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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.
Recommended Citation
Heinzel, Lilian M., "COMBINING DNA METABARCODING AND STABLE ISOTOPE ANALYSIS TO EXAMINE DIET AND ECOLOGY IN UNIQUELY ADMIXED GHOST WOLVES", Campus Access Master's Thesis, Michigan Technological University, 2025.