Abstracts

Abstract: Coyote (Canis latrans) food habits were assessed from 292 scats collected biweekly from a site in the upper coastal plain of western Alabama fkom June 1988 through November 1989. The study was initiated to determine the importance of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus vir~inianus)a nd other game species in coyote diet. Diet was recorded by both frequency of occurrence and by relative percent volume. The 4 most common food groups and their corresponding annual percent occurrence were: rodents (65.5). white-tailed deer (37.9), lagomorphs (37.3), and fruit (16.7). These items also ranked in the same order by relative percent volume. Annual percentages were a composite average of 4 seasonal percentages. Rodents occurred most frequently in each season, yet were significantly higher in spring. Lagomorphs and deer were important in all seasons, while insects and fruits were important in summer and fall. White-tailed deer fawns occurred more frequently than any single item in the fall (33.1%), and were the third most important single annual item by percent volume. It is unknown what proportion of fawns were consumed as carrion. However deer carrion, as determined from marked carcasses, was found in 14% of all carnivore scats collected during winter. The annual frequency of occurrence of white-tailed deer remains in coyote diet observed during this study exceeds all reported southeastern levels, but in this instance predation of white-tailed deer by coyotes is probably beneficial to the iandowner by helping to control the population.