DOI: 10.5061/dryad.jsxksn0j1
title: Data for: Spatial prey availability and pulsed reproductive tactics: encounter risk in a canid-ungulate system

description: Predation risk is a function of spatiotemporal overlap between predator
 and prey, as well as behavioral responses during encounters. Dynamic
 factors (e.g., group size, prey availability, and animal movement or
 state) affect risk, but rarely are integrated in risk assessments. Our
 work targets a system where predation risk is fundamentally linked to
 temporal patterns in prey abundance and behavior. For neonatal ungulate
 prey, risk is defined within a short temporal window during which the
 pulse in parturition, increasing movement capacity with age, and
 anti-predation tactics have the potential to mediate risk. In our coyote –
 mule deer (Canis latrans – Odocoileus hemionus) system, leveraging GPS
 data collected from both predator and prey, we tested expectations of the
 shared enemy and reproductive risk hypotheses. We asked two questions
 regarding risk: (A) how do primary and alternative prey habitat, predator
 and prey activity, and reproductive tactics (e.g., birth synchrony,
 maternal defense) influence vulnerability of a neonate encountering a
 predator? (B) How do the same factors affect behavior by predators
 relative to time before and after an encounter? Despite increased
 selection for mule deer and intensified search behavior by coyotes during
 the peak in mule deer parturition, mule deer were afforded protection from
 predation via predator swamping, experiencing reduced per-capita encounter
 risk when most neonates were born. Mule deer occupying rabbit habitat
 (Sylvilagus spp.; coyote’s primary prey) experienced the greatest risk of
 encounter but the availability of rabbit habitat did not affect predator
 behavior during encounters. Encounter risk increased in areas with greater
 availability of mule deer habitat, coyotes shifted their behavior relative
 to deer habitat, and the pulse in mule deer parturition and movement of
 neonatal deer during encounters elicited increased speed and tortuosity by
 coyotes. In addition to the spatial distribution of prey, temporal
 patterns in prey availability, and animal behavioral state were
 fundamental in defining risk. Our work reveals the nuanced consequences of
 pulsed availability on predation risk for alternative prey, whereby
 responses by predators to sudden resource availability, the lasting
 effects of diversionary prey, and inherent antipredation tactics
 ultimately dictate risk.
description: # SPATIAL PREY AVAILABILITY AND PULSED REPRODUCTIVE TACTICS: ENCOUNTER
 RISK IN A CANID – UNGULATE SYSTEM
 --- Data prepared by:
 Mitchell J. Brunet, Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources,
 Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology
 and Physiology, University of Wyoming, 804 E. Fremont St., Laramie,
 Wyoming, 82072, USA Email: Associated
 manuscript: Brunet, M. J., K. S. Huggler, J. D. Holbrook, P. W. Burke, M.
 Zornes, P. Lionberger, K. L. Monteith. Spatial prey availability and
 pulsed reproductive tactics: encounter risk in a canid–ungulate system.
 Journal of Animal Ecology. --- Contains data assessed during encounters
 between neonatal mule deer and coyotes for use in evaluating the
 spatiotemporal factors that contribute to encounters and influence
 predator behavior. NOTE: It is not recommended to open CSV files in Excel.
 Large files extend beyond the allowable number of rows and are clipped.
 Consider loading files directly into Program R or elsewhere. --- ##
 Description of the Data and file structure ### Encounter distances File:
 encounter_distances.csv Displays the distance in meters for each encounter
 (n=378) as assessed based on coyote locations. Not used directly in the
 analyses. ### Spatiotemporal factors affecting probability of encounter
 File: encounter_prob.csv Predictors are scaled and centered\ Variables: *
 encounter = was the location an encounter? (TRUE = yes, FALSE = no) *
 fawn_hab = fawn habitat ranking (1-10) * rabbit_hab = rabbit habitat
 ranking (1-10) * dist_fawn2mom = average distance between fawn and mother
 during the encounter window (meters) * fawn_avail = count of living
 GPS-collared fawns * fawn_speed = average speed of fawn during the
 encounter window (meters/hour) * coyote_active = was the location during
 coyote active period? (TRUE = yes, FALSE = no) * fawn_id = fawn
 identification number ### Spatiotemporal factors affecting coyote speed
 during encounter File: coyote_speed.csv Predictors are scaled and
 centered\ Variables: * coyote_speed = speed of coyote (meters/hour) *
 coyote_id = coyote identification number * time_day = hourly time of day
 (0-24) * time2encounter = time from encounter (hours) * fawn_hab = fawn
 habitat ranking (1-10) * rabbit_hab = rabbit habitat ranking (1-10) *
 coyote_turn = coyote turning angle (0–180° expressed as a proportion) *
 dist_fawn2mom = average distance between fawn and mother during the
 encounter window (meters), fawn_speed = average speed of fawn during the
 encounter window (meters/hour) * fawn_avail = count of living GPS-collared
 fawns * dist_fawn2coyote = distance between coyote and fawn’s encounter
 location (meters) * spatial_autocov = spatial autocovariate used to
 account for autocorrelaion ### Spatiotemporal factors affecting coyote
 turning angle during encounter File: coyote_turn.csv Predictors are scaled
 and centered\ Variables: * coyote_turn = coyote turning angle (0–180°
 expressed as a proportion) * coyote_id = coyote identification number *
 time_day = hourly time of day (0-24) * time2encounter = time from
 encounter (hours) * fawn_hab = fawn habitat ranking (1-10) * rabbit_hab =
 rabbit habitat ranking (1-10) * coyote_speed = speed of coyote
 (meters/hour) * dist_fawn2mom = average distance between fawn and mother
 during the encounter window (meters) * fawn_speed = average speed of fawn
 during the encounter window (meters/hour) * fawn_avail = count of living
 GPS-collared fawns * dist_fawn2coyote = distance between coyote and fawn’s
 encounter location (meters)