We got lots of juvenile coyote photos back in the summer.
Young dumb coyotes . . .
. . . but photogenic.
A few were camera shy, and might be around next year.
But I like them all.
About Me
- Camera Trap Codger
- Native Californian, biologist, wildlife conservation consultant, retired Smithsonian scientist, father of two daughters, grandfather of 4 small primates. INTJ. Believes nature is infinitely more interesting than shopping malls. Born 100 years too late.
3 comments:
Mysteries That Howl and Hunt
By CAROL KAESUK YOON
Published: September 27, 2010
... Based on the wolf DNA found in the Eastern coyotes, Dr. Kays and colleagues hypothesize in their paper that Western coyotes dispersing eastward north of the Great Lakes across Canada during the last century mated with wolves along the way, bringing that wolf DNA along with them to the Northeast.
The findings may explain why coyotes in the East are generally larger than their Western counterparts — that is, more wolflike in size — and why they are so much more varied in coat color, as might be expected from a creature with a more diverse genome. It may also explain why Eastern coyotes appear to be more adept as deer hunters than their Western forebears, which tend toward smaller prey, like voles and rabbits.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/28/science/28coyotes.html?pagewanted=2&hpw
Would that explain the "coy-dogs"? Do such animals actually exist? (coyote-domestic dog crosses)
Those pups are _so_ cute! All ears and legs. Makes me want to bring one home and feed it up...the one I saw in my neighborhood one morning was injured. He was in a bad way - and shouldn't have been there where he was _when_ he was. I was doubly struck - first by him himself, and second by how strong my feelings to "do something" for him were. Especially because we live in an area where we are strongly aware of coyotes and the damage they can - _will_ - do to various domestic animals.
I had some chickens once, fairly close to the house. They were fenced in with standard chain link. The chicks, however, could pop right through the chain link, and had no awareness of the coyotes. There were a couple of coyotes that would pass through the valley behind the house every morning, and stopped by our "Coyote McDonald's" until all but about 3 were gone. I haven't tried to keep chickens since. If I did - obviously I'd have to improve the containment situation!!
I know Carol, a great science journalist, but haven't seen her book, and you'll be reading about coy-dogs here soon.
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