Carnivore Interactions at an Urban Den Used by at Least 11 Mammal Species

Caroline E. Savage; Taylor S. Readyhough; Jonathon D. Cepek,; Remington J. Moll

Carnivore Interactions at an Urban Den Used by at Least 11 Mammal Species

Caroline E. Savage¹, Taylor S. Readyhough¹, Jonathon D. Cepek², and Remington J. Moll^{1, *}

¹Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, NH, USA, 03824.; ²Natural Resources, Cleveland Metroparks, 9485 Eastland Road, Strongsville, OH, USA, 44149. ^*Corresponding author.

Urban Naturalist Notes, No. 12 (2026)

Abstract
Dens are important for many mammal species, particularly when raising young. Given the resources required for den excavation, several species might use dens simultaneously. However, den sharing among urban mammals is relatively undocumented. Between March 2021, and June 2023, we monitored a den in Cleveland, Ohio, USA and documented den use by at least 11 mammal species, including Vulpes vulpes (Red Fox), Canis latrans (Coyote), Procyon lotor (Raccoon), Marmota monax (Woodchuck), and Didelphis virginiana (Virginia Opossum). Coyotes, the apex predator in the system, and Red Foxes both scent-marked at the den. We documented den use by these competitors during a period when Red Foxes had young inside the den. These observations improve our understanding of mammalian urban den use and interspecific interactions at dens l ocated in habitat fragments.

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