Home Range and Landscape Use of Coyotes in a Metropolitan Landscape: Conflict or Coexistence?

2009/10/09 by Stanley D. Gehrt, Chris Anchor, Lynsey A. White · 278 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Environmental Science · Veterinary · #Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies #Biology #Canis #Ecology #Geography #Habitat #Home range #Human-Animal Interaction Studies #Human–wildlife conflict #Metropolitan area #Range (aeronautics) #Ungulate #Urbanization #Wildlife #Wildlife Ecology and Conservation

paper · open access · doi:10.1644/08-mamm-a-277.1

published in Journal of Mammalogy 90(5), 1045-1057 (Oxford University Press)

openalex publication_date 2009/10/09 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/26

Abstract

Abstract An understanding of how top mammalian carnivores respond to urbanization is important for conservation and management of human–wildlife conflicts. Coyotes (Canis latrans) have recently become more prevalent in many metropolitan areas; however, their apparent success is poorly understood. We estimated home-range size and selection of land-use types for coyotes in a heavily urbanized landscape, with a particular focus on responses of coyotes to those parts of the urban landscape with high levels of human development or activity. Mean (± SE) annual home ranges of transient coyotes (X¯ = 26.80 ± 2.95 km2) were larger than those of resident coyotes (X¯ = 4.95 ± 0.34 km2), and home-range size for resident coyotes did not vary among seasons or between age and sex classes. Although most home ranges were associated with natural patches of habitat, there was considerable variation among coyotes, with some home ranges entirely lacking patches of natural habitat. Within home ranges, coyotes typically avoided land-use types associated with human activity (i.e., Residential, Urban Grass, and Urban Land) regardless of coyote characteristics, seasons, and activity periods. Few coyotes were nuisances, and conflicts occurred when coyotes were sick or exposed to wildlife feeding by humans. We found little evidence that coyotes were attracted to areas associated with human activity, despite at times having home ranges located in heavily developed areas.

Citations

• The Comparison of Usage and Availability Measurements for Evaluating Resource Preference
• Top Carnivores in the Suburbs? Ecological and Conservation Issues Raised by Colonization of North eastern North America by Coyotes

Cited by

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• Spatial and temporal structure of a mesocarnivore guild in midwestern north America
• The wildlife nextdoor: Socioeconomics and race predict social media carnivore reports
• Coyote Range Expansion in the Human‐Modified Tropics of Mesoamerica
• Dynamic connectivity assessment for a terrestrial predator in a metropolitan region
• Spatial ecology of coyotes in the urbanizing landscape of the Cuyahoga Valley, Ohio
• Long-term pair bonding and genetic evidence for monogamy among urban coyotes (Canis latrans)
• Population ecology of free-roaming cats and interference competition by coyotes in urban parks. [europepmc]
• Poor health is associated with use of anthropogenic resources in an urban carnivore. [europepmc]
• Space Use and Habitat Selection by Resident and Transient Coyotes (Canis latrans). [europepmc]
• Wildlife in U.S. Cities: Managing Unwanted Animals. [europepmc]
• Feeding responses of the golden jackal after reduction of anthropogenic food subsidies. [europepmc]
• Spatial ecology of coyotes in the urbanizing landscape of the Cuyahoga Valley, Ohio. [europepmc]
• Seasonal and daily shifts in behavior and resource selection: how a carnivore navigates costly landscapes. [europepmc]
• Coyotes as Reservoirs for Onchocerca lupi, United States, 2015-2018. [europepmc]
• Mesocarnivore landscape use along a gradient of urban, rural, and forest cover. [europepmc]
• Fine-scale movements and behaviors of coyotes ( Canis latrans ) during their reproductive period. [europepmc]
• Infection risk varies within urbanized landscapes: the case of coyotes and heartworm. [europepmc]
• Resident and transient coyotes exhibit differential patterns of movement behavior across heterogeneous landscapes in the southeastern United States. [europepmc]
• Mammals adjust diel activity across gradients of urbanization. [europepmc]
• Estimation of the maximum utilization area including home range and peripheral sites. [europepmc]
• Spatial ecology of crested porcupine in a metropolitan landscape. [europepmc]
• Coyotes in New York City Carry Variable Genomic Dog Ancestry and Influence Their Interactions with Humans. [europepmc]
• Invasive Urban Mammalian Predators: Distribution and Multi-Scale Habitat Selection. [europepmc]
• Does daily activity overlap of seven mesocarnivores vary based on human development? [europepmc]
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• Carnivore space use behaviors reveal variation in responses to human land modification. [europepmc]
• Mammals show faster recovery from capture and tagging in human-disturbed landscapes. [europepmc]
• A Systematic Review of Zoonotic Enteric Parasites in Synanthropic Mammalian Species in Florida. [europepmc]
• Environmental Health and Societal Wealth Predict Movement Patterns of an Urban Carnivore. [europepmc]
• The role of spatiotemporal variation in resources in the diverse movement strategies of temperate ungulates. [europepmc]

Related

• Spatial ecology of coyotes in the urbanizing landscape of the Cuyahoga Valley, Ohio
• Influence of landscape composition on spatiotemporal interactions between sympatric canids
• Dynamic connectivity assessment for a terrestrial predator in a metropolitan region
• Impervious surface cover and number of restaurants shape diet variation in an urban carnivore
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