Gulf coast canids: A wetland coyote ecotype shaped by red wolf introgression
Data files
Dec 08, 2025 version files 147.17 MB
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01._Gulf_Coast_canid_captures.xlsx
15.20 KB
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02._Canid_morphometrics_full.xlsx
80.86 KB
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03._Canid_morphometrics_PCA.xlsx
33.92 KB
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04._Gulf_Coast_canid_telemetry.xlsx
2.32 MB
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05._Gulf_Coast_canid_space_use.xlsx
13.95 KB
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06._Gulf_Coast_canid_scats.xlsx
21.27 KB
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07a._Gulf_Coast_canid_RSF_01.xlsx
5.35 MB
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07b._Gulf_Coast_canid_RSF_02.xlsx
19.65 MB
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07c._Gulf_Coast_canid_RSF_03.xlsx
33.17 MB
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07d._Gulf_Coast_canid_RSF_04.xlsx
44.67 MB
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07e._Gulf_Coast_canid_RSF_05.xlsx
29.49 MB
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07f._Gulf_Coast_canid_RSF_06.xlsx
12.37 MB
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README.md
7.20 KB
Abstract
Morphology and behavior are fundamental components of ecology because phenotypic variation influences the distribution and abundance of species, interspecific interactions, and community assemblages. Hybridization and introgression can increase phenotypic variation when novel traits accompany new genetic variants. Assessing the adaptive role of introgression requires linking increased phenotypic variation to ecologically relevant population processes such as reproduction, survival, emigration, and immigration. Recent research confirmed significant red wolf (Canis rufus) ancestry in coyote (Canis latrans) populations along the coastal region of the Texas-Louisiana border, USA, where the last known red wolves existed prior to their extirpation from the wild. Coyotes in this region are referred to as ‘Gulf Coast canids’ by some because the magnitude and impact of the observed introgression is not well understood yet. We conducted a phenotypic assessment of Gulf Coast canids to explore whether these canids are red wolf-coyote hybrids, or a wetland ecotype of the coyote formed during the coyote’s initial colonization of the southeastern United States. We concluded that Gulf Coast canids are a wetland ecotype of the coyote derived from a mid-20th century red wolf-coyote hybrid swarm. Our assessment indicates that Gulf Coast canids are tall, lanky coyotes with post-cranial traits similar to red wolf-coyote hybrids. However, their head sizes are coyote-like. Gulf Coast canids exhibited strong selection for wetland land cover such as large river floodplains and coastal saltwater wetlands limiting their potential distribution to the coastal wetlands of the Gulf of Mexico. We observed little use of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and significant use of nutria (Myocastor coypus) by Gulf Coast canids, food habits that differ significantly from those of the surrounding coyote populations. Finally, high annual survival rates indicate that Gulf Coast canids could potentially be a source population and responsible for the persistence of red wolf ancestry in coyotes along coastal Texas and Louisiana.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.mgqnk99cw
Description of the data and file structure
This study focused on a series of objectives designed to acquire data on coyote morphology, spatial ecology, survival, and diet in southwestern Louisiana. The specific objectives were to:
1) assess coyote morphology,
2) assess coyote space use to identify areas where territories were established,
3) assess and compare habitat selection of resident and transient coyotes,
4) estimate and compare survival of resident and transient coyotes,
5) preliminary assessment of diet of resident coyotes.
Files and variables
File: 01._Gulf_Coast_canid_captures.xlsx
Description: This file includes dates of capture of study animals, morphometrics, and duration of monitoring. Cells with missing data are marked as “N/A” (not available).
Variables
- Field ID: ID given to Gulf Coast canids at time of captured and used by field biologists.
- Lab ID: ID given to Gulf Coast canids by geneticists after receiving tissue from field biologists.
- Sex: Sex of Gulf Coast canids.
- Parish/County: Parish or county Gulf Coast canid was captured in.
- Tissue sample: Indicates if sample was taken (Y = yes, N = no).
- Ancestry reported: Discloses where ancestry estimates were made publicly.
- Age at capture (months): Estimated age of Gulf Coast canids at time of capture.
- Wt (kg): Weight/body mass of Gulf Coast canids reported in kilograms.
- SL (cm): Skull length of Gulf Coast canids reported in centimeters.
- SW (cm): Skull width of Gulf Coast canids reported in centimeters.
- BL (cm): Body length of Gulf Coast canids reported in centimeters.
- TA (cm): Tail length of Gulf Coast canids reported in centimeters.
- SH (cm): Shoulder height of Gulf Coast canids reported in centimeters.
- HF (cm): Hind foot length of Gulf Coast canids reported in centimeters.
- EA (cm): Ear length of Gulf Coast canids reported in centimeters.
- Start: Date of when telemetry monitoring began for Gulf Coast canids.
- End: Date of when telemetry monitoring ended for Gulf Coast canids.
