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1 October 2004 ECOLOGICAL SEPARATION WITHIN NEWLY SYMPATRIC POPULATIONS OF COYOTES AND BOBCATS IN SOUTH-CENTRAL FLORIDA
Daniel H. Thornton, Melvin E. Sunquist, Martin B. Main
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

The coyote (Canis latrans) has recently expanded its geographic range into Florida, and the impacts of this range expansion on Florida ecosystems are likely to be complex. An area of particular concern is the effect on native carnivores. From May 2001 to May 2002, we investigated the ecological relationships between the coyote and bobcat (Lynx rufus) in south-central Florida to determine how they partition space, habitat, time, and food. Ecological separation was facilitated by dietary differences. Coyotes preyed primarily upon large ungulates and consumed substantial quantities of fruit, whereas bobcats primarily consumed rodents and lagomorphs. Coyotes and bobcats displayed similar habitat selection and activity patterns, and their high interspecific overlap in home ranges indicated a lack of large-scale spatial segregation. However, at the finer scale of core areas, patterns of spatial segregation were present. The lack of evidence for negative interactions at our study site suggests that non-overlapping core areas reduces agonistic encounters between the 2 species.

Daniel H. Thornton, Melvin E. Sunquist, and Martin B. Main "ECOLOGICAL SEPARATION WITHIN NEWLY SYMPATRIC POPULATIONS OF COYOTES AND BOBCATS IN SOUTH-CENTRAL FLORIDA," Journal of Mammalogy 85(5), 973-982, (1 October 2004). https://doi.org/10.1644/BEH-020
Accepted: 1 November 2003; Published: 1 October 2004
KEYWORDS
bobcat
Canis latrans
coyote
ecological separation
Florida
Lynx rufus
resource partitioning
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