| Urbanization has removed much of southern California's natural habitat, fragmenting it into remnant patches or corridors. Despite loss of critical habitat, several wildlife species have been able to adapt to life in highly urbanized areas. Understanding what species of animals occur in an area is important for wildlife management and for comprehending the new and complex ecology urbanization has created. Wildlife tracks provide an affordable and convenient method of studying local fauna that are elusive and active during nocturnal hours. We utilized scent stations consisting of 1-m2 quadrats filled with gypsum and baited with an animal lure. We identified and measured tracks of raccoon, coyote, brush rabbit and domestic cat. Scent stations were placed in open areas throughout the campus of California State University Dominguez Hills. In addition, scent stations were placed within the Dominguez Hills Nature Preserve and the nearby Gardena Willows Wetland Preserve. In particular, Coyote (Canis latrans) tracks were identified and plotted on a map with estimated home ranges. We hypothesized that coyotes would utilize the nature preserves and restored areas of the university campus. Our results suggest meso-predators such as raccoons, domestic cats, and coyotes, and smaller mammals such as brush rabbits, use both nature reserves and more developed settings such as our campus. We conclude that despite urbanization, natural areas and nature preserves may help support mesopredator populations.
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