DOI: 10.5061/dryad.v9s4mw73d
title: Coyotes take advantage of ungulate carrion subsidies as wolves recolonize Washington

description: Apex predators exert suppressive effects on mesocarnivores; however, they
 also provide important carrion subsidies. Optimal foraging theory predicts
 that individuals respond to resource competition by using high value
 resources, while competition theory predicts that individuals respond by
 partitioning resources. This study investigated how the return of wolves
 (Canis lupus Linneas, 1758) to Washington state impacted the diet of a
 subordinate carnivore - the coyote (Canis latrans Say, 1823). We collected
 coyote scats from two areas of northern Washington with differing wolf
 densities and used traditional analysis of undigested remains to infer
 diet. We tested for differences in the volumes of prey categories, the
 proportion of ungulate prey that was scavenged, and diet diversity between
 seasons, study sites, and inside and outside of wolf pack territories.
 Coyote scats contained more adult ungulate remains inside of wolf pack
 territories (27%) compared to outside (14%), while seeds and berries were
 more commonly consumed outside of wolf pack territories (23%) than inside
 of wolf pack territories (4%). These findings suggest that coyotes are
 taking advantage of wolf kills to increase ungulate carrion consumption,
 as predicted by optimal foraging theory, which may substantially affect
 plant and wildlife communities as wolves continue to recover and coyote
 diets shift in response.
description: Coyote (<em>Canis latrans</em>) scats were collected
 from two sites in northern Washington, USA. Scats were primarily collected
 from transects that were surveyed monthly, with additional scats collected
 opportunistically at both sites during winter (January to March) 2018,
 summer (mid-June to mid-September) 2018, and winter (January to March)
 2019. Scats were stored frozen, sterilized at -80 degrees Celsius for two
 weeks, and then species of origin was determined by molecular analysis of
 mitochondrial DNA. Scats attributed to coyotes were washed until only
 undigested remains were left and allowed to air dry. To identify diet
 items, any hair, bones, teeth or claws were compared to a reference
 collection of skins, skulls, and hairs of all mammal species occurring in
 the study area, as well as to identification guides. In addition, medulla
 casts, hair length, color pattern, and diameter, which was measured at the
 mid-point of the hairs with the Nurugo Micro Smartphone Microscope, were
 also used to help identify species of origin. In addition to species
 identification, we also identified ungulate hairs from summer scats as
 either adult or juvenile. However, because of the similar color patterns
 and lengths, we could not reliably distinguish deer fawn hairs from elk
 calf hairs where their ranges overlapped. Ungulate age class was
 determined for summer-collected scats only. Once all items in the scat had
 been identified and sorted, we estimated the percent volume of each item
 to the nearest percent. This estimate was primarily based on the volume of
 hair present. Trace items under 1% of volume were omitted since they could
 represent contamination from the ground or the washing process. The total
 volume of all items summed to 100% for each scat (calculated excluding
 trace items).
description: # Dataset from: A scavenger’s paradise: Coyotes take advantage of ungulate
 carrion subsidies as wolves recolonize Washington
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.v9s4mw73d](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.v9s4mw73d) Dataset created to compare coyote diet between seasons, study areas, and inside and outside of wolf pack territories in northern Washington, USA. ## Description of the data and file structure **Files** ``` Malesis_et_al_Coyote_Scat_Prey_Category_Key.xsl ``` * Key showing the species included in each prey category ``` Malesis_et_al_Coyote_Scat_Contents_Prey_Categories.csv ``` * Percent volume of scat contents by prey categories ``` Malesis_et_al_Coyote_Scat_Contents_Species.csv ``` * Percent volume of scat contents by identified to species level when possible \**Variables ** ``` Malesis_et_al_Coyote_Scat_Contents_Species.csv ``` Scat - Scat identification number Site - Site where the scat was collected; "MV" = Methow Valley (centered on Winthrop, WA); "NE" = Northeast (centered on Chewelah, WA) Season - Season in which scat was collected Year - Year in which scat was collected Pack - Whether scat was collected inside ("In") or outside ("Out") of wolf pack territories Lat - Latitude where scat was collected Long - Longitude where scat was collected All other variables refer to percent volume of the scat attributed to the titular prey species/taxa ``` Malesis_et_al_Coyote_Scat_Contents_Prey_Categories.csv ``` Scat - Scat identification number Site - Site where the scat was collected; "MV" = Methow Valley (centered on Winthrop, WA); "NE" = Northeast (centered on Chewelah, WA) Season - Season in which scat was collected Year - Year in which scat was collected Pack - Whether scat was collected inside ("In") or outside ("Out") of wolf pack territories Lat - Latitude where scat was collected Long - Longitude where scat was collected UN_Spp - Species of ungulate found in the scat ("NONE" if not present) UN_Age - Age of ungulate ("A" = adult; "Y'" = young) found in the scat ("NONE" if not present) All other variables refer to percent volume of the scat attributed to prey categories, which are defined in the prey category key file