Nomadic Behavior of an Old and Formerly Territorial Eastern Coyote, Canis latrans

We document the fate of a female Eastern Coyote on Cape Cod, Massachusetts that was a breeding resident of a ~30 km2 territory for at least six years (1998 – 2004) and then became nomadic. Her behavior dramatically changed in January 2005, when she was located on six occasions sleeping under sheds and/or decks in highly residential neighborhoods at the southeastern edge of her range. On 11 March 2005 she localized in a small area (95% MCP range = 5.85 km2) at the northeastern edge of her old territory, where she remained until 1 March 2006. After briefly associating with other Coyotes (late-February 2006), her movement patterns changed again. She used a much larger area (~200 km2) until she was shot dead in February 2007. Tracking data indicated that she lived in localized areas during this nomadic period, possibly to avoid resident Coyote packs

Coywolf, Canis latrans × lycaon, Pack Density Doubles Following the Death of a Resident Territorial Male

We studied a subset of four radio-collared individuals that were a part of a larger study documenting Coywolf (Canis latrans × lycaon; Eastern Coyote) ecology in an urbanized landscape (Cape Cod, Massachusetts), and report on the territory of a typical sized pack that was subdivided roughly in half following the death of the breeding male from the original ("Centerville") pack. The original residents lived in a winter pack size (i.e., after pup/juvenile dispersal) of three or four individuals in a 19.66 km2 territory and a density of 0.15-0.20 individuals/km2, as determined by radio-tracking and direct observations, with their territory bordering that of other monitored packs. Following the death of the breeding male, two other radio-collared Coywolves (a young male from the original Centerville pack and a young female from a bordering pack) shifted their respective territories to overlap the majority of the original Centerville pack's territory. These two groups were the same size as the original pack (three or four individuals each) but occupied smaller territories (5.28 km2 and 12.70 km2) within the previous pack's territory. The combined density for the two new packs was estimated at 0.33-0.45 individuals/km2 or 2.2 times greater than the former pack's density and was 2.5 times (0.38-0.50 individuals/km2) greater when accounting for the slight (12%) overlap between the territories of the two new packs. Our results suggest that local Coyote/Coywolf density (i.e., at the pack level) may increase following the death of the breeding male of a given pack, probably because of the reduced (or lack of) protection of territorial boundaries. This finding has particular relevance to Coyote/Coywolf management programs aimed at reducing local densities via removal of individuals from these populations. Further implications exist for enriching our understanding of the trophic dynamics of urbanized habitats

The Application of Novel Research Technologies by the Deep Pelagic Nekton Dynamics of the Gulf of Mexico (DEEPEND) Consortium

The deep waters of the open ocean represent a major frontier in exploration and scientific understanding. However, modern technological and computational tools are making the deep ocean more accessible than ever before by facilitating increasingly sophisticated studies of deep ocean ecosystems. Here, we describe some of the cutting-edge technologies that have been employed by the Deep Pelagic Nekton Dynamics of the Gulf of Mexico (DEEPEND; www.deependconsortium.org) Consortium to study the biodiverse fauna and dynamic physical-chemical environment of the offshore Gulf of Mexico (GoM) from 0 to 1,500 m

A Preliminary Assessment of the Ground-Dwelling Arthropod Community Composition in Six Common Dune Cover Types at Cape Cod National Seashore

Abstract -We provide a preliminary assessment of the ground-dwelling arthropod community composition in six common coastal dune ecosystem land cover-types at Cape Cod National Seashore. We captured 6815 individual arthropods representing 16 arthropod orders from 1008 terrestrial pitfall trap-nights. The most abundant orders were Hymenoptera, Diptera, Araneae, and Isopoda (76.1%, 8.5%, 5.5%, and 3.3% of total captures, respectively). There were differences in ground-dwelling arthropod community composition among the three early-successional and the three later-successional cover types, with the latter having a greater overall arthropod diversity and higher capture rates for a number of the major arthropod taxa captured. Our report is among the first communitywide analyses of arthropod community composition in coastal dune ecosystems of the northeastern US. The results from this study should be viewed as a preliminary assessment given that: 1) we employed a single trapping method (i.e., pitfall traps); 2) traps were only open during the late-afternoon to early morning hours, and only during the summer months; and 3) captured arthropods were classified only to order. We hope our report will inspire additional research of coastal dune arthropod communities

Effects of temperature and temporal factors on anuran detection probabilities at Cape Cod National Seashore, Massachusetts, USA: Implications for long-term monitoring

