Characterizing the movement of an individual Canis lupus x Canis latrans hybrid in the northern lower peninsula of Michigan

This study followed the movements of an individual hybrid canid that has the chromosomal DNA of a coyote (Canis latrans) and the mitochondrial DNA of a wolf (Canis lupus). As the animal has the phenotype of the wolf and had been known to eat deer, the ecological role of this animal is largely unknown. We recorded home range and the frequency of appearances in certain habitats to determine whether the animal’s behavior was more characteristic of a wolf or coyote. Data collected in this study were supplemented with data from previous studies on the animal. The hybrid had a slightly larger home range than typical of a female coyote, but the true extent of this range remains unknown, because the period of time that a wolf would be hunting and moving the farthest from a den site is the time that we had most difficulty finding the animal (1:00-5:00). The animal preferred dense wet forests and it’s likely that the animal was simply beyond the range of our device, well outside of our expected boundaries for coyote hunting grounds. I grant the Regents of the University of Michigan the non-exclusive right to retain, reproduce, and distribute my paper, titled in electronic formats and at no cost throughout the world