Urbanization alters predator avoidance behaviors

1. Urbanization is considered the fastest growing form of global land use change and can dramatically modify habitat structure and ecosystem function. While ecological processes continue to operate within cities, urban ecosystems are profoundly different from their more natural counterparts. Thus, ecological predictions derived from more natural ecosystems are rarely generalizable to urban environments. 2. In this study we used data from a large-scale and long-term camera trapping project in Chicago IL, USA to determine whether urbanization alters predator avoidance behavior of urban prey species. 3. We studied three behavioral mechanisms often induced by the fear of predation (spatial distribution, daily activity patterns, and vigilance) of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) when coyote (Canis latrans) – an urban apex predator – was present in the same habitat patch. 4. We found no evidence of spatial segregation between coyote ...