FRIENDS OF EDGEWOOD NATURAL PRESERVE
|
FRIENDS OF EDGEWOOD NATURAL PRESERVE
|
|
|
COYOTE--CANIS LATRANS By Kathy Korbholz There is evidence that coyotes live in Edgewood. Here is some information on these fascinating animals. The coyote is a medium-sized member of the dog family. Coyotes have pointed, yellowish ears, a slender pointed muzzle and a bushy, rather short tail with a black tip. Their overall color can vary from very pale to very dark, but most are yellowish gray with whitish or buff throats and underparts. There are no color variations between the sexes, but the males are usually larger. Coyotes weigh from 18 to 30 pounds. A rare male can reach 48 pounds. (23" to 26" at the shoulder, 41" to 52" in length without the tail.) A small German shepherd is comparable in height to the coyote but the coyote weighs not much more than a whippet. Coyotes can be active at any time during the day, but are most active at sunset and in the early morning. They may even have periods of activity during the night. One of the interesting things about coyotes is their variable and flexible social organizations. The basic social unit is the mated pair, but coyotes can live alone or in certain instances in packs. Rangers in this area report that they don't see packs too often. Once in a while rangers hear a couple vocalizing at dusk. Coyotes live alone when they are sick, disabled or juveniles dispersing to new areas. Occasionally these lone animals are in fact healthy adults who may be recruited as new mates or pack members. Coyotes mark their territories by urinating, dropping feces, or rubbing their scent glands at the boundaries of their territories. Through facial expressions, vocal signals (they have 10 or more gradations of sounds: growls, woofs, barks, howls, yelps) and scent-marking, coyotes communicate with each other. Their behavior ranges along the continuum from aggressive to submissive. Aggressive individuals will hold their heads high, neck arched, with shoulder and neck hairs erect, eyes narrowed, mouth open, and canine teeth exposed. A submissive animal will have head and body low, ears back and tail tucked between its legs.
When paired, coyotes may live together for a long time, even for life. They hunt together, raise their family together, and even use the same den site year after year. Coyotes mate in our area in February and March. Females come into estrus for only a short time, 4 to 15 days, once a year. The female is pregnant around 60 days and gives birth to a litter of 5 to 7 pups. Larger litters are born in years where food is more plentiful, like the '93 miracle March. The pups are born in underground dens. The animals can dig their own dens, but most often enlarge the abandoned dens of other mammals. Dens are found on slopes, in brushy areas, thickets or woods. Coyote parents may move their pups if there is a disturbance. The pups are blind and helpless at birth. Their eyes open at 8-14 days and they venture out of the den for short periods beginning at 3 weeks. They are weaned at 3-5 weeks and begin eating solid food regurgitated by the mother or father. Occasionally there are helpers, siblings from the previous year, that assist in raising the young. The young begin wrestling with each other at an early age. At about 4 to 5 weeks they begin more serious fighting in order to establish a dominance order. Fighting is gradually replaced by the displays which communicate dominance or submission. Once these roles are established, there is a decrease in fighting and an increase in playing. They play much like domestic puppies, pawing at each other's faces, "bowing" and wagging their tails. When the pups are 2 to 3 months old, they begin to make forays on their own. At 5 months they can hunt on their own, and somewhere between 6 to 9 months they begin to disperse. Usually we are not lucky enough to see the animals, just the clues they leave behind. In wet weather evidence of coyotes in the area may be the tracks they leave. The tracks are generally oval with 4 toes with claws. The larger front track is 2.25" to 2.75" inches long. It looks similar to tracks made by small dogs like the cocker. Coyotes do have more of a tendency to perfect-step than dogs do and they demonstrate more cunning and awareness of their environment. Another difference between coyote and domestic dog tracks is the distance between strides. The dog will be about 10 to 12, while the coyote will be 14 to 16 inches. The track pattern of the fox and the coyote is a nearly straight line of neat prints in which the hind feet step exactly into the track of the forefeet. The tracks and strides of these two animals are so similar that distinguishing them may be difficult. In general, the fox is a more delicate animal with a narrow straddle, 3 to 4 inches; being light, it makes a shallower impression. The heavier coyote has a larger straddle, 4 to 6 inches, and makes a deeper impression. The trails of the fox and coyote also generally portray a keen awareness of environment, a directness of intent and no wasted energy. Coyotes are opportunistic omnivores. They eat mice, rabbits, other small animals, insects, lizards, frogs, fruits, berries and along urban fringes, domestic livestock and/or garbage. Often the only sign a hiker sees of the local coyote population is the scat they leave along the trail. Coyote scat are difficult to recognize from fox scat. Coyote can be distinguished primarily by their size - those 3/4" or more and greater than 4" are probably coyote. Scat change seasonally -- during the summer and fall they have more berries. During winter and spring you will often find more small animal bones. Scat usually crumble apart in a few days. Finding scat on the trail indicates a coyote has been in the area recently. Hikers often ask why scat are found on the trail. The rangers propose two theories. First, coyotes use the trails because they are easier to navigate; the same reason hikers remain on the trails instead of trying to go cross-country. Second, trails make excellent natural territorial boundaries. As such, coyotes use scat to mark them. Hopefully, this information will enrich your hiking experience at Edgewood. Primary reference for this article: Animal Tracking and Behavior, by Donald & Lillian Stokes (Little, Brown and Company, 1987). | |||||||||||||||||||||
|