecol. Evol. Syst.

766

684

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s Abstract Animal species have evolved different diel activity rhythms that are of adaptive value. Theory suggests that diel temporal partitioning may facilitate coexistence between competitors and between predators and prey. However, relatively few studies demonstrate a temporal shift that is predation-or competition-induced. Recorded shifts are usually within the preferred activity phase of animal species (day or night), although there are some inversions to the opposite phase cycle. Temporal partitioning is not perceived as a common mechanism of coexistence. This rarity has been variously ascribed to theoretical considerations and to the rigidity of time-keeping mechanisms, as well as to other physiological and anatomical traits that may constrain activity patterns. Our decade-long study of spiny mice of rocky deserts demonstrates that, while different factors select for activity patterns, endogenous rhythmicity may be an evolutionary constraint.

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Behavioral responses of coyotes to wolf recolonization in northwestern Montana

Cited by 86 publications

References 37 publications

Ecology and predator associations of the northern quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus) in the Pilbara

Ecology and predator associations of the northern quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus) in the Pilbara

Evolution in coyotes (Canis latrans) in response to the megafaunal extinctions

Partitioning of Time as an Ecological Resource

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