Howling at the Moon

A pale moon hangs in the starless sky like a worn and ancient coin. Off in the distance a long-suffering and tortured wail carries on a quiet breeze; it wears the special beauty of all wild and lonely things. In Texas, you know it is a coyote.

Do you say, ky-Otie, with emphasis on the last syllable, or KY-ote, weighting the first?  Where I come from, it was always the second pronunciation. People have distinct attitudes regarding coyotes. Rangy, crafty, sly, mischievous, stealthy, deceitful, tricky, cunning—all words people use to describe coyotes—also politicians and carnival owners with dangerous rides. This dark reputation is unlikely to change, being passed down from generation to generation long after our children would ever have occasion to observe one in the wild.  Let’s face it; mankind does not like predators—and we’ve got them greatly outnumbered. These days we are mostly surrounded by small rodents, insects, vegetarian ungulates and domesticated pets.  If you want your children to see mountain lions, bears, wolves and other “wild predators,” you need to travel to a few remaining great expanses of protected land, armed with a bunch of patience and a willingness to go primitive—sadly, most families go to a zoo.

While coyotes are never the subject of great tales told ‘round the roaring campfires of white men, they were the subject of a slew of primitive stories and legends. Over the years coyotes have proved to be very effective predators and have expanded their range as wild spaces have shrunk at the hand of man, their primary enemy. Coyotes can change their breeding habits, diet and living arrangements to survive almost anywhere. They are not large and threatening to look at but are greatly underestimated as hunters. Where their range is shared with bobcats, a carnivore of about the same size, bobcat populations tend to decrease.  Coyotes are presently the most abundant

livestock predators in western North America, causing the majority of sheep, goat and cattle losses. In urban areas where coyotes have grown more accustomed to people, reports of attacks on joggers, children and household pets are not unusual. Especially fond of L.A. and Houston, coyotes have also been sighted in Austin. These jackal-like canines not only survive in a changing environment, they thrive.

What do most people know about coyotes? Well, they run really fast (top speed 40 mph) and howl a lot. They can easily leap an eight foot fence or wall. Some folks have described coyotes as “small wolves.” Wolves run pretty fast and howl a lot too! While the two animals share some traits, ancestors of the coyote are believed to have diverged from those of the gray wolf about 1-2 million years ago. The coyote represents a more primitive form of Canis than the gray wolf, as shown by its relatively small size and its comparatively narrow skull and jaws, which lack the grasping power necessary to hold the large prey wolves specialize in.

Coyote” is derived from an Aztec word meaning “barking dog.” Alternative Anglo names include:  Prairie Wolf, Brush Wolf, and American Jackal. When walking or running, coyotes carry their tails down; wolves trail out horizontally. A coyote’s ears are longer than a gray wolf—they are definitely not miniature wolves. Coyotes are more versatile howlers than wolves with a repertoire of at least eleven different vocalizations. Most forms of howling mean “I’m here and this is my turf. Other males keep your distance; only available females are welcome.  Please answer and let me know where you are so we don’t have any unnecessary conflicts.”  They also yelp, bark and huff, depending on what they are trying to communicate.

So if you see a coyote, what are you really looking at once you get beyond the myth and misperceptions? These are animals whose basic social structure is centered on a nuclear family (coyotes hang with one mate for life, unlike wolves). Once a female selects a mate, the other bachelors don’t bother the new couple. . .they peacefully move

on to look elsewhere.  Coyotes are dedicated parents too. The den is continuously dug and cleaned out by the female until the pups are born. Should the den be disturbed or infested with fleas, the pups are moved into another den. The Mrs. stays at the den and makes it all comfy with dried grass and fur pulled from her very own belly. Mr. coyote, meanwhile, feeds, grooms and protects the kids. Even female coyotes who haven’t been successful in finding the right guy sometimes assist their sisters or mother in taking care of the family until things turn around for them.  Mother Theresa would have trouble finding fault with this morality!

If you are a coyote pup, you soon realize there isn’t much time for childhood games. It’s all business. After all, they hunt you from helicopters in Texas! You need to make your mark early, show a lot of hustle and get on top of your game quickly.  Eyes open at 10 days, eating solid food at 12-15, walking at 20, and running at 6 weeks. Unlike wolf pups, coyote pups learn to fight first, play later. By 3 weeks of age, coyote pups bite each other with less inhibition than wolf pups. By the age of 4–5 weeks, pups have already established dominance hierarchies. Once everyone knows the pecking order, they are more likely to play rather than fight. After the den is abandoned, the pups follow their parents in patrolling their territory and hunting. Pups may leave their families soon after, though can remain for much longer. The pups attain adult dimensions at eight months and gain adult weight a month later. It’s a tough world out there and you better be ready for it—fast!

Survival of the fittest still prevails. At the time of European colonization, coyotes were mostly found in open plains and in the western reaches of our country. Today they cover the U.S. and northward, Mexico into Central America, and may one day reach South America—they have already passed into Panama.  The official count is 19

subspecies of coyote, and Texas is home to 4 of them.  In our area most are Texas Plains Coyotes, but we also have the Lower Rio Grande Coyote (South Texas), the Southeastern Coyote (East Texas), and the Plains Coyote (Panhandle).  Next to man, wolves and mountain lions are their primary nemeses. Texas was once wolf country and the wolf is very much a part of the Texas heritage. But today no wild wolves run free in the state and damned few mountain lions. We shot them all. In the natural scheme of things—for mankind—that’s a personal foul; fifteen yard penalty and replay third down!

How can you tell a coyote from a common (real) dog? Well, for one, they are smaller, and probably smarter. Their eyes are deep green, like sea-worn bottle glass. Weighing in from between 15-44 pounds, depending on gender, coyote tracks are more elongated, less rounded, than those of domesticated dogs. As more efficient runners, they have a long stride and hind prints tend to track closely with front ones. Fur comes in several color variations and is extra heavy duty with a short soft underfur, covered by longer coarse guard fur. Size varies with geography (ours tend to be smaller). In Texas the coloration is gray and red interspersed around the body with black and white, usually with reddish ears, legs and flanks. If you do spot one, you won’t generally see it for long. Just like we instinctively recoil at the sight of a large snake, they do the same in the presence of humans.

Coyotes travel over their range and hunt both day and night, running swiftly and catching prey easily. Sight appears to be the most important sense for coyotes when hunting. If large prey is the target, coyotes work in small groups or pairs—lots of street smarts. While wolves tend to attack from behind, coyotes often go for the throat.

Coyotes have been known to store excess food by burying it and going back later for seconds.  They eat almost anything: rabbits, squirrels, field mice, birds, fish, snakes, lizards and amphibians (except toads).  They also eat vegetables: watermelon, cantaloupes, peanuts, carrots.  They eat grass (green wheat blades), cultivated grains (like corn) and all sorts of fruits and berries.  In urban environments, they like cats and small dogs, pet food and human trash (Big Macs with double cheese are a real treat).

Even though we humans are his primary foe, know that there is something out there which will not be snuffed out just because we lay more blacktop. On your next encounter with a coyote, stop and admire a truly successful species: he is never on welfare or homeless, he knows nothing of competition for competition’s sake—he’s all instinct. Peer into his soul as he vanishes like mist and rumor into the shadows.