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As the
scientists in the Narragansett Bay Coyote Study move
forward in our investigation on the islands, things are
changing all the time. We find that behavior
varies by season and the coyotes we track are changing
too. On
April 22, 2006, we caught and collared a 36 pound female,
estimated to be about 2 years old, at Peckham Brothers
Quarry in Middletown. Based on early data this
coyote seems to be from the same pack as the male we have
been tracking from the same location. It is now
pupping season: pregnant females started giving
birth to litters of young starting in the latter half of
April. This Peckham Pack female was not pregnant but
she was full of milk and likely has a litter of puppies
nearby.
 Are
you sleeping? Dr. Ralph Pratt, the Chief Vet, tests
to see if the anesthesia has taken effect. Eli
Mitchell. |
Though
we did track a young female last year, this coyote is the
first mature female we have had the opportunity to
study. We hope to keep her collared for a year. We
will be able to compare her behavior with that of the males we
have been tracking so far.
Occasionally
collars stop transmitting. We have found that some of our
coyotes are tough on their collars especially during during
puppy season. We imagine collars made a great teething
ring for puppies and some of early collar designs did not stand
up to their chewing and roughhousing.
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Based on
our experience so far the collar company, HABIT Research in
Victoria, BC, has been working with us to design and redesign
the collars as we go, improving range, battery life and
ruggedness. Regardless, all of our coyote collars are
scheduled to fall at a prescheduled date and each is equipped
with an automatic release mechanism. We expect our study
animals to be changing regularly.
As
we loose individual coyotes we are trapping others to replace
them. Many of these are from the same packs.
Collars from Valentine (from the Beavertail Pack on Jamestown),
Hazard (from the Newport Neck Pack), and the dark male (from the
Peckham Pack in Middletown) are no longer broadcasting GPS
locations. |
A
drop of milk shows this female
iscurrently nursing pups.
Glenn
Mitchell. |
After
measuring, weighing, and blood samples, the collar is
attached. Eli Mitchell. |
Valentine has been replaced by packmate C3 and
the Peckham male has now been replaced by our new Peckham
female, C21. We are currently trapping for a replacement
for our Newport Neck coyote.
We are also trapping in completely
new regions on the islands where our presently-collared
coyotes do not go. We believe that if coyotes stay
out of areas that appear to contain good habitat there
is a gppd reason. It may be that the area is the
defended territory of another pack. If we capture
a coyote there it will likely be from another
pack. In this way we are determining how many
packs there are in our study areas on the islands.
We are also in the process of determining how many
coyotes are in each pack by filming pack members at
carcasses placed in the center of each territory. |
As
C21 sleeps of the anesthetic in a bed of grass her
distinctive inky black tail spot is very visible.
She will be easy to recognize.
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