MS-LS2-1 (Middle School)

Using art materials or computer generated graphics, design a scale representation of what you think an ideal habitat and territory would be for a coyote. Incorporate the elements a coyote needs to survive. Using the data obtained from the Visualization Tool, what would be the size of your created territory?

Study each territory on the Visualization Tool and determine where a coyote would find the things it needs to survive. Do you think the territories vary in biodiversity? If so, how might that affect the coyotes and the size of their territory?

What do you think a coyote is doing at different locations or at different times of the day? Select a coyote and a day within the tracking period. Write a narrative that describes that day in the life of the coyote.

What reasons might people have to hunt or trap coyotes? Who can hunt or trap coyotes? What regulations govern coyote hunting and trapping and who enforces the regulations? What benefits are there to humans or to wildlife for regulated hunting or trapping programs? Has the coyote population been affected by hunting or trapping? What Illinois rules and regulations today keep the population stable? What laws ensure the humaneness of trapping?

In addition to learning about the habits and movements of coyotes, wildlife biologists often gather other data on animals they trap and release.

Click on the Information icon (i) for each coyote in the Visulization Tool. What data was collected? What samples were taken?  Why do you think this data is important to wildlife biologists? How might the data assist the Department of Natural Resources in establishing rules and regulations for hunting or trapping coyotes?

What might happen if one coyote or all the coyotes in a territory are “removed" or die? Consider the impact on humans, other coyotes in the area, prey species, etc…  If coyotes are eliminated from a territory, do you think the removal would be permanent? What methods can the Illinois Department of Natural Resources use to "eliminate" a coyote?

What do coyotes eat? What types of food are the coyotes likely to find in each of their territories? What food sources might be present that habituate coyotes to humans? How do wildlife biologists verify what coyotes are eating in a given territory? Create a food web or chart for a coyote. Or, create a Coyote Cafe Menu!

Look at a satellite imagery map of your county. Based on what you learned from studying the coyotes' habits in the Visualization Tool,  predict where coyotes might live in your area or neighborhood. What travel corridors might they use? Where might they locate a den? Where would they find food? Water? Shelter? Has anyone ever seen coyotes in your county?

Using the Visualization Tool, study the travel patterns of the adult coyotes during different weeks or seasons. Research the life history of coyotes to learn when coyotes mate and have pups. 

Can you infer or determine:

Examine the territories of the coyotes in the Visualization Tool. Do you think there are physical boundaries that define their territory? Do you think there are social boundaries (interactions with other coyotes or humans) that define the territories? Why might a coyote use a smaller or larger territory than a coyote in a different area? How do coyotes identify their territories or recognize territories of other coyotes? Do coyotes defend their territory?