Home range and core area characteristics of urban and rural coyotes and
red foxes in southern Wisconsin
Abstract
Many factors, including individual- and species-specific traits and
resource requirements as well as landscape characteristics, influence
second-order habitat selection and home range characteristics such as
size, shape, stability, and overlap. By comparing home range
characteristics across individuals, species, and landscapes, we can draw
conclusions regarding whether and how different factors influence home
range selection. Our objectives were to quantify home range
characteristics of VHF- and GPS-collared coyotes and red foxes in
southern Wisconsin, including home range size and shape, home range
stability, and inter- and intraspecific overlap, and to review current
literature on coyote and red fox home range characteristics for
comparison and context. On average, urban coyotes had smaller, more
circular home ranges with greater intraspecific overlap than rural
coyotes; although, rural coyotes had greater home range stability.
Similarly, urban red foxes had smaller, more circular home ranges with
greater intraspecific overlap than urban coyotes, with no difference in
stability between urban coyotes and red foxes. Our results corresponded
with trends identified from literature review; however, we did find
greater interspecific overlap between urban coyotes and red foxes than
has been previously reported. Our results provide further evidence that
intrinsic and extrinsic factors, such as body size, resource
predictability and availability as well as the physical environment,
influence home range selection of coyotes and red foxes.