Densities and diets of coyotes near Saguaro National Monument

This study was conducted to determine if suburban development adjacent to Saguaro National Monument (SNM) affected coyote (Canis latrans) populations. I estimated density, described grouping behaviors, and analyzed the diets of coyotes living near the interface of SNM and Tucson, Arizona from November 1991 to December 1992. I used a mark-resighting method to estimate the density of coyotes in a 13 km² area. Seven territorial groups (n = 48 coyotes) lived in the 13 km² area. Group size varied among behavioral seasons. I compared diets of coyotes between 2 areas: suburban and rural. Coyote scats from the suburban area contained less (P < 0.05) plant material annually, and less mammal material during coyote breeding and gestation periods than the scats from the rural area. Dog food, bread, and other human related items comprised 35% of the coyotes' annual diets in the suburban area. Supplemental sources of food in the suburban area helped support high densities of coyotes