Badger-Coyote
Associations
Note:
This online review is updated and revised continuously, as soon as results
of new scientific research become available. It therefore presents
state-of-the-art information on the topic it covers.
North
American Badgers (Taxidea taxus) and Coyotes (Canis
latrans) are sometimes seen hunting together. Reports of this
interesting interaction come from many parts of Canada, the United States and Mexico. In
this review, we summarize all that is currently known about Badger-Coyote
associations.
Number
of Participants
Badger-Coyote
associations usually consist of a single Badger hunting with a single
Coyote. For example, on
the National Elk Refuge in Wyoming, Minta et al. (1992) studied Coyotes
and Badgers hunting together for Uinta Ground Squirrels. In 90% of the cases, a single Badger hunted with a
single Coyote. In 9% of the cases, a single Badger hunted with a
Coyote pair. In only 1% of the cases did a single Badger hunt with a
group of three Coyotes.
Animals
hunted by Badger-Coyote Teams
Badgers
and Coyotes collaborate to catch burrowing rodents. Scientists
have observed Badgers
and Coyotes hunting together for the following
prey:
Uinta
Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus armatus)
Richardson's Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus richardsonii)
Yellow-bellied Marmot (Marmota flaviventris)
Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus)
References:
Cahalane (1950); Thompson (1979); Kiliaan (1991); Minta et al. (1992).
Duration
of Badger-Coyote Associations
Minta
et al. (1992) timed over 214 Badger-Coyote associations and found that
half of them lasted more than an hour. Two lasted more than 5 hours.
Advantages
of Cooperation for Badgers and Coyotes
Badgers
and Coyotes catch ground squirrels differently. Badgers
usually dig them up, coyotes pounce on them or chase them. Ground squirrels
often escape a digging Badgers by leaving their
underground burrows and running away across the surface of the ground.
These same ground squirrels escape Coyotes by running into burrows and
disappearing underground.
A
ground squirrel will theoretically have less chance to escape a Badger and a Coyote hunting together. If it runs away from the coyote by going
underground into a burrow, the Badger will dig it up. If it leaves a
burrow to escape the Badger, the Coyote will run after it and catch
it.
Minta et al. (1992)
attempted to test these ideas, but were only partly successful.
Although they found that
Coyotes hunting with Badgers captured 34% more ground squirrels than Coyotes hunting
alone, their results were not statistically significant (P=0.087;
one-tailed test). In addition, they could not determine if Badgers captured more ground
squirrels when hunting with Coyotes because Badgers caught and ate their
prey underground, where Minta and his fellow researchers could not observe
them.
Badger-Coyote
Interactions are Varied
Although
Badgers and Coyotes often hunt together, they do not always do so.
For example, at two sites in Central Oregon, Badgers and Coyotes hunted
separately, while at a site in Southeastern Oregon they were often
observed hunting together (Thompson 1979; Minta et al. 1992).
Coyotes sometimes eat Badgers and vice versa, but the majority of their
interactions appear to be mutually beneficial or neutral (Kiliaan et al.
1991).
Because Badgers and Coyotes become shy and secretive when persecuted by
humans, the best places to observe them hunting together are often in protected
areas such as parks and refuges (Minta et al. 1992).
References
Aughey S (1884) Curious companionship of the Coyote and the
Badger. American Naturalist 18: 644-645
Cahalane VH (1950) Badger-coyote "partnerships."
Journal of Mammalogy 31:354-355
Hawkins AH (1907) Coyote and Badger. Ottawa Naturalist
21:37
Kiliaan HPL, Mamo C, Paquet PC (1991) A Coyote, Canis
latrans, and Badger, Taxidea taxus, interaction near Cypress
Hills Provincial Park, Alberta. Canadian Field-Naturalist
105: 122-123
Lehner PN (1981) Coyote-badger associations. Great
Basin Naturalist 41: 347-348
Minta SC, Minta KA, Lott DF (1992) Hunting associations
between Badgers (Taxidea taxus) and Coyotes (Canis latrans).
Journal of Mammalogy 73: 814-820
Thompson SE (1979) Socio-ecology of the Yellow-bellied
Marmot (Marmota flaviventris) in central Oregon. PhD
Dissertation. University of California, Berkeley
Information about this Review
This review is also
available
in the following languages: Spanish
The photo
at the top of the page was taken in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, by Curt
Matlock (USA).
The author is: Dr. Paul D. Haemig (PhD in Animal Ecology).
The proper citation is:
Haemig PD
2012
Badger-Coyote Associations. ECOLOGY.INFO #11.
If you are aware of any important scientific publications about
Badger-Coyote associations that were omitted from this review, or have
other suggestions for improving it, please contact the author at his
e-mail address:
director {at} ecology.info
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