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RESEARCH
Coyote diets in a longleaf pine ecosystem
Coyote diets in a longleaf pine ecosystem
Michael J. Cherry , Kelsey L. Turner , M. Brent Howze , Bradley S. Cohen , L. Mike Conner and Robert J. Warren
M. J. Cherry (mcherry@jonesctr.
K. L. Turner, M. B. Howze, B. S. Cohen and R. J. Warren, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, Univ. of Georgia, 180 E Green Street, Athens, GA 30602-2152, USA
The ecological implications of coyote Canis latrans colonization of the eastern USA have drawn considerable interest from land managers and the general public. The ability to predict how these ecosystems, which have lacked larger predators for decades, would respond to the invasion of this highly adaptable species needs an understanding of coyote foraging behavior given local resource availability.
Therefore, we examined the diet of coyotes in a longleaf pine Pinus palustrusecosystem from 2007–2012. We examined 673 coyote scats collected on the Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center in southwestern Georgia. We observed considerable seasonality in coyote use of rodents, white-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus, rabbits and vegetation.
Coyotes exploited anthropogenic food sources, particularly waste peanuts Arachis hypogaea, during the fall and winter when native soft mast was not available. Adult white-tailed deer were consumed during every month and was not limited to the pulse of carrion availability from hunter-harvested animals, suggesting the use of adult white-tailed deer may not be restricted to scavenging in this system.
Predation of Fawn or scavenged Fawn?
Predation of Fawn or scavenged Fawn?
We found mesomammals, including armadillosDasypus novemcinctus, raccoons Procyon lotor, Virginia opossums Didelphis viginiana, bobcats Lynx rufus, grey foxesUrocyon cineroargenteus and striped skunks Mephitis mephitis in approximately 18% of coyote scats from January–August.
On our site, and some adjacent properties, the use of predator trapping focused primarily on Virginia opossum, raccoon, coyote, bobcat and gray fox, to increase northern bobwhite Colinus virginianus production may have resulted in increased use of mesomammals through scavenging. We offer evidence that coyote colonization may alter food web dynamics in longleaf pine ecosystems through depredation of white-tailed deer and by influencing the mesomammal guild through direct predation and competition for rodents, rabbits, carrion and soft mast.
Accepted: December 7, 2015;
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2 comments:
Soooooo, deer predation by coyotes is a BAD thing? We NEED natural deer predators in the East! MY only beef with coyotes is that they ARE NOT very efficient deer predators--all the typical coyote can handle(usually) is fawns, when they can find them(which never is easy for ANY predator), and perhaps very old, seriously wounded, or otherwise debilitated adults. My hopes are that the New Red Wolves(Coywolves!) will be more effective deer hunters, and that they will eventually dominate over the smaller, more "pure" coyotes in the East. And with that savvy coyote heritage, be able to survive better next to intolerant humans like the ones who wiped out the original Eastern Red Wolves. And, even more, let's hope the cougars expanding eastward establish some breeding populations in the East--now THAT'S the supreme deer predator we need!.....L.B.
LB................As most often, we share a similar sentiment............All for whatever admix Coyote/wolf roams our woodlands...........Hope that the Red Wolf also can somehow be inserted into this canid mix so that deer and rodents are tapped down
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