Morphological and Genetic Assessments of Coyote Diet in Qualla Boundary, North Carolina, Show Interaction with Humans

Abstract

Throughout the 20th century, coyotes (<i>Canis latrans</i>) expanded from their historical geographic range west of the Mississippi River to a current range of almost all of North America. Over the course of this expansion, coyotes have demonstrated diverse and variable omnivorous diets that change with the food resources available. This study examined the stomach contents of 25 coyotes in an area where they are relatively new, the Qualla Boundary in North Carolina, to better understand the diets of coyotes in this area. A combination of morphological identification and DNA barcoding was used to characterize the stomach contents of coyotes. Both plant and animal material were identified from anthropogenic and natural sources, the latter including native mammals. This study provides one example of the breadth and flexibility of coyote diets and helps build an understanding of how coyotes can adapt to new conditions.