Variation in Coyote Diets Associated with Season and Successional Changes in Vegetation

Abstract

Diets of coyotes (Canis latrans) on the Rob and Bessie Welder Wildlife Refuge (WWR) in south Texas were determined from analyses of scats collected during 1961-62, 1973-74, 1975-76, and 1978-79. Diets varied among years due to successional changes in vegetation and changes in prey abundance. Coyote diets also varied seasonally, reflecting changing abundances of a wide variety of food items, differential vulnerability of prey, effects of plant phenology, and weather conditions.