A Diet Comparison Of Black Bears, Bobcats, And Coyotes In Western Maryland

Abstract

Scat surveys can provide valuable insight into a predator’s role in its ecosystem through nonintrusive and inexpensive means. Here I’ve conducted a scat survey to examine the diets of black bears (Ursus americanus), bobcats (Lynx rufus) and coyotes (Canis latrans) in Western Maryland. The three study sites were each 2,000 ha in Savage River, Green Ridge, and Potomac-Garrett state forests. We collected scats opportunistically for 4 months in the summer (n= 36) and sorted the contents into deer, small prey, invertebrates, and plants. We only collected 3 bobcat scats so I did not include them in any statistical analysis. I calculated the frequency of occurrence of each category and used several overlap indices to determine the similarity of black bear and coyote diets, both among study sites and compared to each other. Black bears ate primarily plant matter, and coyotes most frequently ate small prey items followed by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Black bear and coyote diets did not differ among sites, and their diets did not overlap at each site and overall. The bears’ consumption of plant matter as well as the occasional white-tailed deer was consistent with existing research. The coyote diets were also consistent with the current literature, although they are not often documented to eat such large numbers of invertebrates.