Impacts of recolonizing gray wolves (Canis lupus) on survival and mortality in two sympatric ungulates

2018 ◽  
Vol 96 (7) ◽  
pp. 760-768 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.A. Dellinger ◽  
C.R. Shores ◽  
M. Marsh ◽  
M.R. Heithaus ◽  
W.J. Ripple ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Mule Deer ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Odocoileus Hemionus ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
Mortality Data ◽  
Gray Wolf ◽  
Gray Wolves ◽  
Large Predators

There is growing recognition that humans may mediate the strength and nature of the ecological effects of large predators. We took advantage of ongoing gray wolf (Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758) recolonization in Washington, USA, to contrast adult survival rates and sources of mortality for mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus (Rafinesque, 1817)) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmermann, 1780)) in areas with and without wolf packs in a managed landscape dominated by multiple human uses. We tested the hypothesis that the addition of wolves to the existing predator guild would augment predator-induced mortality rates for both ungulates. Source of mortality data from adult mule deer and white-tailed deer, respectively, revealed that wolf-related mortality was low compared with that inflicted by other predators or humans. Predator-caused mortality was largely confined to winter. There was little effect of wolf presence on adult deer mortality rates, and there was no difference in mortality between the two deer species relative to wolf-free or wolf-occupied sites. Although this study occurred early in wolf recovery in Washington, our results differ from those demonstrated for gray wolves in protected areas. Thus, we encourage further investigation of effects of direct predation by recolonizing large carnivores on prey in human-dominated landscapes.

Seasonal variation in coyote feeding behaviour and mortality of white-tailed deer and mule deer

2000 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Lingle
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
Feeding Behaviour ◽  
Mule Deer ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Ground Squirrels ◽  
Antipredator Behaviour ◽  
Mortality Data ◽  
Extrinsic Factors

Young ungulates are considered especially susceptible to predation in the initial weeks following birth. However, the timing of mortality can vary depending on the availability of alternative prey and the type of predator, and could vary depending on antipredator defenses used by prey. I used coyote (Canis latrans) scats, observations of coyote hunting behaviour, and mortality data for deer to examine seasonal variation in coyote feeding behaviour and mortality of sympatric white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) fawns. Coyotes captured the vast majority of deer they consumed, forming groups that hunted deer from June through March. Coyotes were observed hunting deer most often in winter when ground squirrels were not available, and an inverse correlation between the amount of deer and ground squirrel in coyote scat reflected this relationship (rs = 0.77, P = 0.004). Fawns of both species had poor survival rates in 1994 (1 of 10 tagged whitetails survived to 1 year, none of 22 mule deer survived), improved survival rates in 1995 (33% of 15 whitetails, 25% of 24 mule deer), and most mortality appeared to be due to coyote predation. The season in which fawns of each species were most vulnerable differed. Tagged whitetail fawns had similar mortality rates in early summer, when they were less than 8 weeks old, as they did in winter, when they were 5-9 months old (35 and 37%, respectively, in 1995). In contrast, mule deer fawns had low mortality rates in early summer (4% in 1994, 17% in 1995), but high mortality rates in winter (100% in 1994, 53% in 1995). Changes in fawn:doe ratios and the examination of carcasses similarly indicated that coyotes captured more whitetails in summer and more mule deer in winter. The seasonal variation in mortality rates of the two species cannot be explained by physical prey characteristics, their relative abundance, or extrinsic factors, and may be due instead to species differences in antipredator behaviour.

scholarly journals Wolf predation patterns following recent recolonization in a multi-predator, multi-prey system

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Kari Orning ◽  
Katie Dugger ◽  
Darren Clark
Keyword(s):  
Wildlife Management ◽  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Diet Composition ◽  
Mule Deer ◽  
Odocoileus Hemionus ◽  
Gray Wolf ◽  
Predator Prey ◽  
Wolf Predation ◽  
Ecological Relationships ◽  
Prey System

Predator-prey interactions are among the most fundamental of ecological relationships. Recolonizing gray wolf (Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758) populations present new challenges for wildlife management in multi-prey, multi-carnivore systems. We documented diet composition and kill rates for wolves in a recently recolonized area over winter and summer seasons (2014-2015). Elk (Cervus canadensis (Erxleben, 1777)) were the primary ungulate prey (63%) located at wolf kill sites. Deer (mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus (Rafinesque, 1817)) and white-tailed deer (O. virginianus (Zimmermann, 1780)) were less prevalent than elk in wolf diets, but the amount of deer in diets (40-50%) varied by pack and season. Juvenile elk were the most prevalent class of prey in wolf diets during summer (63.3%) and winter (36.3%), with adult elk (32.5%) observed nearly as often as juveniles in winter. Kill rates varied by season, with rates 2.3 times higher in summer (x ̅= 3.5 ungulates/week/pack) than winter (x ̅ = 1.5 ungulates/week/pack), consistent with increased availability and use of neonate prey. Prey biomass acquisition did not vary by pack or season (summer = 243 kg/week/pack; winter = 182 kg/week/pack). Our study quantified predation patterns for a recolonizing wolf population, and patterns we documented were similar to other multi-prey systems in North America.

