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Changes In Fecal Glucocorticoid Metabolites In Captive Coyotes (Canis Latrans): Influence Of Gender, Time, And Reproductive Status, Eric M. Gese, Patricia A. Terletzky, Cole A. Bleke, Erika T. Stevenson, Susannah S. French

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Simple summary

Biologists have long considered producing offspring a demanding time in the life of any animal, with reproducing and raising offspring being physiologically stressful. We examined whether breeding and producing pups was more stressful than other life-history stages among captive coyotes (Canis latrans) using fecal sampling and subsequent assays for glucocorticoid metabolites. Using 12 pairs of coyotes (five pairs produced pups, seven pairs did not), we examined fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGCM) covering 11 biological time periods for one year. We found high individual variability among both females and males with no apparent statistical effect of reproduction on …

The Natural History And Ecology Of Melanism In Red Wolf And Coyote Populations Of The Southeastern United States – Evidence For Gloger’S Rule, Joseph W. Hinton, Kyla M. West, Daniel J. Sullivan, Jacqueline L. Frair, Michael J. Chamberlain

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Staff Publications

Background: Gloger’s rule postulates that animals should be darker colored in warm and humid regions where dense vegetation and dark environments are common. Although rare in Canis populations, melanism in wolves is more common in North America than other regions globally and is believed to follow Gloger’s rule. In the temperate forests of the southeastern United States, historical records of red wolf (Canis rufus) and coyote (Canis latrans) populations document a consistent presence of melanism. Today, the melanistic phenotype is extinct in red wolves while occurring in coyotes and red wolf-coyote hybrids who occupy the …

Plague Exposure In Mammalian Wildlife Across The Western United States, Sarah N. Bevins, Jeffrey C. Chandler, Nicole Barrett, Brandon S. Schmit, Gerald W. Wiscomb, Susan A. Shriner

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Plague is caused by a bacterial pathogen (Yersinia pestis) that can infect a wide range of mammal species, but its presence in wildlife is often underappreciated. Using a large-scale data set (n = 44,857) that details the extent of Y. pestis exposure in wildlife, we document exposure in 18 wildlife species, including coyotes (Canis latrans), bobcats (Lynx rufus), and black bears (Ursus americanus). Evidence of plague activity is widespread, with seropositive animals detected in every western state in the contiguous United States. Pathogen monitoring systems in wildlife that are both large scale …

Mesopredator Frugivory Has No Effect On Seed Viability And Emergence Under Experimental Conditions, John P. Draper, Trisha B. Atwood, Noelle G. Beckman, Karin M. Kettenring, Julie K. Young

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Members of the order Carnivora are a unique and important seed disperser who consume and deposit undamaged seeds while providing regular long-distance seed dispersal opportunities. Some members of Carnivora, such as coyotes (Canis latrans), are undergoing range expansions which may help the plant species they consume colonize new locations or replace dispersal services provided by recently extirpated species. In this study, we evaluated aspects of the seed dispersal effectiveness of coyotes and gut passage time to determine the potential dispersal distances for three commonly consumed and commonly occurring plant species (Amelanchier alnifolia, Celtis ehrenbergiana, and Juniperus osteosperma). We also investigated …

Space Use In Free-Ranging Canids: Are Gonadal Hormones Required For Territory Maintenance?, Eric M. Gese, Patricia A. Terletzky

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Fertility control among carnivores has been used to reduce depredations on livestock and wild neonates, population control, modify behavior, inhibit genetic introgression, and reduce human–wildlife conflicts. Although there is considerable knowledge on techniques to sterilize carnivores, there is little information concerning how the absence of gonadal hormones influences behavior, space use, and survival of wild canids. We examined territorial fidelity, home-range size and overlap, and survival of 179 surgically sterilized free-ranging canids (124 coyotes (Canis latrans Say, 1823), 55 coyote – red wolf (Canis rufus Audubon and Bachman, 1851) hybrids) with gonadal hormones present (tubal-ligated females (n = 70), vasectomized …

