Home range size, vegetation density, and season influences prey use by coyotes (Canis latrans)

Abstract

To ensure reproductive success, Canis species establish contiguous mosaics of territories in suitable habitats to partition space and defend limiting resources. Consequently, Canis species can exert strong effects on prey populations locally because of their year-round maintenance of territories. We assessed prey use by coyotes (Canis latrans) by sampling scats from within known territories in southeastern Alabama and the Savannah River area of Georgia and South Carolina. We accounted for the size and habitat composition of coyote home ranges to investigate the influence of space use, vegetation density, and habitat type on coyote diets. Coyote use of prey was influenced by a combination of mean monthly temperature, home range size, vegetation density, and hardwood forests. For example, coyote use of adult white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) was associated with cooler months and smaller home ranges, whereas use of rabbits (Sylvilagus spp.) was associated with cooler months, larger home ranges, and less vegetation density. Coyotes in our study relied primarily on nutritionally superior mammalian prey and supplemented their diet with fruit when available, as their use of mammalian prey did not appreciably decrease with increasing use of fruit. We suggest that differential use of prey by coyotes is influenced by habitat heterogeneity within their home ranges, and prey-switching behaviors may stabilize local interactions between coyotes and their food resources to permit stable year-round territories. Given that habitat composition affects coyote prey use, future studies should also incorporate effects of habitat composition on coyote distribution and abundance to further identify coyote influences on prey communities.

Geographic patterns in morphometric and genetic variation for coyote populations with emphasis on southeastern coyotes

“…Although our measurement of head dimensions could not detect finer structural differences (e.g., dentition, dome of head, frontal sinus), we believe similarity in head dimensions among regions likely reflects a general similarity in diet among coyote populations in all three regions, as changes in shape (i.e., short vs. long) would indicate adaptation to differing stresses related to feeding ecology (Curtis, Orke, Tetradis, & Valkenburgh, ; Van Valkenburgh, ; Wang & Tedford, ). Regardless of region, studies of coyote diets typically report consistent use of lagomorphs, small mammals and, to a lesser extent, ungulates while exhibiting variable use of fruit (Carrera et al, ; Clark, ; Hernández, Parmenter, Dewitt, Lightfoot, & Laundré., ; Hinton, Ashley et al, ; Lingle & Pellis, ; Patterson, Benjamin, & Messier, ; Todd & Keith, ; Ward et al, ). Therefore, we suggest that a broader inclusion of craniodental and postcranial measurements, and when possible genetic markers, be used to sufficiently investigate to what extent differences exist geographically among coyote populations and what selection pressures may influence variation in coyote morphology (e.g., Murray & Boutin, ; Kays et al, ; Curtis et al, ).…”

Coyotes and white‐tailed deer populations in the east: A comment on Bragina et al. (2019)

“…Any effect of coyotes on deer likely varies spatially, independent of time since coyote arrival, because habitat selection of eastern coyotes is nonrandom (Hinton et al 2015, Stevenson et al 2018, and diets can vary substantially, even at small spatial scales (Etheredge et al 2015, Ward et al 2018. Additionally, landscape composition and configuration can influence coyote abundance (Cherry et al 2017) and their effects on fawn survival (Gulsby et al 2017, Gingery et al 2018.…”

Home Range and Habitat Use of West Virginia Canis latrans (Coyote)

“…Coyotes are commonly described as habitat generalists because they can occur in most habitat types (Chamberlain et al 2000, Litvaitis andHarrison 1989), but there may still be differences in how individuals use habitat within their home range (third-order habitat selection; Johnson 1980). Habitat selection by Coyotes is typically attributed to prey or food availability (Boisjoly et al 2010, Mills andKnowlton 1991), and studies in the eastern US suggest Coyotes select for open habitat types which are assumed to provide improved foraging capabilities (Cherry et al 2016, Crête et al 2001, Hinton et al 2015, Richer et al 2002, Ward et al 2018. However, habitat selection and utilization by Coyotes can be highly variable and likely context dependent (Gosselink et al 2003, Harrison et al 1991, Parker and Maxwell 1989, Patterson and Messier 2001.…”