THE DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE OF COYOTES - THE EFFECTS OF ALLOCHTHONOUS FOOD SUBSIDIES FROM THE SEA

We analyzed how the distribution and abundance of a major consumer, th e coyote (Canis latrans) is influenced by the input of food from the s ea. In the arid deserts of Baja California, coyote abundance along the shore of the Gulf of California is much higher compared to adjacent i nland areas. These high densities are achieved because coastal coyotes are subsidized by the Bow of abundant and diverse resources that come directly and indirectly from the ocean. Analysis of seats between coa stal and inland sites indicates that the diet breadth of coastal coyot es is expanded (i.e., more food types were eaten) and that much more f ood is consumed by individuals and populations of coyotes in coastal r egions. On average, seat mass at coastal sites is more than double tha t at inland sites. An average of 47.8% of all items found in coastal s eats come directly from the sea. Such allochthonous input facilitates a numerical response: each of our four measures of coyote abundance sh ows that coyotes are significantly more dense along the coast than inl and. Coyote populations on the coast are 2.4-13.7 times more dense tha n in adjacent inland areas that do not receive marine input. We presen t data from the literature to suggest that the use of marine resources by carnivorous mammals is widespread worldwide.