Winter–spring food habits of an island population of Coyote Canis Latrans in Baja California, México

Abstract

Food habits of the coyote (Canis latrans) on San Luis Gonzaga Island of Baja California, Mexico were investigated. We collected 239 scat samples for analysis on 14 May 1997. Samples ranged from fresh to approximately 2 months old. Frequency of diet components was 48.9% birds, 21.9% fish, 14.8% plants, 3.6% mammals, 4.0% insects, 0.7% reptiles, 0.5% arachnids, and 5% crustaceans. The last group had not previously been recorded in this region. Great blue herons (Ardea herodias) composed 11% of the diet. Other members of the Ardeidae family accounted for an additional 23.4%. From March through May, the large coyote population on the island depends mainly on scavenging bird carcasses, and has minimal impact on endemic rodent species on the island, some of them listed as threatened by the Mexican government.