Wildlife biologists require information about interactions among sympatric carnivores in the Midwest. Coyotes (Canis latrans), bobcats (Lynx rufus), gray foxes ( Urocyon cinereoargenteus ), and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are ecologically and economically important furbearers that occur sympatrically throughout much of their ranges. Although much is known about the habitat associations of individual species, little research has been conducted on large scales and focused on intraguild interactions. Coyotes, and possibly bobcats, have been know to attack and may force foxes to select forested habitat to reduce risk of predation. Therefore, foxes may select different habitats based on the presence of the coyotes and bobcats. The heterogeneous landscape of southern Illinois provides a continuum of forest cover from which we can determine the influence of forest cover on the carnivore community and the interactions within this mesocarnivore guild. During the winter months of 2008-2010, we will use camera traps and hair snares to survey for carnivores at 480 sites in 120 2.6-km 2 sections stratified by the proportion of forest cover throughout southern Illinois. Repeated sampling at each site will allow us to estimate detectability by species, habitat, and presence of other carnivores. We will develop carnivore habitat occupancy models based on the survey data, and use the models to determine the influence of forest cover on species habitat associations, as well as temporal and spatial aspects of species co-occurrence.
