Scent-marking behavior of sympatric wolves ( Canis lupus ) and coyotes ( C . latrans ) in Riding Mountain National Park

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Zoology
• Main Author: Paquet, Paul C.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1991
• Subjects: Animal Science and Zoology; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics; Canis lupus
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z91-240; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z91-240

The objectives of this study were to describe the scent-marking behavior of sympatric wolves and coyotes, and determine whether scent marking has an interspecific behavioral significance and, if so, whether it is involved in maintaining ecological separation of the two species. The hypotheses tested were that coyotes travelling within active wolf areas reduce their frequency of marking and avoid wolf scent marks, and that wolves react to sympatric coyotes as transgressing conspecifics, and increase their scent marking. Marking by the two species was similar, both canids using the same scent mounds. Coyotes did not avoid areas marked by wolves, nor did they minimize evidence of their own activity. Coyotes increased their marking significantly in response to wolves. Wolves, however, did not respond to marks by coyotes.