What are the reasons for the expansion?
The decline of larger predators is a huge factor, according to the study. Specifically, the decrease in wolf, cougar and jaguar populations could have set the stage for “coyote colonization,” the authors said.
The authors of the study said the changing environment — from a forest landscape to an agricultural flat land — has benefited the animals.
This environmental change, “likely facilitated coyote expansion by creating suitable coyote habitat in areas that were previously unsuitable,” the authors stated.
However, it still remains unclear why coyotes favour open plains over forests.
‘Coyote colonization’: Why this canine is spreading fast across North America
their spread coincides precisely with the creation of a new ecological niche for them largely free of competition and predation by larger animals, and the transformation of the landscape into their preferred habitat.