Coyote Territories and Movements

Collared coyote studies show territory sizes are highly adaptable based on habitat, with urban individuals maintaining smaller, more restricted ranges (as small as 0.25 sq miles) compared to rural/arid counterparts (over 15 sq miles). Resident coyotes hold smaller, stable territories (~4.95 𝑘𝑚2) compared to nomadic transients (~26 𝑘𝑚2). 

Key Comparisons of Collared Coyote Territories

  • Urban vs. Rural: Urban coyotes have smaller home ranges (approx. 1–3 𝑘𝑚2) compared to rural ones, largely because of concentrated resources (food, water). They often navigate highly fragmented landscapes, sometimes inhabiting areas with <10% natural land.

  • Resident vs. Transient: Resident coyotes occupy, defend, and maintain smaller, more stable, and well-defined territories. Transient coyotes, which are non-territorial, have much larger, often nomadic ranges, sometimes acting as "biders" waiting for vacant territories.

  • Habitat Impact: In arid regions, territories can exceed 15 square miles.

  • Seasonal Changes: Home ranges are generally smaller in spring and summer (pup-rearing) and larger during fall and winter (breeding/dispersal).

  • Movement Rates: Collared data shows higher movement rates in high-density residential areas, especially during the night, compared to lower, more consistent movement in natural habitats. 

Spatial Behavior

  • Overlap: While they are territorial, some evidence suggests higher territory overlap in urban populations compared to rural.

  • Boundary Stability: Studies found no significant difference in boundary complexity or stability between urban and rural coyotes.

  • Activity Centers: Collared individuals frequently shift or change territories (turnover) when a vacancy becomes available, particularly in high-mortality areas. 

Citations:

Franckowiak, Gregory A et al. “Spatial ecology of coyotes in the urbanizing landscape of the Cuyahoga Valley, Ohio.” PloS one vol. 14,12 e0227028. 30 Dec. 2019, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0227028

Hinton, Joseph W et al. “Space Use and Habitat Selection by Resident and Transient Coyotes (Canis latrans).” PloS one vol. 10,7 e0132203. 6 Jul. 2015, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0132203

Stanley D. Gehrt, Chris Anchor, Lynsey A. White, “Home Range and Landscape Use of Coyotes in a Metropolitan Landscape: Conflict or Coexistence?”, Journal of Mammalogy, Volume 90, Issue 5, 15 October 2009, Pages 1045–1057, doi:10.1644/08-MAMM-A-277.1

Farmer, M.J., Van Deelen, T.R., Storm, D.J., Mueller, M.A. and Drake, D. (2024), “Home range and core area characteristics of urban and rural coyotes and red foxes in southern Wisconsin”. Wildlife Biology e01321. https://doi.org/10.1002/wlb3.01321

Morin, D.J. and Kelly, M.J. (2017), “The dynamic nature of territoriality, transience and biding in an exploited coyote population”. Wildlife Biology, 2017: 1-13 wlb.00335. https://doi.org/10.2981/wlb.00335

Urban Coyote Research Project: Home Range of Individual Coyotes