Seasonal Coyote Diet Composition at a Low-Productivity Site

Abstract

Abstract Canis latrans (Coyote) recently expanded its range into the southeastern US, where local data on Coyote diets are lacking. We studied Coyote diets in a low-productivity area where food resources may be scarce. We determined Coyote diet composition through analysis of 315 scats collected at Fort Bragg Military Installation, Fort Bragg, NC, between May 2011 and July 2012. Odocoileus virginianus (White-tailed Deer) was the most common mammalian food item, occurring in 14.9% of all scats and 42.5% of winter scats. Soft-mast occurrence in Coyote diets was greatest in the fall, when Diospyros virginiana (Persimmon) occurred in most Coyote scats (95.7%). Coyotes on our low-productivity study site shifted their diets throughout the year based on the availability of food items and had a diet diversity similar to what has been reported for animals elsewhere in the species' range.