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Diet and Feeding Ecology of Coyotes in Western Virginia
By David Montague
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Historic Range
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Historic Range – circa 1900
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Eastern Range Expansion
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Current Range: 2011
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Are they different?
Western Coyote: Eastern Coyote:
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Potential hybridization?
Photo: Joseph Hinton
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What We Know
• Extremely adaptable!• Expanding in range and
population• Increasing concerns for
human-coyote conflicts• Few studies in the
eastern U.S. relative to west
• No large-scale studies of coyotes in Virginia
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Unknown in Virginia:
• Population density and abundance
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Unknown in Virginia:
• Population density and abundance• Diet
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Unknown in Virginia:
• Population density and abundance• Diet• Interaction with other predators
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Unknown in Virginia:
• Population density and abundance• Diet• Interaction with other predators• Effect on prey species
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Unknown in Virginia:
• Population density and abundance• Diet• Interaction with other predators• Effect on prey species• Disease ecology
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Unknown in Virginia:
• Population density and abundance• Diet• Interaction with other predators• Effect on prey species• Disease ecology• Habitat use and movement
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Unknown in Virginia:
• Population density and abundance• Diet• Interaction with other predators• Effect on prey species• Disease ecology• Habitat use and movement• Home range size and territoriality
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Unknown in Virginia:
• Population density and abundance• Diet• Interaction with other predators• Effect on prey species• Disease Ecology• Habitat use and movement• Home range size and territoriality
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Study AreaCounties of:
Augusta BathHighlandRockingham
Land Ownership:George Washington NFLittle North Mtn WMAHighland WMAWarms Springs Mtn Preserve (TNC)Private Land
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Study Area Reasons:• Early coyote establishment • Perceived lower deer density• Possibility for additive mortality?
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Objective 1:
Determine seasonal dietary patterns of coyotes and black bears in western Virginia and assess the potential for interspecific competition in the predation of white-tailed deer.
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Methods for Objective 1:
• Scat collection!• Transects on dirt roads
and trails• Range of habitats
including forest and agricultural
• Monthly visits to transects• Total: 80 km of transect• Scat ID by morphology and
DNA
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Methods for Objective 1:
• Lab procedures:– Air dry for storage– Soak and wash through a
series of sieves– Dissect for hair, teeth,
bones, claws, seeds, etc.
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Objective 1 Data Analysis:
• Techniques following Lemons et al. (2010)
• Scat contents treated as detection/non-detection
• Occupancy format• Modeled in Programs
MARK and PRESENCE
ID Deer Veg Mammal Bird Other
16 1 0 1 0 1
17 1 1 0 1 1
18 0 1 1 0 0
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Objective 2:
Estimate density of prey species in western Virginia and relate prey density to rate of predation by coyotes.
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Potential Prey:
Based on the literature…
Common prey:– Small mammals– Soft mast– Deer– Mid-sized mammals
Less common prey:– Insects– Birds/eggs– Livestock– Crops
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Potential Prey:
Based on the literature…
Common prey:– Small mammals– Soft mast– Deer– Mid-sized mammals
Less common prey:– Insects– Birds/eggs– Livestock– Crops
Varies considerably!!!
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Small Mammals
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Small Mammals
• Capture, mark-recapture
• Trapping with Sherman live traps
• Mark with ear tags• Compare habitats/sites• Four trap sessions per
year• 5 days per session
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Small Mammals
8
8
10 m
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Soft Mast
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Soft Mast
• Sampling for % cover and % mast production
• 200 meter permanent, line-intercept transects
• Monthly visits May – October
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White-tailed Deer
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White-tailed Deer
• Distance sampling• Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR)– Nighttime sampling– Increased detections– May reduce flushing
© 2011 FLIR Systems.
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White-tailed Deer
• Distance sampling• Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR)– Nighttime sampling– Increased detections– May reduce flushing
© 2011 FLIR Systems.
Photo: Daryl Ratajczak
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Mid-sized Mammals
• Remote camera trapping
• Determines habitat use, not population density
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Objective 2 Data Analysis:
• Small mammals– Program MARK– Covariates: habitat, season, succession, etc.
• Soft mast• Deer– Program DISTANCE– Must have minimum number of detections
• Mid-sized mammals– Program MARK or PRESENCE– Detection/non-detection format
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Objective 3:
Determine the seasonal prevalence of intestinal parasites of coyotes in western Virginia and the relationship between parasite burden and diet.
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Objective 3 Methods:
Field Methods:– Scat collection along diet
transects– One week intervals– 4 times per year
Lab Methods:– Fecal flotation
Data Analysis:– Modeled in MARK like
diet– Parasite species richness– Prevalence– Comparisons with diet,
sex, habitat, site, etc.
© CDC Image Library
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Expected Outcomes
• Mitigation of human-coyote conflicts– Additive deer mortality?– Livestock depredations
• Improved management of coyotes and prey• Better understanding of habitat treatment
effects on coyotes and prey• Prevention of zoonotic and epizootic events
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Potential Challenges
• Too much scat!!!– Requires subsampling
• Misidentification of scats• Problems with genetic ID• Poor correlation of scat location and habitat
use• Parasite sample contamination from
environment
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Acknowledgements
Committee:Dr. Marcella KellyDr. Jim ParkhurstDr. Kathy AlexanderDr. Anne Zajac Mike Fies (VDGIF)
Special thanks:Dr. Carol Croy (USFS)Marek Smith (TNC)Chad Fox (APHIS)Lauren Mastro (APHIS)Dr. Lisette Waits WHAPA Lab
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Questions?
+ =