Coyote (Canis latrans) in South America: potential routes of colonization

Abstract

During the last century, the coyote (Canis latrans) has increased its distribution in Central America. Before the 1980s, it had not been recorded in Panama. New records show that coyotes have crossed the Panama Canal, indicating that continues to expand; therefore, there is a possibility that it will reach northern South America. Our objectives were to identify potential coyote colonization routes to South America, and the variables that favor its expansion. We hypothesized that habitat fragmentation benefits coyote expansion. We applied 7 algorithms to model the potential distribution of the coyote, using 196 presence records and 12 variables. The models with better performance were used to generate a consensus model. Using our consensus model and the areas with highest probability of presence, a potential colonization route was generated between Central America and northern South America. This route lies through southern Costa Rica, along the Pacific coast of Panama to the south, to the Andean mountains in northern Colombia. The variables that explained potential coyote distribution were human population density, altitude, and percentage of crops with positive influence, and tropical broadleaf forests with negative influence. These results indicate that human activities and deforestation are related to coyote distribution expansion. Actions can be implemented within the identified route to improve environmental management, in order to avoid the presence of the coyote in the ecosystems of northern South America.

Functional niche constraints on carnivore assemblages (Mammalia: Carnivora) in the Americas: What facilitates coexistence through space and time?

“…There, six other canid genera are present (i.e. Lycalopex , Urocyon , Cerdocyon , Speothos , Atelocynus and Chrysocyon ) and the current southern limit of the coyote is near the Colombia–Panama border (Hody et al, 2019; Monroy‐Vilchis et al, 2020). Thus, following our model, we can hypothesize in which carnivore assemblages coyotes could establish or compete, or displace native species during, its invasion into South America.…”

“…Therefore, species' establishment depends on the availability of a ‘size niche’ in the local assemblage or their capacity to shift some other ecological trait, and assemblage saturation (and thus coexistence) depends on the local S R but also the surrounding S R , connecting scales from local to regional and continental. Indeed, the idea of assemblage saturation could be tested with the potential future entry of Canis latrans to South America (Monroy‐Vilchis et al, 2020). There, six other canid genera are present (i.e.…”

Use of nanoparticle biosensors to evaluate carnivore health: A new approach

“…Coyote can become a sentinel species for CDV because its populations are abundant and it not listed under a risk category on national and international lists (Kays 2018;DOF 2019). This species has a broad distribution, including all of North and Central America, probably reaching South America (Monroy-Vilchis et al 2020). Besides, it inhabits different ecosystems, including urban landscapes, so it is a "bridge" species susceptible to infection of various diseases, including CDV, and capable of passing them from natural to peri-urban environments and vice versa (Gese et al 1991;Bischof and Rogers 2005).…”

<B>Ampliación del ámbito de distribución del coyote (</B><i>Canis latrans</i><B>) en la Península de Osa, Costa Rica</B>

“…Para la década de los noventa la especie ya estaba distribuida en gran parte de México, Guatemala, Belice y el norte de Panamá, y en los años dos mil amplió su distribución en varias zonas de Nicaragua, Costa Rica y el centro de Panamá (Hody y Kays, 2018;Ordóñez-Garza et al, 2008;Platt et al, 1998). En la actualidad su expansión continúa hacia la península de Yucatán, Belice, el este de Honduras, el noreste de Costa Rica y norte de Panamá, donde ha logrado cruzar el canal de Panamá y adentrarse en la provincia de Darién cercana a Colombia (Cove et al, 2012;Elvir-Valle et al, 2019;Hody y Kays, 2018;Hody et al, 2019;Méndez-Carva-jal y Moreno, 2014;Monroy-Vilchis et al, 2020;Ortega et al, 2018). Se considera que las mayores barreras para su dispersión han sido los densos bosques húmedos predominantes en la vertiente Caribe de Centroamerica con presencia de grandes felinos depredadores, como por ejemplo, la selva Maya en Guatemala y Belice; La Mosquitia en Honduras y Nicaragua; Indio Maíz-Tortuguero en Nicaragua y Costa Rica; y la Península de Osa en el Pacífico sur de Costa Rica, aunque de manera gradual, la especie se ha adentrado en estos nuevos ambientes (Cove et al, 2012;Hidalgo-Mihart et al, 2004;Monroy-Vilchis et al, 2020;Vaughan, 1983).…”