Using art materials or computer generated graphics, design a scale representation of what you think an ideal habitat and territory would be for a coyote. Incorporate the elements a coyote needs to survive. Using the data obtained from the Visualizer, what would be the size of your created territory?
Tag: habitat
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What does a coyote need to survive or thrive?
Study each territory in the Visualizer and determine where a coyote would find the things it needs to survive. Do you think the territories vary in biodiversity? If so, how might that affect the coyotes and the size of their territory?
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Establishing coyote territories and the effects of human impact
Examine the territories of the coyotes in the Visualizer. Do you think there are physical boundaries that define their territory? Do you think there are social boundaries (interactions with other coyotes or humans) that define the territories? Why might a coyote use a smaller or larger territory than a coyote in a different area? How do coyotes identify their territories or recognize territories of other coyotes? Do coyotes defend their territory?
If a new road is planned that will bisect one of the coyote territories, how do you think this will impact the coyotes?
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The family life of coyotes
Using the Visualizer, study the travel patterns of the adult coyotes during different weeks or seasons. Research the life history of coyotes to learn when coyotes mate and have pups.
Can you infer or determine:
- When the coyotes represented in the Visualizer mate or have pups?
- When the pups leave their den?
- How long pups stay with the adults in the same territory?
When coyote pups mature and disperse out of their original home territory, where do you think they go? Why do you think they don’t stay in their original home territory? Some young adult coyotes, however, do stay for several years within their parents’ territory. What role do you think they play in the family group? Do coyotes hunt or travel in packs or are they solitary?
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Finding food
What do coyotes eat? What types of food are the coyotes likely to find in each of their territories? What food sources might be present that habituate coyotes to humans? How do wildlife biologists verify what coyotes are eating in a given territory? Create a food web or chart for a coyote. Or, create a Coyote Cafe menu!
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Where would coyotes live in your area?
Look at a satellite imagery map of your county. Based on what you learned from studying the coyotes’ habits in the Visualizer, predict where coyotes might live in your area or neighborhood. What travel corridors might they use? Where might they locate a den? Where would they find food? Water? Shelter? Has anyone ever seen coyotes in your county?