A Comparative Study of Colonizing and Longer Established Eastern Coyote Populations

Samples of coyotes (Canis latrans var.) from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and New Hampshire showed that the sex ratios favored males (72:39), age ratios favored adults (10:17), and reproductive rates were low in colonizing populations. These trends were generally opposite to what was expected based on the majority of empirical and theoretical studies. The predominance of males in colonizing populations may be attributed to greater movement of males into vacant regions. The relatively high proportion of adults in colonizing populations may result from movement of adults into vacant areas or a low reproductive rate. Eastern coyotes may not exhibit traits characteristic of colonizing animals because they have a long generation time relative to organisms typically regarded as colonizers.