Territory fidelity, space use, and survival rates of wild coyotes following surgical sterilization

Seidler, Renee G.; Gese, Eric M.

doi:10.1007/s10164-012-0330-4

Cited by 21 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…Upon capture in a padded, foot-hold trap, coyotes and hybrids were transported to a surgical facility, sterilized, then fitted with a VHF radio-collar (Telonics, Mesa, Arizona, USA), body measurements and weight recorded, and blood drawn. Females were sterilized by tubal ligation or spay, while males were vasectomized or neutered (Bromley and Gese, 2001b;Seidler and Gese, 2012). Animals spayed or neutered were classed as "hormones not intact", while animals undergoing tubal ligation or vasectomy were classed as "hormones intact" (Asa, 2005).…”

Section: Capture Sterilization and Monitoring Of Study Animalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While sterilization has been tested as a management tool to reduce predation on domestic livestock and wild neonatal ungulates (Bromley and Gese, 2001a;Seidler et al, 2014) and proposed as a method for population control (Mech et al, 1996;Haight and Mech, 1997), using sterilization to reduce genetic introgression was a novel application. In essence, sterilized coyotes and hybrids would be allowed to remain on the landscape, maintaining social bonds and territories (Bromley and Gese, 2001b;Seidler and Gese, 2012), and serve as "placeholders" that would maintain territories, thereby reducing residency of home ranges in the recovery area by reproductive coyotes or hybrids, and thus reducing the threat of hybridization with a red wolf (i.e., producing hybrid offspring if pairing with a red wolf occurred; Stoskopf, 2012) and facilitating expansion of the red wolf population. The sterile placeholders could be displaced from their territories by a red wolf, or the USFWS could remove these sterile animals and release red wolves at that site when either a captive or wild-born red wolf was available for release.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Using the “placeholder” concept to reduce genetic introgression of an endangered carnivore

Gese

Terletzky

2015

Biological Conservation

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One of the most endangered species is the red wolf, Canis rufus. Reintroduction of the red wolf began in 1987, but in 1993 hybridization between coyotes (Canis latrans) and wolves was documented. To reduce genetic introgression, coyotes and coyote-wolf hybrids were captured, sterilized, and released as "placeholders". Placeholders held territories until either displaced or killed by a wolf, or management personnel removed them before releasing a wolf. We evaluated the placeholder concept by examining the number of animals sterilized and released, likelihood of displacement by a wolf, factors influencing displacements, territory fidelity of placeholders, and survival rates and causes of mortality of placeholders and wolves. Of the 182 placeholders, 125 were coyotes and 57 were hybrids. From 1999 to 2013, 51 placeholders were displaced or killed by wolves, and 16 were removed by management personnel. Thus, 37% of the placeholders were displaced leading to occupancy by a wolf. Most displacements occurred in winter (43%) and were always by the same sex. Males were more likely to be displaced than females. Home range characteristics influencing the probability of displacement included home-range size (i.e., more placeholders displaced from larger home ranges) and road density (i.e., more placeholders displaced from home ranges with lower road density). Annual survival of placeholders was higher than wolves in 12 of 14 years, with cause-specific mortality similar among wolves and placeholders. Placeholders provided territories for wolves to colonize, yet reduced the production of hybrid litters, thereby limiting genetic introgression to b4% coyote ancestry in the wolf population.Published by Elsevier Ltd.