- Days monitored: Total days Culf Coast canids were monitored with GPS collars.
File: 02._Canid_morphometrics_full.xlsx
Description: This file includes morphometrics recorded from Gulf Coast canids, red wolves, coyotes, and red wolf-coyote hybrids. Cells with missing data are marked as “N/A” (not available).
Variables
- Species: Taxonomic classification of canid (Gulf Coast canid, red wolf, coyote, red wolf-coyote hybrid).
- ID: Field ID given to canid.
- Sex: Sex of canid (male/female).
- Age: Estimated age class of canid (pup, juvenile, adult).
- Year: Year of capture.
- Location: Region were canids were captured (NENC = northeastern NC, LA = Louisiana).
- Wt (kg): Weight/body mass of canids reported in kilograms.
- EA (cm): Ear length of canids reported in centimeters.
- TA (cm): Tail length of canids reported in centimeters.
- BL (cm): Body length of canids reported in centimeters.
- TBL (cm): Total body length (TA+BL) of canids reported in centimeters.
- HF (cm): Hind foot length of canids reported in centimeters.
- SH (cm): Shoulder height of canids reported in centimeters.
- SL (cm): Skull length of canids reported in centimeters.
- SW (cm): Skull width of canids reported in centimeters.
File: 03._Canid_morphometrics_PCA.xlsx
Description: This file includes the subset of morphometrics recorded from Gulf Coast canids, red wolves, and red wolf-coyote hybrids used in our PCA.
Variables
- Same variables as in File 02, except for PC scores.
- PC1: First principal component scores acquired from PCA.
- PC2: Second principal component scores acquired from PCA.
- PC3: First principal component scores acquired from PCA.
File: 05._Gulf_Coast_canid_space_use.xlsx
Description: This file includes long/lats on all the Gulf Coast canids monitored during our study.
Variables
- ID: ID given to Gulf Coast canids at time of captured.
- Status: Space use status assigned to the canid and it's estimated space use.
- Status ID: ID + status
- KDE_95: 95% kernel density estimate reported in square kilometers.
- KDE_50: 50% kernel density estimate reported in square kilometers.
- Locoh_95: 95% local convex hull estimate reported in square kilometers.
- Locoh_50: 50% local convex hull estimate reported in square kilometers.
- Tlocoh_95: 95% time local convex hull estimate reported in square kilometers.
- Tlocoh_50: 50% time local convex hull estimate reported in square kilometers.
- aKDE_95: 95% adaptive kernel density estimate reported in square kilometers.
- aKDE_50: 50% adaptive kernel density estimate reported in square kilometers.
File: 06._Gulf_Coast_canid_scats.xlsx
Description: This file includes space use estimates of Gulf Coast canids calculated with four commonly used home range estimators (kernel density estimators, local convex hulls, time local convex hulls, and adaptive kernel density estimators).
Variables
- ScatID: Field ID given to scats when collected.
- Data: Date scats were collected.
- Pack: Territory of pack scats were collected and assigned.
- Area: Study area where scats were collected.
- Freq.Deer: Occurrence of white-tailed deer observed in scats (1=present, 0=absent).
- Freq.Small: Occurrence of small mammals observed in scats (1=present, 0=absent).
- Freq.Rabbit: Occurrence of rabbits observed in scats (1=present, 0=absent).
- Freq.Plant: Occurrence of plants observed in scats (1=present, 0=absent).
- Freq.Pig: Occurrence of pig observed in scats (1=present, 0=absent).
- Freq.Nutria: Occurrence of nutria observed in scats (1=present, 0=absent).
File: 04._Gulf_Coast_canid_telemetry.xlsx
Description: This file includes frequency of occurrence of prey items for individual scats collected from Gulf Coast canid territories.
Variables
- ID: Field ID for Gulf Coast canid
- DateTime: Date and time of location.
- Latitude: Latitude of location.
- Longitude: Longitude of location.
File: 07a-f._Gulf_Coast_canid_RSF_07a-f.xlsx
Description: These six files consist of the use and random locations along with the landscape predictors used in our resource selection functions.
Variables
- ID: Field ID + status.
- Use: Use (1) and random location (0).
- Resident: Resident (1) vs transient (0).
- Biomass: Mean aboveground biomass (lg/acre)
- HumDen: Human population density (people/sq.km)
- dist(m)_SmRiver: Distance to small river floodplains reported in meters.
- dist(m)_SaltCoastal: Distance to saltwater coastal marsh reported in meters.
- dist(m)_Roads: Distance to roads reported in meters.
- dist(m)_LgRiver: Distance to large river floodplains reported in meters.
- dist(m)_FRCoastal: Distance to freshwater coastal marsh reported in meters.
Code/software
We used the following software:
QGIS v. 3.28.1
R version 4.4.3 and packages: T-LoCoH, lme4
Access information
Other publicly accessible locations of the data:
- N/A
Data was derived from the following sources:
- N/A