You Go Over, I Go Under: A Study of the Coyote-Badger Hunting Relationship

A badger walks across an open prairie dog town.

Courtesy of Emma Balunek

Coyotes and American badgers sometimes hunt prairie dogs or ground squirrels together using their complementary hunting skills – the badger can dig below ground and the coyote can chase prey above ground. Although this relationship is described by Indigenous people and early European settlers dating back to at least the 19th century, little research has been done to understand the circumstances in which these two carnivore species work together.

Emma Balunek, a Master’s student at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln, aims to learn more about this relationship. She has set up camera grids at five field sites in Colorado, South Dakota, Wyoming, and New Mexico - including Valles Caldera National Preserve - to study the environmental conditions that influence when coyotes and badgers work together, including distance to large prairie dog colonies, human disturbance, time of day, and seasonality. Using photos and videos from these cameras along with additional footage, Balunek plans to create photo stories, short videos, and a StoryMap to shine a light on the underappreciated and endangered grasslands through the lens of this fascinating interspecies duo.

Share Your Observations!

If you have seen a coyote and badger together while visiting Valles Caldera National Preserve or elsewhere, you can contribute to the success of this project. Please share your observations at the link below.

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A group of prairie dogs on high alert for predators near their burrow.

Courtesy of Emma Balunek

"My goal is to instill a greater appreciation and understanding of the grasslands and [their] wild inhabitants," Balunek said. "The project will uplift the prairie ecosystem, bringing attention to all the other animals that also call it home. Coyotes, badgers, and prairie dogs are often misunderstood species, so by painting them in a different light where they work together and are part of a larger connection of species, we can change perspectives."

A coyote and badger hunting pair in the snow. Look closely for the badger's head on the left side of the frame.

Courtesy of Emma Balunek

Balunek and project collaborators are collecting citizen science data to learn more about the behavior of these animals and where else the relationship occurs. If you see a coyote and badger together while visiting Valles Caldera National Preserve, or elsewhere, please fill out this form: go.unl.edu/coyote-badger. Past sightings can also be submitted. If you'd like to learn more about the project, check out this StoryMap: https://arcg.is/1e14PG.

This project is supported by the School of Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the American Society of Mammalogists Donald W. and Glennis A. Kaufman Research Award, Platte Basin Timelapse, and the Benson Lab of Predator-Prey Ecology.

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