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Section: Capture Sterilization and Monitoring Of Study Animalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using the “placeholder” concept to reduce genetic introgression of an endangered carnivore

Gese

Terletzky

2015

Biological Conservation

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“…Surgical sterilization is less objectionable to the public and has the potential to be more successful biologically because it can persist for several years, whereas lethal control generally is applied annually. In addition, sterilized wild coyote pairs continued to defend their territory against neighboring coyotes and maintain pair bonds (Bromley and Gese, 2001b;Seidler and Gese, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using sterilization to change predation rates of wild coyotes: A test case involving pronghorn fawns

Seidler

Gese

Conner

2014

Applied Animal Behaviour Science

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Surgical sterilization of coyotes (Canis latrans) reduced their predation rate on domestic sheep. We investigated whether sterilizing coyotes would similarly change coyote predation rates on pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana) neonates. From May 2006 to March 2008, we radio-collared 71 pronghorn fawns to determine survival rates in southeast Colorado, USA. During the first year of the study, all coyotes were reproductively intact. During the second year, we surgically sterilized 15 coyotes from 10 packs in the southern half of the study area, while nine coyotes from seven packs in the northern half were given sham sterilizations (i.e., remained reproductively intact). In addition, we estimated the availability of alternative prey and coyote density on both areas to evaluate predator-prey factors that could interact with the sterilization treatment. Using the known fate model in Program Mark, we constructed models with and without a treatment effect, plus year, area, individual covariates, alternative prey indices, and predator density to estimate pronghorn fawn survival rates. Results from model averaged parameter estimates and cumulative summer survival indicated coyote sterilization increased survival rates of pronghorn fawns by reducing predation rates of fawns. While fawn survival was higher overall in the north area, after treatment was applied, cumulative pronghorn fawn survival during the summer of 2007 in the south area was 242% higher for pronghorn fawns captured in sterile coyote territories (0.44; 79-day interval survival rate) compared to fawns captured in intact coyote territories (0.18). There was also a significant local area effect, but no relationship between fawn survival and individual fawn covariates of sex, birth weight, birth date, or age. No relationship was detected between fawn survival and lagomorph abundance index, rodent abundance index, or coyote density. Surgical sterilization of coyotes was useful in reducing predation rates on pronghorn fawns.

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“…Reproductive control was conducted on this group; all of the group males, including the subadults, were vasectomised and sires (not shown in Figure 2) were kept separately from the group and introduced to unrelated adult females for breeding every 2–3 years. The effect of vasectomy on social behaviour of male social carnivores is considered to be limited [50], [51]. Over the study period, no individuals showed stereotypical or abnormal behaviours.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Head Rubbing and Licking Reinforce Social Bonds in a Group of Captive African Lions, Panthera leo

2013

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Many social animals have a species-specific repertoire of affiliative behaviours that characterise individualised relationships within a group. To date, however, quantitative studies on intragroup affiliative behaviours in social carnivores have been limited. Here, we investigated the social functions of the two most commonly observed affiliative behaviours in captive African lions (Panthera leo): head rubbing and licking. We conducted behavioural observations on a captive group of lions composed of 7 males and 14 females, and tested hypotheses regarding three social functions: tension reduction, social bonding, and social status expression. Disproportionately frequent male–male and female-to-male head rubbing was observed, while more than 95% of all licking interactions occurred in female–female dyads. In accordance with the social bond hypothesis, and in disagreement with the social status expression hypothesis, both head rubbing and licking interactions were reciprocal. After controlling for spatial association, the dyadic frequency of head rubbing was negatively correlated with age difference while licking was positively correlated with relatedness. Group reunion after daily separation did not affect the frequencies of the affiliative behaviours, which was in disagreement with the predictions from the tension reduction hypothesis. These results support the social bond hypothesis for the functions of head rubbing and licking. Different patterns of affiliative behaviour between the sexes may reflect differences in the relationship quality in each sex or the differential predisposition to licking due to its original function in offspring care.

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Territory fidelity, space use, and survival rates of wild coyotes following surgical sterilization

Cited by 21 publications

References 35 publications

Using the “placeholder” concept to reduce genetic introgression of an endangered carnivore

Using the “placeholder” concept to reduce genetic introgression of an endangered carnivore

Using sterilization to change predation rates of wild coyotes: A test case involving pronghorn fawns

Head Rubbing and Licking Reinforce Social Bonds in a Group of Captive African Lions, Panthera leo

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