Graduate Students
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Abby Weber
Email: abigail.weber@siu.edu
Advisors: Dr. Guillaume Bastille-Rousseau
Research Interest:
Due to a lack of apex predators throughout most of the eastern United States, coyotes (Canis latrans) and bobcats (Lynx rufus) are the primary predators of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in this region. Due to the smaller size of these mesocarnivores, they are more likely to take advantage of white-tailed fawns as a prey source compared to adult deer. However, fawn survival and predation rates have been shown to vary greatly.
My research will examine bobcat and coyote movement and its potential impacts on white-tailed fawn survival throughout southern and central Illinois. In addition, I plan on exploring individual variation in predator movement and home ranges and how it may relate to age and/or diet.