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Hi All,
In June while we were at Waterton, we found a Coyote den in the Bison paddock. Evelynn, Jerry and I saw them on a couple occasions but Lucy missed seeing them all together. There were six then and now a week ago I saw 4 of them, now teenagers roaming the paddock together. they sure have grown.
Coyote
Canis latrans
>
General Description
By Gustave J. Yaki
Coyotes are the original true 'prairie dogs'! Unfortunately, a group of large-bodied ground squirrels, members of the Rodent Family, not the Dog Family at all, are already called Prairie Dogs. In all of Canada, the only location to find those mammals (the Black-tailed Prairie Dogs) is in Grassland National Park near Val Marie, SK.
Before Europeans came to North America, the only Dog Family members that early settlers encountered as they advanced across eastern North America were wolves and foxes. Coyotes were restricted mainly to the desert areas of the American southwest. Wolves kill coyotes when they meet. Those European settlers made a point of relentlessly killing wolves, in part because of old-world "myths" which implied that healthy wolves killed humans (there has never been an authenticated case of that happening), and partly because they viewed wolves as competitors for the remaining wild game which they also hunted, far fewer then, restricted in numbers by the closed forests. Also, when other wildlife species were low in numbers, a few wolves may have killed some domestic livestock to avoid starvation. (In many cases, the livestock may have perished from other causes, even their own domestic dogs, but the wolves, which ate the carrion were erroneously blamed).
By the time most settlers reached the prairies, all the Bison were exterminated too, so wolves, which had fed on them, had virtually disappeared as well. With that top predator gone, this left a vacant niche. There was still an abundance of food -- small mammals such as mice, ground squirrels and hares, so the Coyote moved in. They assumed the role of top predator, as best as they could, attempting to restore and keep the ecosystem healthy. Now found throughout North America (except where wolves still exist), they are in every mainland USA state and Canadian province, even Newfoundland, having reached there by crossing on winter sea-ice. Adults Coyotes look like medium-sized dogs, weighing 10 to 20 kilograms. They are mostly grey with rusty-coloured fur on top of the muzzle and on their ears, legs and feet. Their nose is more pointed than dogs and the tail is bushier -- when frightened they run with it between their hind legs. More often heard than seen, they give various "Yip, yip" cries, and often maniacal barks and howls. One or two may sound like a dozen. In the city, they are often heard serenading a fire, police or ambulance siren.
Living in all of Calgary's valleys, they roam throughout the city, mainly at night -- for the most part undetected by the average citizen. Evidence suggest that Calgary's urban populations is between 400-500 individuals. They benefit us by feeding on rodents, hares and insects, which, if unchecked, might destroy valuable garden or ornamental plantings.
Coyotes are also great scavengers, gleaning road-killed Eastern Gray Squirrels and almost anything else that is edible, including fallen fruit. In fact, at times, up to 90 percent of their diet is vegetation. In some rural areas, coyotes have learned to dig up and eat carrots. Do they do so to improve their night vision?
Coyotes are completely monogamous, a characteristic rare among mammals. They establish their territory in late fall, scent-marking it to tell others of their species that the area is already occupied. Each pair breeds in mid-winter. They establish and maintain several dens, usually on slopes in a wooded area. After a gestation period of 63 days the female gives birth to 5 to 7 (rarely as many as 10) blind pups. Their eyes open at ten days and they first venture outside at about three weeks of age. Shortly after that, they begin to eat meat. At first the male does all the hunting, bringing food for the nursing mother. Once the young take solid food, the female joins the male to help feed the fast growing young. The two make a more efficient hunting team, often running after the game in relays, or one waits to ambush it as it returns. At about two months of age, the young join their parents, learning to pounce on mice and voles, to pursue rabbits and hares, and other strategies for survival. The young tend to stay together or often socialize as a family group, especially when they find large carrion. Usually they pair off that first winter, to restart the annual life cycle.
Food supply, not predators, most affects animal life. Coyotes, like other predators, are largely 'myth'-understood. Without top predators, the ecosystem soon goes into decline. Herbivores, from ungulates to rodents, increasing in numbers exponentially, soon exhaust their food supply, over-eating all the vegetation. This adversely impacts their environment -- in many ways. Few or no seeds are produced, and subsequently plants species may disappear, reducing biodiversity needed for stability. Soil becomes exposed and erodes in heavy rains or strong winds. Birds, nesting on the ground, have no place to hide their eggs and young, thus are unable to maintain their numbers. With their decline, leaf-eating insect rapidly increase, defoliating the forests or grasslands. Without sufficient food, the herbivores, starving, succumb to disease and their numbers collapse. This may allow some of the vegetation to partially recover. Sooner or later, some immigrant or survivors repopulate the now-diminished environment, only to go through more boom and bust cycles. When a top-predator is present, all species exist in a more stable and healthy balance.
Coyotes and dogs don't mix. DNA evidence has ascertained that all dogs are actually domesticated wolves, which have always been traditional enemies. If coyotes see a dog, especially if it is smaller than they are, they attempt to get it to leave their hunting territory. If it is one of the tiny breeds, they may even kill it, and if hungry, eat it. Always keep a dog on a leash for its protection, especially if it is small. During the spring mating season, an unpaired Coyote may allow a lone dog of the opposite sex to approach.
When some folks learn of the presence of Coyotes in the city, they may become anxious for their children. It is possible that a rabid animal might physically attack a child but there is little need to fear a healthy animal. Of far more danger are domestic dogs -- or the motor vehicle. As a child, the author walked three miles to school. At age six and a half, one morning, treading through a snowy rut over 30 cm deep, he met a group of 14 coyotes coming toward him in the other rut. They passed without showing any intent to harm. Ever since, he has realized what a beautiful and beneficial creature the Coyote is. Long may we hear their howl!
from Weaselhead.org |
Luis52, nasokoun, rcrick, goldyrs, CatherineD, nazirbadar, jaycee, CeltickRanger, Noisette, roges has marked this note useful
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