Instability Of Glucocorticoid Metabolites In Coyote Scats: Implications For Field Sampling, Erika T. Stevenson, Eric M. Gese, Lorin A. Neuman-Lee, Susannah S. French

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Studying physiologic stress responses can assist in understanding the welfare of animals. One method of measuring the physiologic stress response is evaluating concentrations of glucocorticoid metabolites in feces. Previously, using an adrenocorticotropic hormone challenge, we found fecal glucocorticoid metabolite levels were a reliable indicator of physiologic stress response in coyotes (Canis latrans). We determine whether glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations remain stable when collecting feces over a 2-week period, a timeframe commonly used in scat surveys for wild canids. We collected feces from 6 captive coyotes maintained at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Predator …

Weather And Exposure Period Affect Coyote Detection At Camera Traps, Anastasia E. Madsen, Lucia Corral Hurtado, Joseph J. Fontaine

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Abstract Camera traps are an increasingly popular means to monitor wildlife populations. However, like other techniques for measuring populations, camera traps are subject to sources of error that may bias population estimates. Past studies accounting for detection error have failed to account for a simple but potentially widely pervasive source of environmental error: weather conditions. Using 5,108,416 photographs from 804 scent‐lured camera traps deployed in western Nebraska, USA, during spring and autumn of 2014 and 2015, we analyzed the relationship between weather conditions (barometric pressure, wind speed, precipitation, and temperature) and coyote (Canis latrans) detection probability. Using binomial …

Mind The Gap: Experimental Tests To Improve Efficacy Of Fladry For Nonlethal Management Of Coyotes, Julie K. Young, John Draper, Stewart Breck

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Coyotes (Canis latrans) are the top predator of livestock in the contiguous United States. Developing more effective nonlethal tools to prevent coyote depredation will facilitate coexistence between livestock producers and coyotes. Fladry is a nonlethal deterrent designed to defend livestock by creating a visual barrier to wolves (C. lupus). Fladry may also be effective with coyotes, but large gap spacing between flags may reduce its efficacy. To address this issue, we performed 2 experiments on captive coyotes using fladry modified to reduce gap spacing at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Predator Research Facility in Millville, Utah, USA, during 2015–2016 and …

Spatial And Temporal Structure Of A Canid Community In Nebraska, Lucia Corral Hurtado

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Understanding patterns of space-use by individuals, their distribution, and how they coexist with ecologically similar species is crucial to address various issues in ecology, evolution, conservation biology, and wildlife management. However, the study of such patterns challenging because the relationship among species and their environment is shaped by multiple ecological processes, many of which are acting at different scales, often in a hierarchical manner. In the Canidae family, for instance, where interference competition appears critical, larger species such as coyotes (Canis latrans), can often affect smaller species, such as red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and swift fox …

Mammalian Hazards At Small Airports In Indiana: Impact Of Perimeter Fencing, Travis L. Devault, Jacob E. Kubel, David J. Glista, Olin E. Rhodes Jr.

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Fences are used at many airports and small airfields to exclude wildlife from entering critical areas. However, not all fences exclude hazardous mammals reliably, and effective fences can be too expensive for small airports to purchase and maintain. In this study, we evaluated fencing at 10 small airports in Indiana and documented the presence and relative abundance of wildlife within airport boundaries using remote cameras and spotlight surveys. Only 4 airports were completely fenced, and four were Odocoileus virginianus) or coyotes (Canis latrans) at nine of the airports with remote cameras and during spotlight surveys. There were fewer …

Changes In Kit Fox-Coyote-Prey Relationships In The Great Basin Desert, Utah, Wendy M. Arjo, Eric M. Gese, Tim J. Bennett, Adam J. Kozlowski

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Variation in kit fox (Vulpes macroiis) population parameters can be influenced by vegetative cover and the distribution and abundance of other predator and prey species. Dramatic changes to Great Basin Desert habitats, which can potentially impact mammalian species, have occurred in some areas in Utah. We examined kit Fox demographics and prey populations from 1999 to 2001 on Dugway Proving Ground (DPG), a U.S. Army facility in Utah, and compared some parameters to historical levels (1956-1958, 1966-1969). Adult survival rates were fairly consistent between 1999 and 2000 and between 1999 and 2001; however, survival was greater in 2001 …