To evaluate the efficacy of calling surveys, we studied effects of temperature and temporal factors (diel, seasonal, annual) on detection probabilities for anurans of southeastern Massachusetts, USA. We used automated recording systems (ARS) to quantify diel chronology during one field season, and conducted calling surveys to investigate seasonal and annual variation in calling at 103 wetlands over six years at Cape Cod National Seashore. Five species detected with ARS called primarily between sunset and midnight, with mean calling time of Anaxyrus fowleri and Lithobates sylvaticus nearer to sunset than Pseudacris crucifer, Lithobates catesbeianus, or Lithobates clamitans. Of eight species recorded during calling surveys (the preceding five plus Scaphiopus holbrookii, Hyla versicolor, and Lithobates palustris), detection probabilities of all but Scaphiopus holbrookii and Lithobates sylvaticus varied seasonally. Peak detection periods ranged from 11 to 33 days and peak period detection probabilities ranged from 0.06 for Scaphiopus holbrookii to 0.84 for Pseudacris crucifer. There was strong to moderate support for models with annual variation for all species except Hyla versicolor. Detectability was affected more by surface water temperature than by air temperature, but models with both received greater support in five species. For six species, models with temperature and seasonal effect received the greatest support, indicating that detectability is a function of both temperature and day of year. Durations of peak calling periods were long enough and detection probabilities high enough to effectively monitor six of the eight species with calling surveys. © 2011. Robert Cook. All rights reserved

Surface Activity and Body Temperature of Eastern Hognose Snakes (Heterodon Platirhinos) At Cape Cod National Seashore, Massachusetts USA

Snakes, as ectotherms, rely heavily on environmental temperature to drive physiological processes. Activity in terrestrial snakes is influenced heavily by environmental temperature, but climatic, temporal, and ecological factors play a role as well. Understanding when and under what conditions a species is most likely to be active on the surface can be important when dealing with a cryptic species and a species that occurs at low densities. Surface activity, body temperature (Tb), and microclimatic data were collected during a study of 17 Heterodon platirhinos in an early-successional sand-dune ecosystem from 2009 to 2011 using temperature-sensitive radiotransmitters. Mean Tb (27.9°C, SE = 0.24) and Tb range (5.5-39.5°C) were similar to those reported in other studies of H. platirhinos. Females were generally more active than males, except in September when males may be searching for mates. Mixed-effects logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between snake surface activity and selected microclimatic and temporal variables. Hours postsunrise and relative humidity emerged as the top variables influencing surface activity in gravid females. Hours postsunrise and ambient air temperature emerged as the top variables influencing surface activity in males. Our data suggest that activity in H. platirhinos occurs as a function of several environmental, temporal, and ecological factors and varies on the basis of sex and reproductive class. When considering activity, future studies on terrestrial ectotherms should consider not only the relationships of sex, but of reproductive class as well

Spatial Ecology and Habitat Selection of Eastern Hognose Snakes

The eastern hognose snake (Heterodon platirhinos) is a species of conservation concern, especially in the northeastern portion of its range. They remain relatively common at Cape Cod National Seashore, Barnstable County, Massachusetts, USA, where we studied their spatial ecology and habitat selection. We radio-tracked 17 adult snakes (10 F, 7 M) from May 2009 to November 2011, yielding 765 relocations. We conducted a use-availability analysis to investigate patterns of microhabitat selection using a subset of snake locations. We conducted a compositional analysis of habitat selection at multiple spatial scales within home ranges using a high-resolution (1-m pixel size) vegetation cover map of the study area. Snakes moved frequently and had large home ranges x = 35.4 ha) relative to other snake species of similar body size but exhibited variation in home range size among individuals (1–209 ha). Movements peaked at different times of year for each sex, and were most different between sexes in fall. In gravid females, movement was significantly greater in the 2-week post-oviposition period versus the 2-week pre-oviposition period. Estimates of home range and average daily movements x = 30.1 m/day) were lower than estimates from other studies of eastern hognose snakes, possibly because of a greater density of resources at our study area. Probability of snake habitat use increased with grass and leaf litter and decreased with open soil. Compositional analysis revealed a strong avoidance of open dune areas. A comparison of edge density between use and random locations within home ranges revealed an apparent preference for edge habitat. We recommend that resource managers should limit recreational disturbance to and maintain the patchy mosaic of early successional vegetation with abundant edge to ensure the persistence of appropriate habitat for the species. We identified the timing of peak seasonal movements and recommend that this information be used to help prevent road mortality for this important population