Hunting associations of American badgers (Taxidea taxus) and coyotes (Canis latrans) revealed by camera trapping

Abstract

Interspecies foraging associations occur in a wide variety of vertebrate taxa and are maintained through gains in foraging efficiency and (or) predator avoidance. Despite their advantages, foraging associations often are variable in space and time and benefits may not accrue equally to all participants. In mammals, interspecies associations between solitary mammalian carnivores are rare. Coyotes (Canis latrans Say, 1823) and American badgers (Taxidea taxus (Schreber, 1777)) occasionally form hunting associations in pursuit of ground squirrels (Spermophilus armatus Kennicott, 1863), yet spatiotemporal variation in this association may be substantial. Better documentation of coyote–badger interactions across space and time will improve our understanding of the environmental drivers of this relationship and its benefit to both species. We used a broad-scale camera trapping array to document coyote–badger hunting associations. Out of 46 detections of badgers, we found five instances of hunting associations with coyotes, all of which occurred in mid- to late summer when ground squirrels were most active. Given our high rate of detection, these interactions are likely common on our study area. Habitat characteristics of the regions where we document coyote–badger interactions may have increased the likelihood of hunting associations. Our study demonstrates the effectiveness of camera traps for documenting this association and suggests that the coyote–badger system may be ideal for studying drivers of spatiotemporal variation in foraging associations.