Effects Of Coyote Population Reduction On Swift Fox Demographics In Southeastern Colorado, Seija M. Karki, Eric M. Gese, Mead L. Klavetter

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The distribution and abundance of swift foxes (Vulpes velox) has declined from historic levels. Causes for the decline include habitat loss and fragmentation, incidental poisoning, changing land use practices, trapping, and predation by other carnivores. Coyotes (Canis latrans) overlap the geographical distribution of swift foxes, compete for similar resources, and are a significant source of mortality amongst many swift fox populations. Current swift fox conservation and management plans to bolster declining or recovering fox populations may include coyote population reduction to decrease predation. However, the role of coyote predation in swift fox population dynamics is not …

Cameras, Coyotes, And The Assumption Of Equal Detectability, Eveline Se Quin Larrucea, Peter F. Brussard, Michael M. Jaegar, Reginald H. Barrett

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Remote cameras are an increasingly important tool in management and wildlife studies. However, we often do not know if they provide an unbiased sample of populations. Using a marked, radio-collared population of coyotes (Canis latrans) of known social status, we evaluated the influence of temporal (daily and seasonal) and spatial (distance between units, habitat, and proximity to human structures) factors on vulnerability to photo-captures. During 8 unbaited camera sessions of 6 weeks each, we obtained 158 coyote photographs at a photo-capture success rate of 1.6%. We were able to identify not only marked individuals, but also a number …

Coyotes As Sentinels For Monitoring Bovine Tuberculosis Prevalence In White-Tailed Deer, Todd C. Atwood, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Thomas J. Deliberto, Holly J. Smith, Justin S. Stevenson

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Mycobacterium bovis, the causative agent of bovine tuberculosis (bTB), is endemic in free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in 5 counties (Alcona, Alpena, Montmorency, Oscoda, and Presque Isle) in the northeastern Lower Peninsula of Michigan, USA. The presence of a wildlife reservoir of tuberculosis in Michigan and the incidence of bTB in cattle (Bos taurus) resulted in Michigan losing its bTB accredited-free status. Subsequent wildlife surveillance programs identified relatively high disease prevalence in coyotes (Canis latrans), generating interest in their potential to serve as a sentinel species to detect bTB prevalence in white-tailed deer. …

Suburban Coyote Management And Research Needs: A Northeast Perspective, Paul D. Curtis, Daniel A. Bogan, Gordon Batcheller

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

Several factors may be responsible for increasing predator abundance in suburbia. These include an enhanced forage base associated with residential sprawl, and protection of predator species that were once persecuted and suppressed by hunters, trappers, and landowners. In the Northeast, anecdotal reports of coyotes (Canis latrans) killing pets in backyards are on the rise. The bulk of coyote complaints, concerns, and questions received from the public by state wildlife agencies are from areas with high human populations. Scant research exists on coyote behavioral ecology in human-altered landscapes. Biologists and managers need to understand changes in the social structure …

Coyote Investigative Behavior Following Removal Of Novel Stimuli, Daniel J. Heffernan, William F. Andelt, John A. Shivik

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Because coyotes (Canis latrans) show an aversion to novel objects, we examined the effects of the presence and removal of repellent and attractive stimuli on coyote behavior. We found a greater proportion of captive coyotes investigated 10-cm-tall cones (0.95) compared to 90-cm-tall cones (0.68) and control sites (0.81), and spent longer periods (P , 0.001 in all instances) investigating small cones (x̅ = 465 sec), compared to large cones (x̅ = 212 sec) and control sites (x̅ = 45 sec). However, investigation times at sites following removal of large cones were 1.6 and 2.3 times …

A Review Of Successful Urban Coyote Management Programs Implemented To Prevent Or Reduce Attacks On Humans And Pets In Southern California, Rex O. Baker