Recent dynamics and mortality rates of the Kaibab deer herd

1984 ◽  
Vol 62 (9) ◽  
pp. 1805-1812 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jay Barlow ◽  
Clay Y. McCulloch
Keyword(s):  
Small Difference ◽  
Sex Ratios ◽  
Mule Deer ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Odocoileus Hemionus ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Field Methods ◽  
North Central ◽  
Frequency Distributions ◽  
Central Arizona

Survival rates and expected sex ratios are estimated for the Kaibab mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) of north central Arizona from harvest age–frequency distributions. During the study period (1972–1979) the population was declining at 9% per year. Annual survival rates for females older than 1.4 years were 0.63 and 0.62 for the eastern and western overwintering herds, respectively. For males older than 3.4 years, the corresponding rates were 0.50 and 0.44, respectively. These survival rates did not change appreciably with age beyond 1.4 years for does and 3.4 years for bucks. When survival rates were adjusted by subtracting reported firearm harvests, the rates show only a small difference between the sexes. Sex ratios estimated from the survival rates differed markedly from field estimates. Possible biases in both the field methods and in the use of harvest age distributions to infer population age structure are examined. The potential value of analyses of age distributions is discussed with regard to augmenting and independently verifying field data.

scholarly journals Gray Wolves, Canis lupus, Killed by Cougars, Puma concolor, and a Grizzly Bear, Ursus arctos, in Montana, Alberta, and Wyoming

2008 ◽  
Vol 122 (1) ◽  
pp. 76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael D. Jimenez ◽  
Valpa J. Asher ◽  
Carita Bergman ◽  
Edward E. Bangs ◽  
Susannah P. Woodruff
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Puma Concolor ◽  
Western United States ◽  
Grizzly Bear ◽  
Grey Wolf ◽  
Gray Wolves ◽  
Large Predators

Four cases where large predators caused Grey Wolf (Canis lupus) mortality are recorded. We describe two incidents of Cougars (Puma concolar) killing Wolves in Montana and one incident of a Cougar killing a Wolf in Alberta. We report the first recorded incident of a Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos) killing a Wolf in the western United States.

scholarly journals Severe Maxillary Osteomyelitis in a Gray Wolf (Canis lupus)

2013 ◽  
Vol 126 (3) ◽  
pp. 238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon Barber-Meyer
Keyword(s):  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Gray Wolf ◽  
Gray Wolves ◽  
Dental Injuries

Whereas dental injuries and abnormalities have been documented in Gray Wolves (Canis lupus), severe maxillary necrosis has not previously been implicated in a Gray Wolf fatality. Here I report maxillary osteomyelitis in a wild Gray Wolf from northeastern Minnesota of such severity that I hypothesize it ultimately led to death by starvation.

scholarly journals The Japanese wolf is most closely related to modern dogs and its ancestral genome has been widely inherited by dogs throughout East Eurasia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Gojobori ◽  
Nami Arakawa ◽  
Xiaokaiti Xiayire ◽  
Yuki Matsumoto ◽  
Shuichi Matsumura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Transitional Period ◽  
Gray Wolf ◽  
Ancestral Genome ◽  
Gray Wolves ◽  
Japanese Archipelago ◽  
Whole Genomes ◽  
Genomic Analyses ◽  
The Japanese Archipelago

The Japanese wolf (Canis lupus hodophilax Temminck, 1839) was a subspecies of the gray wolf that inhabited the Japanese Archipelago and became extinct 100-120 years ago. In this study, we determined the whole genomes of nine Japanese wolves from the 19th- early 20th centuries and 11 Japanese dogs and analyzed them along with both modern and ancient wolves and dogs. Genomic analyses indicate that the Japanese wolf was a unique subspecies of the gray wolf that was genetically distinct from both modern and ancient gray wolves, lacking gene flow with other gray wolves. A Phylogenetic tree that minimizes the effects of introgression shows that Japanese wolves are closest to the dog monophyletic group among the gray wolves. Moreover, Japanese wolves show significant genetic affinities with East Eurasian dogs. We estimated the level of introgression from the ancestor of the Japanese wolves to the ancestor of East Eurasian dogs that had occurred in the transitional period from the Pleistocene to the Holocene, at an early stage after divergence from West Eurasian dog lineages. Because of this introgression, Japanese wolf ancestry has been inherited by many dogs through admixture between East Eurasian dog lineages. As a result of this heredity, up to 5.5% of modern dog genomes throughout East Eurasia are derived from Japanese wolf ancestry.

