You Go Over and I Go Under

My love of the outdoors began at a young age on our family farm in Western Pennsylvania that we manage for wildlife. I spent almost every weekend at our property catching newts and tadpoles, planting trees, and monitoring birdhouses. This lifelong experience instilled a love for the outdoors in me. I started taking pictures when I was 10 years old, learning the camera settings by photographing objects and then wildlife on family trips.

I graduated from Colorado State University (CSU) in May 2020 with a B.S. in Ecosystem Science and Sustainability with minors in Organic Agriculture and Global Environmental Sustainability. In August 2022, I moved to Lincoln, Nebraska to begin my Master's in Applied Science degree at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln working with  Mike Forsberg/Platte Basin Timelapse  and  John Benson  studying the coyote and badger relationship.

Master's co-advisor,  Michael Forsberg , is a nationally recognized conservation photographer and storyteller with a long career dedicated to the stories of North America’s Great Plains, co-Founder of  Platte Basin Timelapse , and faculty at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Mike will guide the storytelling and science communication component of the project to tell the story of the coyote and badger relationship. Master's co-advisor,  Dr. John Benson , is an accomplished vertebrate ecologist and Associate Professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with years of professional experience conducting field research around the world focused on answering questions that contribute to a greater understanding of ecology. John will assist with the behavioral research component of the project and the writing of scientific papers to be published.  Amy Shutt  is a multidisciplinary artist and is the Director of the Canid Project, a 501c3 nonprofit focused on canid education and outreach. Amy will assist with the illustrations for the children’s book and other outreach materials. Kimberly Fraser has years of experience in communication and outreach with black-footed ferrets and the grassland ecosystem as an Outreach Specialist with the  U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center . Kimberly will help with the education component and reaching a diverse audience.

My project focuses on the relationship observed between pairs of coyotes and American badgers in western North America. These two species sometimes hunt prairie dogs and ground squirrels together using their complementary hunting skills. Specifically, the badger digs up burrowing animals, while the coyote captures prey that flushes above ground and surveys the surrounding area.

Stories of coyote and badger associations have been a part of Indigenous knowledge before it was witnessed by early European settlers who came to America (Dobie 1950; Goodwin 1939; Ramsey 1977). There is an artifact from Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico “…showing [a] coyote head in bas-relief on one side and [a] badger head on the other,” (Dobie 1950). The clay pot was made about a thousand years ago by an artist native to this area of Mexico (Figure 1). “In the tales of the Navajo, Coyote and Badger go around with each other, hunting together and calling each other cousin” (Dobie 1950).

Although this relationship is described by Indigenous people and early European settlers dating back to at least the 19th century, little research has been done to understand the circumstances in which these two carnivore species work together. There are a handful of recent studies and little high-quality visual media showing the coyote and badger hunting as a pair. I plan to contribute new scientific and behavioral insights about this intriguing relationship while also communicating the story to a diverse audience through photos and video in engaging and educational media presentations.

Key for map below:

• blue = established field sites
• red = other areas pairs have been observed from literature and present

Importance

Grasslands are teeming with wildlife and plants that are all connected in some way with each other, and ultimately with each of us. However, the grasslands are one of the most threatened and endangered ecosystems. Through these efforts I want to instill an appreciation and greater understanding of the grasslands and its wild inhabitants.

The goal of this project is to bridge the gap between science and the public through multimedia storytelling to reach diverse audiences. Interactive multimedia applications bring together components of ecology, wildlife, and natural history of a region, painting a larger picture that immerses the viewer into a way of seeing the connections they have not previously experienced.

The outreach products I make will create wonder about the grasslands and its wildlife. They will catch people’s attention and share the fascinating relationship between coyotes and badgers and the underappreciated grassland ecosystems they call home, ultimately changing the conversations about prairie dogs, coyotes, badgers, and grasslands. In addition, the knowledge we gather about the coyote-badger relationship could ultimately influence grassland management practices, leading to improved relationships between agricultural practices and the grasslands, and protection of predators and keystone species, such as coyotes and prairie dogs.

Research

Collect camera trap detection data from multiple sites across North America with coyote-badger pairs to test the following hypothesis (H) and predictions (P) about environmental conditions that influence variation in when coyotes and badgers are together (plasticity in cohesion) on the landscape throughout the seasons and time of day (time and space) to further scientific knowledge about this relationship.

• H: We hypothesize that plasticity in interspecific cooperative foraging in time and space allows carnivores to manage trade-offs between costs (i.e. mortality risk) and benefits (i.e. increased food) of associating with other predators.
  • P1: We predict that detection of coyote-badger pairs increases closer to large colonies of colonial and semi-colonial burrowing mammals.
  • P2: We also predict that detection of coyote-badger pairs decreases closer to human disturbance, as both species may prioritize avoiding risk from humans over foraging success.
  • P3: Temporally, we predict that detection of coyote-badger pairs is lowest when both species are raising offspring (spring-summer), given that young offspring would be vulnerable to interspecific predation.
  • P4: Finally, we predict that detection of coyote-badger pairs is highest during nocturnal and crepuscular periods when both species are most active and more likely to be foraging.

Storytelling

Using high-quality visual media, I will craft several pieces for a lay public audience about the coyote-badger relationship. These products include photo stories, short bite-sized videos, a children’s book, and an all-encompassing ESRI story map. Using the power of visual storytelling, this project will shine a light on the underappreciated and endangered grasslands through the lens of a fascinating interspecies duo.

• To the right is a short trail cam footage compilation from the rock pile as an example of content, similar to this  Colorado Parks and Wildlife video  from a trail cam overtime at a prairie dog burrow.
• Below is a behind the scenes video from the Colorado site. I plan to create more videos like this to show how these images and videos were captured.

I am on a paid graduate assistantship that provides a monthly stipend and covers my tuition, but my field work is primarily self-funded. I am grateful for any help with funding for the research. The main expense for my project is travel (gas, food, and hotels), along with high-quality camera traps, and field technician pay. I am based out of Lincoln, Nebraska and travel to northern Colorado to check on cameras typically once a month. To reach the other 5 field sites which stretch from northern New Mexico to South Dakota, I add those visits onto one of my monthly visits. I try to reach the other sites 3-4 times a year. If interested in helping support my project, please contact me. Contact information is below.

In addition to our other research, we are collecting citizen science data through a coyote-badger observation form to learn more about the behavior of these animals and where else the relationship occurs. Past observations can be submitted in the form. If you have seen a coyote-badger pair together, please fill this out:  go.unl.edu/coyote-badger . Thank you for your help!

Emma Balunek

ebalunek2@huskers.unl.edu

216-970-4838

If you’d like to donate to help me continue my research, my Venmo is @emma-balunek, or contact me.