Blog 9: 5/14/24

Hi everyone! It's been another research-filled week. This week on Twitter, I worked on finding more research and topics, specifically problems, for my ultimate project.

For the first part of my research for this week, I used ChatGPT to find two specific problems that coyotes face. Here is what I found:

1. Coyotes are facing habitat fragmentation, which is when environments are destroyed, leaving behind smaller fragments of habitats. This can lead to a variety of challenges for coyote populations. With fragmented habitats, coyotes may find it harder to find suitable food sources and shelter, increasing competition within smaller areas. It can also disrupt their natural behaviors, such as hunting and mating patterns, which are crucial for their survival and reproduction. Furthermore, habitat fragmentation can isolate coyote populations from one another, reducing gene flow and genetic diversity. Over time, this genetic isolation can make populations more vulnerable to diseases and environmental changes, further endangering their long-term survival.

   1. Click here to view my Twitter post

2. Rat poison, meant to poison rats, is harming coyotes and other mammals. Experts are suggesting that people switch to alternatives to kill rats and pests. Rat poison can have various effects on coyotes such as paralysis, weakened immune systems, parasites, and death. As concerns grow over the unintended consequences of rodenticides on wildlife, there is a pressing need to transition towards non-toxic approaches for managing rodent populations. This includes methods such as traps, exclusion strategies, and encouraging natural predators. By doing this, people can help protect not only the health of local wildlife but also the overall balance of our ecosystems.

   1. Click here to view my Twitter post

For the second part of my research for this week, I found articles that supported/explained these issues that coyotes face.

1. An article written by Dr. Stanley D. Gehrt explains how this habitat fragmentation has led to difficulties adjusting for coyotes in these areas.

   1. Article link: https://t.co/oG2Jrjy6Oj

2. An article from Loyola Marymount University School of Law explains how and why an entire pack of coyotes in the Eastern United States was killed by rat poison.

   1. Article link: https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1151&context=bio_fac

For the final part of my research for this week, I find two great Twitter pages to help with my research and keeping up with the coyotes!

1. @CoyoteConserv: This page writes Scicomm articles regarding wildlife and human interactions and wildlife conservation, specifically focusing on coyote as well! I want to use this page as inspiration for my Scicomm article. Go check them out on Twitter!

2. @UrbanCoyoteIntv: This page is a photojournalism account that documents the journey and stories of urban and suburban coyotes. I want to use this page to develop a storyline for my Scicomm article. Go check them out on Twitter!

This week has been a productive one, I hope everyone had a productive week as well! I look forward to sharing with you all again!