Ecology of coyotes in Tucson, Arizona

Abstract

Coyotes (Canis latrans) are common in many urban areas in North America, but little is known about how they adapt to urbanization. I studied the way they use the urban landscape by determining the patch types chosen for foraging, travelling, and resting. Home ranges encompassed a smaller proportion of natural areas and a greater proportion of parks and residential areas than were available in Tucson. Rates of nocturnal movement by coyotes peaked at midnight and at dawn. Natural areas, parks, and residential areas were used most by coyotes throughout the night, but rates of movement did not differ among these patch types. I created a GIS (geographic information system) model to predict the presence or absence of coyotes in all patch types throughout Tucson. The model indicates that most areas in Tucson are likely to be used by coyotes; it may be refined by adding new variables and by examining these variables at a finer spatial scale. Studies have not documented the health of coyotes in urban areas, where they may be reservoirs of disease for domestic canids. I determined the prevalence of pathogens, estimated survival rates, and identified sources of mortality. The prevalence of canine distemper virus was 27%, the prevalence of infectious canine hepatitis was 50%, the prevalence of canine parvovirus was 100%, and the prevalence of leptospirosis was 27%. The annual survival rate of coyotes was 0.72. Most necropsied coyotes were killed by humans. Coyotes in urban areas come into conflict with humans. Few humans have been attacked by coyotes, but small pets are susceptible to attack. The primary means of deterring coyotes from areas where their presence is unwanted is by eliminating all sources of food and water. The urban-dwelling public must become better educated about coyotes to minimize human-coyote conflicts.