If you were a coyote living in the middle of one of the most urbanized cities in America, where would you spend your time? Where would you go to catch your prey, care for your young, and avoid conflicts with humans?
This chart is an analysis of 100 recorded GPS locations from C-144 and C-145, two coyotes we've been studying since May. Their use of the landscape is significantly different than past coyotes we've studied in western Los Angeles County, where we found an average of 77% of locations in natural areas and only 10% in intensely developed areas.
In contrast, the subset analysis found 60% of C-144's locations and 50% of C-145's locations to be "developed." Using the previous definition of "natural" as at least one square kilometer of natural vegetation, none of these urban coyotes' GPS locations can be categorized as natural. Instead, they are considered "altered" landscapes, such as a dirt road or a vacant lot.
Despite the extremely urban setting, C-144 and C-145 are persisting and behaving naturally, hunting prey, caring for their young and, at this point at least, avoiding conflicts with humans.