Productivity of coyotes (Canis latrans) from southern Québec

Abstract

A sample of coyotes harvested in the Eastern Townships of southern Québec indicate that 84% of the sample comprised females under 3 years old. The examination of mature follicles, corpora lutea and corpora albicantia, indicated that the ovulation rates ranged from 6.6 to 8.0, and the mean ovulation frequency was of 57%. The mean litter size was estimated at 7.1 with 46% of the females producing pups. The mean population productivity was of 316 pups per 100 females annually, concurring with rates found in other North American populations. Results suggest that a strong harvesting pressure could be at the origin of the large litter size, of the age structure that favors young animals, as well as the high turnover rate in the population.