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: HS-LS2-1
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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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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?
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What happens if a coyote is killed, dies or is removed?
What might happen if one coyote or all the coyotes in a territory are “removed” or die? Consider the impact on humans, other coyotes in the area, prey species, etc. If coyotes are eliminated from a territory, do you think the removal would be permanent? What methods can the Illinois Department of Natural Resources use to “eliminate” a coyote?
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Have coyote populations in Illinois changed over time?
How has the estimated population of coyotes in Illinois (or your state) changed over time? How do wildlife biologists estimate wildlife populations? What factors influence the population numbers? Does regulated hunting or trapping affect the overall population of coyotes in Illinois? Why or why not?