Home range and core area characteristics of urban and rural coyotes and red foxes in southern Wisconsin

Second‐order habitat selection is influenced by a variety of factors, including individual‐ and species‐specific traits and resource requirements, as well as landscape characteristics. By comparing home range characteristics across individuals, species, and landscapes, we can draw conclusions regarding whether and how different factors influence home range selection. Our objectives were to quantify home range characteristics of VHF‐ and GPS‐collared coyotes and red foxes in urban and rural areas of southern Wisconsin, including home range size and shape, home range stability, and inter‐ and intraspecific overlap. On average, urban coyotes had smaller home ranges with apparently greater intraspecific overlap between neighboring individuals than rural coyotes. Similarly, urban red foxes had smaller home ranges with apparently greater intraspecific overlap between neighboring individuals than urban coyotes. We found no difference in home range boundary complexity or stability between urban coyotes and red foxes or between urban and rural coyotes. We did identify greater interspecific overlap between urban coyotes and red foxes than has been previously reported. Our results provide further evidence that intrinsic and extrinsic factors, such as species characteristics, resource predictability and availability, and the physical environment, influence home range selection of coyotes and red foxes.