Rodents are nearly always present in the diet, with a mixture of other items depending on the season. The diet results found by Morey is often mimicked by what is found through necropsy. For diet analysis, the stomach and intestinal tract are investigated to classify and quantify contents. These are either study animals that died or road-killed animals that are found even though they are dead, these coyotes still provide a wealth of knowledge about their lives. Apparently, the majority of coyotes in our study area do not, in fact, rely on pets or garbage for their diets.Īnother way coyote diets can be determined is by performing necropsies (like autopsies in people) of deceased coyotes. (Scats often have more than one diet item therefore, frequencies do not necessarily add up to 100%). The most common food items were small rodents (42%), fruit (23%), deer (22%), and rabbit (18%). After investigating 1,429 scats, he found that diet items varied across space and time, which reflects the flexible food habits of coyotes. Researcher Paul Morey analyzed scat (fecal matter) contents at different locations within our study area. Coyotes are generally scavengers and predators of small prey but can shift to large prey occasionally. Although coyotes are predators, they are also opportunistic feeders and shift their diets to take advantage of the most available prey. Some people believe that urban coyotes primarily eat garbage and pets.
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