scholarly journals Observations of Wild Cougar (Puma concolor) Kittens with Live Prey: Implications for Learning and Survival

2013 ◽  
Vol 126 (4) ◽  
pp. 333 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Mark Elbroch ◽  
Howard Quigley
Keyword(s):  
Social Learning ◽  
Maternal Care ◽  
Puma Concolor ◽  
Mule Deer ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Odocoileus Hemionus ◽  
Video Data ◽  
Operant Learning ◽  
Live Prey ◽  
In The Wild

The Cougar (Puma concolor) is a cryptic species in which social learning or opportunity learning has yet to be documented in the wild. “Opportunity teaching” is teaching in which an animal creates opportunities for conspecifics to observe or participate in operant learning. We present video data on an observation of Cougar kittens exhibiting social learning and inefficiency and inexperience in attempting to kill a live Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus) fawn. Our observations provide evidence for the importance of maternal care and they help explain why Cougar kittens less than a year of age have low survival rates.

scholarly journals Postcranial diversity and recent ecomorphic impoverishment of North American gray wolves

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 20170613 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susumu Tomiya ◽  
Julie A. Meachen
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
North American ◽  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Late Quaternary ◽  
Gray Wolf ◽  
Evolutionary Potential ◽  
The Holocene ◽  
Gray Wolves ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Northwestern North America

Recent advances in genomics and palaeontology have begun to unravel the complex evolutionary history of the gray wolf, Canis lupus . Still, much of their phenotypic variation across time and space remains to be documented. We examined the limb morphology of the fossil and modern North American gray wolves from the late Quaternary (< ca 70 ka) to better understand their postcranial diversity through time. We found that the late-Pleistocene gray wolves were characterized by short-leggedness on both sides of the Cordilleran–Laurentide ice sheets, and that this trait survived well into the Holocene despite the collapse of Pleistocene megafauna and disappearance of the ‘Beringian wolf' from Alaska. By contrast, extant populations in the Midwestern USA and northwestern North America are distinguished by their elongate limbs with long distal segments, which appear to have evolved during the Holocene possibly in response to a new level or type of prey depletion. One of the consequences of recent extirpation of the Plains ( Canis lupus nubilus ) and Mexican wolves ( C. l. baileyi ) from much of the USA is an unprecedented loss of postcranial diversity through removal of short-legged forms. Conservation of these wolves is thus critical to restoration of the ecophenotypic diversity and evolutionary potential of gray wolves in North America.

scholarly journals Prolonged Intensive Dominance Behavior Between Gray Wolves, Canis lupus

2010 ◽  
Vol 124 (3) ◽  
pp. 215 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. David Mech ◽  
H. Dean Cluff
Keyword(s):  
Adult Male ◽  
Canis Lupus ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Gray Wolf ◽  
Dominance Behavior ◽  
Gray Wolves ◽  
Free Ranging

Dominance is one of the most pervasive and important behaviors among wolves in a pack, yet its significance in free-ranging packs has been little studied. Insights into a behavior can often be gained by examining unusual examples of it. In the High Arctic near Eureka, Nunavut, Canada, we videotaped and described an unusually prolonged and intensive behavioral bout between an adult male Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) and a male member of his pack, thought to be a maturing son. With tail raised, the adult approached a male pack mate about 50 m from us and pinned and straddled this packmate repeatedly over 6.5 minutes, longer than we had ever seen in over 50 years of studying wolves. We interpreted this behavior as an extreme example of an adult wolf harassing a maturing offspring, perhaps in prelude to the offspring's dispersal.

Genetic variability in natural populations of the gray wolf, Canis lupus

1991 ◽  
Vol 69 (5) ◽  
pp. 1183-1188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phyllis K. Kennedy ◽  
Michael L. Kennedy ◽  
Peter L. Clarkson ◽  
Ilme S. Liepins
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variability ◽  
Spatial Heterogeneity ◽  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Gray Wolf ◽  
Starch Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Gray Wolves ◽  
Starch Gel

The genetic variability of gray wolves (Canis lupus) from northwestern Canada was assessed through starch-gel electrophoresis. Of 27 protein systems examined, 25, representing 37 presumptive loci, were consistently scorable; 7 proteins (5 were consistently scorable) exhibited polymorphism. The level of heterozygosity (3.0%) was medial relative to values reported for natural populations of Carnivora and high relative to values reported for natural populations of canids. An overall pattern of few deviations from Hardy–Weinberg expectations and some spatial heterogeneity was observed. Wolves associated with different caribou herds exhibited a low level of differentiation (FST = 0.029). The pattern of variability supports the view of a large panmictic population resulting from extensive movements of individuals and packs and from natural and human impacts on pack structure and formation.

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