Coyote Senses in Predation: Environmental Influences on Their Relative Use

The purpose of this study was to determine the relative importance of vision, audition, and olfaction to coyotes (Canis latrans) hunting under various environmental conditions. The time durations for four coyotes to locate rabbits within a large outdoor enclosure were determined, with the visual, auditory, and olfactory stimuli emitted by the rabbits blocked individually, in pairs, and altogether. Visual stimuli were eliminated by conducting the tests only during sub-threshold nocturnal conditions. Auditory stimuli were eliminated by killing the rabbits immediately prior to a test. Olfactory stimuli were eliminated by inducing anosmia in each coyote through irrigation of the nasal mucosa with a 10% zinc sulphate solution. The relative importance of these three senses in decreasing order was concluded to be: vision, olfaction, and audition.