Environmental factors influencing the occurrence of coyotes and conflicts in urban areas

Poessel, Sharon A.; Gese, Eric M.; Young, Julie K.

doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2016.05.022

Cited by 54 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Coyotes (Canis latrans Say, 1823) live in nearly every major metropolitan area in the United States (Poessel et al 2017), and they exemplify the characteristics of urban-adapted carnivores (Morey et al 2007;Gehrt and Riley 2010). Diet studies of coyotes have been conducted in several urban areas, revealing that coyotes use both natural food items (e.g., deer, rabbits, small mammals, and wild fruits) and anthropogenic foods (e.g., garbage, domestic pets, pet food, and cultivated plants) (McClure et al 1995;Quinn 1997;Fedriani et al 2001;Morey et al 2007;Gehrt and Riley 2010;Lukasik and Alexander 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Coyote (Canis latrans) diet in an urban environment: variation relative to pet conflicts, housing density, and season

2017

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Coyotes (Canis latrans Say, 1823) are highly successful in urbanized environments, but as they populate cities, conflict can occur and often manifests in the form of incidents with pets. To better understand whether coyotes view pets as prey or, alternatively, as competitors or a threat, we conducted a diet analysis of coyotes in the Denver metropolitan area (DMA) by analyzing scats. We also examined differences in diet between high-and low-density housing and among seasons. We found only small percentages of trash and domestic pets in the coyote diet. The presence of pets in the diet did not coincide with the increase of pet conflicts in the DMA in December and January, supporting the hypothesis that coyote conflict with pets is primarily driven by competition or a threat response. Coyotes relied mostly on native plant and animal species, and rodents and lagomorphs were the most prevalent diet items. Coyotes consumed rodents and non-native plants more often in high-density housing and deer, corn, and native plants more often in low-density housing. Coyotes also consumed more fruits and invertebrates during summer and autumn and more mammals and birds in winter and spring. As human-coyote conflicts increase in urban areas, understanding how coyotes and other urban-adapted carnivores use anthropogenic resources may provide insight that can be used to promote coexistence between humans and wildlife.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Reports of coyote conflicts with humans and especially domestic pets occur throughout the United States (Poessel et al 2017). For example, in the Denver metropolitan area (DMA), conflicts with pets are now common, and behaviors that include stalking and, in rare cases, attacks on humans have become more prevalent (Poessel et al 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coyote (Canis latrans) diet in an urban environment: variation relative to pet conflicts, housing density, and season

2017

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“…It is well‐known that wildlife with accrued experiences of human disturbance over time become increasingly habituated to, and tolerant of, humans (Carrete & Tella, ; Carrete et al, ; Greggor, Clayton, Fulford, & Thornton, ; Perals, Griffin, Bartomeus, & Sol, ; Samia et al, ; Sol et al, ; Vincze et al, ). Moreover, prior work in coyotes has demonstrated that personality differences in risk can be successfully quantified via response to humans (Darrow & Shivik, ; Dawson & Jaeger, ; Gilbert‐Norton, Leaver, & Shivik, ; Murray, Edwards, Abercrombie, & St. Clair, ; Poessel, Gese, & Young, ; Schmidt & Timm, ; Young, Mahe, & Breck, ). The mechanisms that contribute to rapid plasticity in wildlife fear are less well‐understood (Carrete & Tella, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, prior work in coyotes has demonstrated that personality differences in risk can be successfully quantified via response to humans (Darrow & Shivik, 2009;Dawson & Jaeger, 2009;Gilbert-Norton, Leaver, & Shivik, 2009;Murray, Edwards, Abercrombie, & St. Clair, 2015;Poessel, Gese, & Young, 2017;Schmidt & Timm, 2007;Young, Mahe, & Breck, 2015). The mechanisms that contribute to rapid plasticity in wildlife fear are less well-understood .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parental habituation to human disturbance over time reduces fear of humans in coyote offspring

