Data and code from: Impacts of urban heterogeneity in environmental and societal characteristics on coyote survival

Survival links individual-level responses to population, community, and
ecosystem dynamics. Thus, understanding species’ survival responses to
environmental change in urban areas is key for gaining insights into the
ecology and management of wildlife in these rapidly expanding
environments. Despite existing research on the broad-scale effects of
urbanization on wildlife survival, little is known about how heterogeneity
within urban areas impacts survival. We assessed the role of environmental
and societal characteristics known to structure the distribution of
resources and risks important for urban wildlife ecology on coyote (Canis
latrans) survival in the Chicago metropolitan area. We conducted a
time-varying Cox proportional hazards survival analysis using the
telemetry data of collared animals. We found that human population density
had a positive effect on survival rate, and that at high human population
densities, median income had a negative effect on survival rate. We also
found evidence that animals in areas with natural habitat features (e.g.
natures preserves, city parks) have higher survival rates. This study adds
to the growing literature demonstrating the significance of ecological
heterogeneity in wildlife responses to urbanization and highlights
society’s influence on wildlife survivorship in cities.