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Investigating The Effects Of Urban Coyotes On Free-Range Cats In Culver City, California Using Occupancy Analyses Of Camera Trap Data, Rebecca Davenport, Melinda Weaver, Dr. E. Strauss

Honors Thesis

As a habitat generalist, coyotes are known to thrive in urban environments given the abundance and diversity of suitable food sources throughout the cityscape. Within Southern California, cats have been found to comprise a higher proportion of coyote diet than in other urban areas throughout the country. However, it is unclear what factors are contributing to these higher rates of cat depredation by coyotes in the Los Angeles region. While previous research suggests that coyote presence may have a negative effect on free-range cat distributions, few studies have determined whether urban green spaces affect coyote or free-range cat occurrence within …