LEGLIFTER
O -YEA. I am so upset that I am eating my second pretzel already.
Finally some one has an opinion, well maybe?
I hope no one gets upset. :>)
I only went to 3 sites and they talk core area.
This could turn out to be an interesting topic. Maybe we all can learn something if we keep an open mind and really learn about pa coyotes. I currently believe there are no experts on the pa coyote. Maybe some in the PGC have good data but not good enough to hunt them. But we should the leaders like it or not. I think we are just scratching the surface. Once most people think they know enough you stop learning.
Mississippi study
We estimated 60 seasonal home ranges and core areas for 18 adult coyotes (10 male, 8 females) from 1993-97. Home range size did not differ across seasons (P = 0.681), but did between sexes (P = 0.006) with females maintaining larger home ranges. Similarly, core area size did not differ across seasons (P = 0.736), but did between sexes (P = 0.001) with females maintaining larger core areas
A common observation in animal space use studies is that animals do not use space uniformly, but rather use some areas of their home ranges and territories with much higher intensity than others. Numerous methods have been developed to estimate these "core areas"; however, all of the current methods available are based on arbitrary rules. Additionally, most studies do not attempt to understand what behavioral processes lead to the observed patterns of non-uniform space use. This study has four main objectives: 1) to develop an objective and more precise method for estimating core areas, 2) to understand the processes leading to unequal coyote capture probabilities across territories, 3) to understand the biological mechanisms that influence the location of bobcat core areas, and 4) to determine how differences in territory size affect coyote movement patterns. The core area estimation method I developed consistently performed better than methods using arbitrary values to define core areas. Using this method to estimate coyote core areas, I determined that coyote capture locations were not actually biased towards low use areas because of low familiarity with those areas, but rather because of a higher probability of encountering traps there. Intensity of coyote use did, however, influence the location of bobcat core areas. When prey abundance was high, bobcat core areas were located in areas of low coyote use but occurred in areas of high coyote use when prey abundance was low, indicating bobcat core areas are the result of at least two processes: foraging conditions and avoidance of intraguild predation. Lastly, coyote movement behavior changed significantly as territory size increased, leading to faster and straighter movement patterns. However, even though coyotes in larger territories moved twice as fast as those in small territories, they took significantly longer to traverse their territories compared to those in small territories. This might be the result of coyotes occupying large territories being less constrai
ned by defense due to lower conspecific density compared to coyotes occupying small territories. Overall, my research reveals the importance of using more precise methods to delineate animal space use patterns, and the greater information researchers can obtain when they attempt to understand the processes underlying space use patterns.
Abstract: Interspecific competition among canids can result in mortalities and spatial displacement of smaller canids
by larger canids. To investigate mortalities and spatial relationships of swift foxes (Vulpes velox) and coyotes (Canis
latrans), we captured and radio-tracked both species at Rita Blanca National Grasslands in northwestern Texas. At least
89% of swift fox mortalities were caused by coyotes, resulting in a relatively low annual survival of 0.47 for swift
foxes. Annual home ranges of swift foxes occurred near the periphery and outside coyote home ranges, and did not
overlap or only slightly overlapped coyote core areas. Thirty-three of 36 known swift fox dens occurred outside coyote
core areas. When swift foxes established dens within coyote core areas (n = 3), they were killed by coyotes shortly
thereafter. Our data indicated that spatial displacement of swift foxes was not due to behavioral avoidance of coyotes
but rather to increased killing of swift foxes within coyote core areas. Most mortalities caused by coyotes occurred in
the immediate vicinity of swift fox dens, suggesting that coyotes made an active effort to kill swift foxes
