Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: New Mexico
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

New Mexico Project


The ecological web contributing to a sarcoptic mange epizootic in coyotes of the Mojave Desert, Fort Irwin, California

February 2015 - March 2018


Personnel

Participating Agencies

  • Department of Defense, Fort Irwin

In order to minimize the human-wildlife conflict on Fort Irwin, we intend to explore the ecological web surrounding the sarcoptic mange epizootic in the resident coyote population and thereby develop mitigation strategies to lower disease prevalence and the overall abundance of coyotes. Our objectives will be to estimate the size of the coyote population inhabiting the base, describe the patterns of spatial use by the resident coyotes, explore the potential factors contributing to the maintenance of sarcoptic mange, and examine for other parasites and diseases through fecal, epidermal and blood assays. Through this process, we hope to identify and suggest mitigation strategies that can be adopted by the base administration that will reduce the size of the resident coyote population and enhance its health thereby reducing human wildlife-conflict and the potential for spread of disease to humans and pets.

Research Publications Publication Date
Reddell, C.D., G.W. Roemer, D.K. Delaney, T. Karish, and J.W. Cain III. 2023. Anthropogenic subsidies influence resource use during a mange epizootic in a desert coyote population. Oecologia 201:435–447.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-023-05328-7 | Download
February 2023
Reddell, C.D., F. Abadi, D.K. Delaney, J.W. Cain III, and G.W. Roemer. 2021. Urbanization’s influence on the distribution of mange in a carnivore revealed with multistate occupancy models. Oecologia 195:105-116. | Download February 2021
Technical Publications Publication Date
Reddell, C.D., T.K. Karish, G.W. Roemer, and J.W. Cain III. 2016. Investigations into the control of coyote and feral burro populations on the National Training Center Fort Irwin, California. Annual Progress Report to U.S. Army Construction and Engineering Research Laboratory and Fort Irwin National Training Center. July 2016
Theses and Dissertations Publication Date
Reddell, C.D. 2018. Anthropogenic resource use and disease dynamics in a desert coyote population. Thesis. Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces. November 2018