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Mange in Coyotes Varied With Urban Density and Habitat Connectivity Across North American Cities

Female coyote showing patchy fur from mange
Research: Disease, parasites & microbiology, Ecology

Sarcoptic mange in coyotes (Canis latrans) varied with urban development and habitat connectivity across North American cities, according to a study published in Nature Cities on 19 August 2026. The researchers used camera-trap images to identify visible signs of mange caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei.

Habitat connectivity showed opposite patterns at two scales

The pattern differed with spatial scale. Within individual cities, mange was more common at camera sites with greater urban intensity and at sites closer to habitat corridors. Across cities, however, mange was more common where human population density was higher and the city had fewer habitat corridors overall.

The authors interpret the contrast as evidence that connectivity can influence disease in different ways at different scales. Corridors may concentrate animal movement and contact locally, while a city with little connected habitat may confine coyotes to fewer suitable spaces. The study identifies these as associations rather than proof that any single landscape feature directly caused infection.

Models projected higher mange occurrence by 2050

The researchers also combined their disease models with projections of urban growth and climate change. Under those scenarios, the models forecast higher mange occurrence by 2050, especially at northern latitudes, where urban densification and milder winters could alter coyote overlap and the survival of hosts and mites. This is a future projection based on modeled environmental change, not an observed increase.

Because mange produces visible hair loss and skin changes, camera traps can track signs of disease without capturing animals. The study shows how the same monitoring networks used to follow urban wildlife can also reveal broad geographic patterns in wildlife health.

Sources and image credit

  1. Gelmi-Candusso, T. A., Murray, M. H., Rodriguez, P., et al. (2026). Wildlife disease occurrence increases with changes to urban density, habitat connectivity and climate. Nature Cities.Peer-reviewed primary study published 19 August 2026. Multi-city camera-trap monitoring across North America found more visible sarcoptic mange in coyotes at locally more urban sites and nearer connectivity corridors, while across cities mange was greater with higher human population density and fewer corridors. Future scenarios projected higher occurrence by 2050, especially at northern latitudes.

Image: Female coyote photographed at Metzger Farm Open Space, Colorado, USA, with patchy coat loss identified by the photographer as mange. Photo: Jim Kennedy (nature80020) / Flickr via Wikimedia Commons. CC BY 2.0. Representative disease image; not one of the camera-trap images analysed in the 2026 study. · CC BY 2.0 · Source

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