Urban Coyote
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
General Coyote Information
We are found in rural, urban and suburban areas. We are classified as Illinois’ largest carnivore but remember our diet changes as the seasons change and we eat a great amount of berries and fruit when in season (see our ecological role, below). Generally, we live in a pack which is like a family but often do most things alone. I am about the size of a medium-sized dog which is interesting because we share the same taxonomical family and ancestry. Dogs really went the easy route letting people take care of them. Not us the coyotes, we work very hard to avoid human contact and provide for ourselves. You can also identify us from a characteristic black tip of the tail. We generally are pretty slender (around 20 pounds for a female) but can get as large as 50 pounds for an adult male. Some people say we look scrawny but our slender bodies are a perfect fit for the dens we build.
Click on the link below to watch this fantastic news clip (Well done Ron Magers - ABC News Anchor). You will see some of my friends and an interview with Stan Gehrt – who spends his life chasing us. Stan has not yet gotten a radio collar around me yet but he is doing a great job. There so much to learn about us.
Special Segment: Urban Coyotes
Special Segment: Urban Coyotes
If you want more general information about me check out the Ohio Department of Natural Resources site (link below):
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/species_a_to_z/SpeciesGuideIndex/coyote/tabid/6598/Default.aspxWhy You Want Me Here? Ecological Role
So why share your Chi Town home with us? I’m so glad you asked. Well for starters our diet is centered on keeping pest species down which directly benefits you. My favorite meals are rodents! Yes, yummy mice, voles and rats make up nearly 42% of Cook County dwelling coyote diets. Often deer which you regard as “cute” are responsible for stripping your bushes and causing terrible car accidents. Their populations need to be kept in check and we help do that. Almost a quarter of our diet is deer, which is almost equal to fruit. Other snacks include eastern cottontail rabbits, birds, raccoons and more. Even in urban areas we avoid eating human garbage. Less than 2% of our diet consists of human associated food (Urban Coyote Project, n.d.). Please avoid leaving pet food out, since I could find it quite tempting and then might get very upset if I come across your pet. Be smart so I don’t have to be tempted by something I would not encounter in the wild.
My favority snacks |
Acting Like An Animal: Coyote Behavior
Radio Collared Coyote |
Coyote with mange |
Should I stay or should I go now? Concerns & Fear
I have heard it muttered that we are “dog killers.” Please realize most of us coyotes desperately want to avoid you and that means leaving your dogs alone. Really, there are plenty of us around to kill many more dogs but only a few coyotes are giving all of us a bad reputation. Remember, both your dog and I are territorial. When dogs are barking at us they are often saying, “this is our land” or “stay away.” Some coyotes feel they have to establish dominance and kill the competition. We have no interest in eating your dogs.
- Do not to leave small dogs, cats or children alone in the yard. Although no children have been attacked by a coyote in the Chicagoland area it is not a responsible practice.
- Walk dogs on leashes as directed by most cities ordinances.
- Do not leave pet food or other food scraps out which can serve as attractants for coyotes (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, n.d.).
- If you are walking a small dog and you see me immediately pick up the dog and practice hazing. Hazing is a technique of making eye contact, shouting, clapping hands, stopping feet and if necessary even throwing rocks near but not hitting me! (Fumo-Fox, 2013). We generally respond to sounds and will flee.
- Although we can carry diseases, currently none pose a serious risk to humans (Urban Coyote, n.d.).
- If I seem unwell or am behaving in an unnatural way contact local officials. Do not attempt to approach me.
What's Up Doc? Can We Coexist?
Imagine you saw me late last night. What was your reaction? Were you happy, nervous, scared? Let me know....
Ask A Coyote - Questions & Answers
Please post questions, comments, thoughts and opinions about how you feel about sharing your neighborhood with us. I hope you have learned a bit and see if that changes your view point. I'm listening and would love to answer.What's New: Current Coyote News
Here are links to current news articles. Enjoy! I will also add more by either editing this post or creating a new section.
This coyote made a lot of news for running into a convenience store on a very hot day in downtown Chicago.
This entertains other possibilities although I am not keen to be sharing my neighborhood with any other larger predators.
The Atlantic, “You’ve Heard of Urban Coyotes. Urban Bears Could Be Next” By Emily Badger Oct. 12, 2012
Science Daily “Urban Coyotes Could Be Setting the Stage for Larger Carnivores Wolves, Bears and Mountain Lions To Move Into Cities” Oct. 5, 2012 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121005100909.htm
Chicago Tribune “Coyotes joining urban worries: How to cope with critters becoming a topic of concern” By Joan Cary January 09, 2013 http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-01-09/news/ct-met-coyote-seminar-0110-20130110_1_coyote-issue-three-coyotes-chris-anchor
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