| To determine if nutritional status during the postnatal period affected reproductive fitness in coyotes, 24 pups were hand-reared from 10 days to 6 months of age on either an unrestricted or reduced nutrient diet. Their weight, stature, blood and hormone values, and reproductive performance during their first reproductive season were assessed.; Pups on the unrestricted (UN) nutrient diet weighed more than those raised on the reduced nutrient (RN) diet. Of the 21 blood parameters analyzed, 19 differed in concentrations as pups matured. Relationships between diet and leptin, as well as social rank and testosterone were inconclusive.; Eighty-three percent of the females became pregnant, with 80% known to have produced viable young. Animals on the RN diet produced nearly three times more pups as those on the UN diet. A strong similarity in placental implantation rates among sibling sisters was noted, suggesting maternal effects may influence reproductive performance in juvenile coyotes. |
