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Predators can cause prey to make habitat choices that could affect their survival. We studied the influence of coyote, Canis latrans, presence on habitat use by desert mule deer, Odocoileus hemionus eremicus. Our study was conducted in 2000 in the Walnut Canyon Enclosure, a 246-ha enclosure on the Three Bar Wildlife Area, central Arizona. We radiotracked six mule deer (5 F, 1 M) in the enclosure with and without coyotes present during 2000 and compared our data with data obtained in the enclosure in 1998 when coyotes were absent. We compared habitat use among four environmental settings: burned and unburned interior chaparral and Sonoran desertscrub. We found evidence of changes in habitat use between years and after coyotes were introduced. Deer increased use of areas with the greatest vegetation cover when coyotes were present.
Cataloging Information
- Arizona
- Canis latrans
- coyote
- deserts
- fire management
- habitat use
- habits and behavior
- mammals
- Mule deer
- Odocoileus hemionus
- post fire recovery
- range management
- telemetry
- wildfires
- wildlife habitat management
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