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

Since the fatal coyote (Canis latrans) attack on a 3-year-old girl in Glendale, California in 1981, government agencies have emphasized developing coyote management programs to increase public safety. This presentation will focus on the success of numerous programs including: small neighborhoods, industrial sites, parks, large city and county-wide projects. Local environmental conditions attracting coyotes, specific problems caused by the coyotes, public reaction, and the role of public relations including public education emphasizing environmental management, will be discussed. Coyote population monitoring regarding behavior patterns, aversive conditioning, and coyote population reduction methods will be reviewed. Trapping remains the most effective …

Assessing The Impact Of Urban Coyote On People And Pets In Austin, Travis County, Texas, Randy O. Farrar

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

The City of Austin acquires citizen reports of coyote (Canis latrans) observations or complaints through a toll-free non-emergency 311 telephone call system. The observed coyote behavior or activity reported by constituents is categorized into one of eight behavioral categories that correlate with observed changes in coyote behavior indicating an increasing risk to human safety. The categorical data is used to formulate indices of coyote behavior for accessing and monitoring the relative risk of urban coyotes to human safety over time. Behavioral indices with respect to established management zones are used to prioritize and target areas for preventing or …

Ecology Of Coyotes In Urban Landscapes, Stanley D. Gehrt

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

Coyotes (Canis latrans) have become common in many metropolitan areas across the United States. Recent research has focused on the urban ecology of coyotes to better our understanding of how they exist in urbanized landscapes. I summarize findings from a variety of ecological studies of coyotes in or near metropolitan areas, and focus on three areas of coyote ecology: survival rates, home range/activity, and food habits. Most studies have reported relatively high survival rates (annual S = 0.62 - 0.74), with vehicle collisions often a common cause of mortality. Size of coyote home ranges (mean home range sizes …

Response To Coyote Predation On Pets, Dorinda Pulliam

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

An urban coyote (Canis latrans) management program was initiated in Austin, Texas in January 2005 to address citizen’s concerns that coyotes were becoming aggressive towards humans. Although preserving public safety is the fundamental foundation for the program, concomitant program objectives have evolved to include addressing citizens’ high levels of concern regarding predation and attacks on house pets. From the citizen’s perspective, it is unacceptable to ignore this issue, and demands for responsiveness have been heavy. The City of Austin’s program has responded to this public concern in two ways. First, coyote conflicts involving pets are included in the …

My Experience: Setting Up An Urban Campaign Or Trapping Project For Urban Coyote Management, Dairen Simpson

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

I discuss my personal experience in urban coyote (Canis latrans) management, including the following elements: 1) necessary liaisons and alliances (who are they?); 2) choosing methodology (pluses and minuses of each option); 3) necessity for target selectivity and minimal time at site (knowing when to quit, and ways to know); 4) public contact and on-site education for all concerned; 5) inter-agency contact and communication (remaining allies through the thick of it); 6) media communication; 7) following up actively after incidents or control work; and 8) examples of train wrecks and successes.

Urban Coyotes: A States’ Perspective, Scott Smith

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

The author summarizes the information presented and discussed during the Urban Coyote Symposium from a state wildlife agency’s perspective. He notes the need to consider such management challenges not only from a biological, but also from a human dimensions perspective.

Coyotebytes.Org: A New Educational Web Site, Robert M. Timm

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

A web site, www.CoyoteBytes.org, has been developed as a tool to provide sciencebased management recommendations to homeowners and municipal officials on methods to reduce conflicts with coyotes (Canis latrans) in urban and suburban areas. Such conflicts include aggression toward or attacks on children and adults; attacks on pet dogs and cats; attacks on hobby animals, such as poultry, sheep, and goats; and damage to drip irrigation systems, garden crops, and to other resources. In addition to providing information, the website allows individuals to upload photos or video clips of urban and suburban coyotes, and to submit firsthand reports …

Impacts Of Urban Coyotes On People And Pets In New York State, Louis T. Berchielli

