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Description

Culver City’s residential and recreational areas have experienced more frequent encounters with native wildlife in recent years. The increase in these interactions with the city’s population and coyotes (Canis latrans) in particular have sparked interest in understanding why these canids have habitualized to urban environment. A possible hypothesis for this occurring could be that the coyotes’ diet has evolved to prey upon domesticated cats, which are also highly prevalent in urban areas. A dry fecal analysis has been developed to quantify how often the coyotes have incorporated cats into their diet. To track the consistency of their diets, we collected scat samples from one pack for a year period, dried them, and dissected them. We then observed animal hairs discovered in those samples via light microscopy at 100X magnification. We identified animal hair based on its structural characteristics such as the medulla, cortex, pigment granules, and the cuticle. Understanding seasonal patterns and contents in coyote diets will better inform City officials to create coyote management programs and provide residents with information that will help them better protect their pet.

Publication Date

Spring 2022

Diet Analysis of Scat from Coyote Pack in Culver City

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