Coyotes appear to be one of the few mammalian carnivores that occur in urban areas, although their true relationship with urbanization remains poorly understood. We summarize results from a long-term study of the urban ecology of coyotes in the Chicago metropolitan area to determine the degree of synanthropy for this species and discuss the subsequent management implications for human-coyote conflicts. Local population densities were slightly higher, and survival rates for pups were five times higher compared to rural populations. In contrast to demographic patterns, behavioral responses to urbanization, including home range size, avoidance of developed land cover, activity budget, and diet, were not consistent with synanthropy, even for coyotes located in the urban matrix. We discuss the management implications of the paradoxical relationship coyotes have with people and cities.
Recommended Citation
Gehrt, Stanley D.; Brown, Justin L.; and Anchor, Chris
(2011)
"Is the Urban Coyote a Misanthropic Synanthrope? The Case from Chicago,"
Cities and the Environment (CATE):
Vol. 4:
Iss.
1, Article 3.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/cate/vol4/iss1/3
Distribution of coyote locations during 2000-2007. Each color represents a different individual for that year, but not necessarily the same individual between years.
Supplement2.JPG (171 kB)
Distribution of coyote locations during 2000-2007. Each color represents a different individual for that year, but not necessarily the same individual between years.
Supplement3.JPG (164 kB)
Distribution of coyote locations during 2000-2007. Each color represents a different individual for that year, but not necessarily the same individual between years.
Supplement4.JPG (167 kB)
Distribution of coyote locations during 2000-2007. Each color represents a different individual for that year, but not necessarily the same individual between years.
