Resource partitioning of sympatric carnivores in western North Carolina
- WCU Author/Contributor (non-WCU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Maya Jane Feller (Creator)
- Institution
- Western Carolina University (WCU )
- Web Site: http://library.wcu.edu/
- Advisor
- Aimee Rockhill
Abstract: Four species of sympatric mesocarnivores occur in western North Carolina, coyote (Canis latrans), bobcat (Lynx rufus), gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), and red fox (Vulpes vulpes). The coyote has been known to suppress the population of smaller carnivores in the area, which can lead to a shift in the overall ecosystem through interspecific competition. My goal was to perform a preliminary study examining the diet and geospatial use of these four species to better understand their interactions. To examine diet, scat samples were collected in and around Cullowhee, NC. The outside was swabbed for DNA identification of the carnivore and the rest of the sample was taken back to the lab. Each sample was weighed, and a subsample was washed through a set of sieves. The contents were visually examined and classified as mammal, vegetation, insect, bird, or anthropogenic item. To examine geospatial use, foot traps were set in the summer of 2019 and fall of 2020. Seven individuals were fitted with GPS collars to record their movements in and around Cullowhee. I assessed their movements in program R using the resource selection functions (package: lme4) with generalized linear models based on distances to habitat and landscape characteristics. Of 103 scat samples, 31 were identified with the DNA analysis. 24 were identified as bobcat, 4 coyote, 2 red fox, and 1 gray fox. All species contained at least trace amounts of mammal, though canids were more likely to include other food sources as well. Vegetation was found in samples from both foxes and coyotes. One red fox sample was composed primarily of insects and the gray fox sample was the only one to contain bird feathers. Two bobcats, two coyotes, two red foxes, and one gray fox were GPS-collared during the study. For both bobcats, one red fox and the gray fox the Tuckasegee River acted as a barrier within their home range. The gray fox was the only individual to consistently use powerline corridors for travel. All carnivores selected for early successional land. Coyotes stayed in the less densely populated areas, while the other species were closer to areas with higher human densities. The overlapping home ranges of bobcats and foxes indicate competition with and an avoidance of coyotes.
Resource partitioning of sympatric carnivores in western North Carolina
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Created on 4/1/2023
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Thesis
- Language: English
- Date: 2023
- Subjects
- Coexistence of species
- Carnivorous animals
- Animal behavior
- Coyote
- Bobcat
- Gray fox
- Red fox