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

Coyotes (Canis latrans) are currently common in most of New York State with an apparent increase of coyotes in urban areas. Coyotes can potentially cause a variety of effects and impacts. Urban coyotes can impact the general public by causing safety concerns for children and pets and by causing feelings of grief for attacked and missing pets. Politicians and government agencies can be impacted by calls from constituents to “do something”. Licensed Nuisance Wildlife Control Operators can be positively impacted by significant business opportunities. Pets are impacted by coyote diseases and by being chased and consumed by coyotes. …

The Urban Coyote Control Program, Robert J. Erickson

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

This paper discusses practical considerations of conducting control of problem coyotes (Canis latrans) in urban and suburban settings, from the standpoint of a private wildlife control operator. The author provides advice on dealing with municipalities, the media, the public, and with clientele. Also discussed are appropriate tools and materials that can be effective in such settings, and effective strategies for dealing with suburban coyote problems.

Urban Coyotes: Some Summary Thoughts, Jeffrey S. Green

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services program provides services on request to help alleviate damage by wildlife to agriculture, natural resources and human health and safety. Such services may also involve dealing with coyotes (Canis latrans) in urban settings. Resolving problems with urban coyotes requires a mix of suitable methods but perhaps more importantly, an understanding of complex social and cultural issues surrounding people and wildlife.

Suitable And Effective Coyote Control Tools For The Urban/Suburban Setting, Alan A. Huot, David L. Bergman

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

Increases in the incidence of human conflict with coyotes in urban/suburban environments fuel a need for suitable coyote tools and methods to reduce these conflicts. Traditional tools, such as foothold traps and snares, face continued problems of acceptability in urban/suburban situations because of public anxiety about the risks to non-targets as well as other animal welfare concerns. We review the major categories of methods and tools used to prevent or reduce urban coyote-human conflicts, including exclusion (fencing), environmental and habitat modification, capture devices (traps, snares, and related devices), and shooting. We briefly discuss future technologies current under development: fertility control, …

Operational Challenges Of Solving Urban Coyote Problems In Southern California, Dennis L. Orthmeyer, Terrance A. Cox, John W. Turman, Joe R. Bennett

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

We present challenges, methodologies, and solutions related to mitigating urban coyote (Canis latrans) problems in southern California. The physical environment, the diverse urban structure (green belts and parks) with its abundant food resources which support high coyote densities, combined with the human component (behavior, urbanization, politics) create operational challenges. The increasing disconnect between humans and wildlife, coyote emigration/immigration into the increasing rural/urban interface, and coyote life cycles that occur exclusively in urban environments, all contribute to the increase in coyote-human conflicts. California’s southern counties’ human population has expanded 13% over the period from 1990-2000 and is projected to …

Bad Dogs: Why Do Coyotes And Other Canids Become Unruly?, Robert H. Schmidt, Robert M. Timm

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

We summarize the behavior of several species of canids (coyotes, dingoes, and gray wolves) in relation to their habituation to humans and to human food sources. Striking parallels exist between coyotes and other wild canids in terms of the inclination of individual animals to act aggressively toward humans and even attack, once they have come to associate humans with food. We describe the stages of coyotes’ behavioral adaptation to suburban ecosystems, listing 7 steps toward increasing habituation, which can be used as action thresholds for invoking active coyote management or removal efforts. We consider the hypothesis that coyotes may regard …

Complexities Of Urban Coyote Management: Reaching The Unreachable, Teaching The Unteachable, And Touching The Untouchable, Robert H. Schmidt

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

Urban coyote (Canis latrans) management is often complicated, but the technical portion of any management program is only one part of the equation. The use of lethal (traps, snares, shooting, toxicants) and non-lethal (exclusion, guard animals, husbandry practices, harassment) coyote management strategies can be successful, less than successful, or not successful depending on the appropriate match of technical skill and technology available in a particular situation. However, technical sophistication is only a portion of the management dilemma. Issues of policy, law, politics, and economics, as well as human values, attitudes, and ethics play an obvious and profound role …