Schell

Young

Lonsdorf

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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A fundamental tenet of maternal effects assumes that maternal variance over time should have discordant consequences for offspring traits across litters. Yet, seldom are parents observed across multiple reproductive bouts, with few studies considering anthropogenic disturbances as an ecological driver of maternal effects. We observed captive coyote (Canis latrans) pairs over two successive litters to determine whether among‐litter differences in behavior (i.e., risk‐taking) and hormones (i.e., cortisol and testosterone) corresponded with parental plasticity in habituation. Thus, we explicitly test the hypothesis that accumulating experiences of anthropogenic disturbance reduces parental fear across reproductive bouts, which should have disparate phenotypic consequences for first‐ and second‐litter offspring. To quantify risk‐taking behavior, we used foraging assays from 5–15 weeks of age with a human observer present as a proxy for human disturbance. At 5, 10, and 15 weeks of age, we collected shaved hair to quantify pup hormone levels. We then used a quantitative genetic approach to estimate heritability, repeatability, and between‐trait correlations. We found that parents were riskier (i.e., foraged more frequently) with their second versus first litters, supporting our prediction that parents become increasingly habituated over time. Second‐litter pups were also less risk‐averse than their first‐litter siblings. Heritability for all traits did not differ from zero (0.001–0.018); however, we found moderate support for repeatability in all observed traits (r = 0.085–0.421). Lastly, we found evidence of positive phenotypic and cohort correlations among pup traits, implying that cohort identity (i.e., common environment) contributes to the development of phenotypic syndromes in coyote pups. Our results suggest that parental habituation may be an ecological cue for offspring to reduce their fear response, thus emphasizing the role of parental plasticity in shaping their pups’ behavioral and hormonal responses toward humans.

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“…Coyotes are now found in every habitat from Yellowstone National Park to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, having expanded their original Southwestern range to include most of the contiguous United States (Gehrt et al, 2010). Their ability to survive high degrees of spatial overlap with humans may be in part due to their ability to use natural cover to avoid detection (Poessel et al, 2017).…”

Section: Coyotes Throughout the American Westmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are We Coexisting With Carnivores in the American West?

Lute

Carter

2020

Front. Ecol. Evol.

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Human-carnivore coexistence is an oft-stated goal but assumptions about what constitutes coexistence can lead to goal misalignment and undermine policy and program efficacy. Questions about how to define coexistence remain and specific goals and methods for reaching coexistence require refining. Co-adaptation, where humans adapt to carnivores and vice versa, is a novel socioecological framework for operationalizing coexistence but has yet to be comprehensively examined. We explored co-adaptation and two additional coexistence criteria through analysis of three case studies involving large carnivores in the American West, each addressing differing approaches on how and what it means to coexist with carnivores: Mexican gray wolves (Canis lupus baileyi) in Arizona and New Mexico, grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and coyotes (Canis latrans) throughout the American West. We used a multiple case study design that analyzed within and across cases to understand coexistence broadly. For each case, we asked (1) are landscapes shared in space and/or time, (2) is co-adaptation occurring and (3) do stakeholders consider risks tolerable? To identify whether coexistence criteria are met, we investigated peer-reviewed published articles and news media and conducted key informant interviews. We found clear evidence to support land-sharing between humans and coyotes and limited spatial overlap between humans and grizzly bears and Mexican gray wolves. Co-adaptation was variable for wolves, possible with bears and clearly evident with coyotes. Tolerable risk levels are likely achievable for bears and coyotes based on the available literature assessing risk perceptions and tolerance. But disagreement regarding risk management is a driver of conflict over wolves and persistent barrier to achieving coexistence among diverse stakeholders. Patterns in coexistence criteria did not emerge based on taxonomy or geography but may be influenced by body size and behavioral plasticity. The common key to coexistence with each considered carnivore may be in more equitable distribution of costs and benefits among highly diverse stakeholders. Better understanding of these three coexistence criteria and innovative tools to achieve them will improve coexistence capacity with controversial carnivores on public and private lands in diverse American West contexts and beyond.

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Environmental factors influencing the occurrence of coyotes and conflicts in urban areas

Cited by 54 publications

References 38 publications

Coyote (Canis latrans) diet in an urban environment: variation relative to pet conflicts, housing density, and season

Coyote (Canis latrans) diet in an urban environment: variation relative to pet conflicts, housing density, and season

Parental habituation to human disturbance over time reduces fear of humans in coyote offspring

Are We Coexisting With Carnivores in the American West?

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