Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Campus Access Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Applied Ecology (MS)

Administrative Home Department

College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science

Advisor 1

Kristin Brzeski

Committee Member 1

Jill Olin

Committee Member 2

Sarah Hoy

Abstract

Genetic admixture offers insight into how hybridization influences ecological traits such as feeding ecology. Along the Louisiana and Texas Gulf Coast, admixed canids, descendants of coyotes (Canis latrans) and the extinct-in-the-wild red wolf (Canis rufus), form a unique population known as “ghost wolves.” We examined how retained red wolf ancestry may shape their diet using DNA metabarcoding and stable isotope analysis of noninvasive scat samples collected in 2023-2024 from southwest Louisiana and east Texas. Nutria (Myocastor coypus) and rats (Rattus spp.) were the most frequent prey items, occurring in 68.8% and 54.8% of scat, respectively. Dietary niche breadth did not differ significantly between urban and rural habitats or between summer and winter. These findings highlight the consistent foraging strategy of Gulf Coast canids and establish a foundation for future studies on how admixture influences diet and ecological niche across the region.

Available for download on Thursday, August 20, 2026

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