I’ll Mark Here, Too!
29 Jun 2010 Leave a Comment
in communication, coyote behavior
Here are two coyotes wandering around. They both sniffed the tail end of this truck — really!! And then one urinated there. The other was right there watching. “Since you marked here, I’ll mark here, too!” You can see that the first coyote is a female and the second is a male from the way they urinate.
Keep Away From Me/Trapped On A Path
28 Jun 2010 Leave a Comment
in coyote behavior, coyote reactions to dogs, dog reactions to coyotes
This is a display used by coyotes to keep dogs away. I’ve only seen it used by dominant female coyotes. The display is performed when a dog has chased the coyote or come too close, possibly by accident. HOWEVER, in this particular case, it is the coyote who approached the unleashed dog which was sauntering down a trail. One of the coyote’s full-grown pups was following the dog, also sauntering along good-naturedly!! The coyote’s display is a message: it serves as a warning, most likely it includes a territorial warning, and it is a reminder to the dog not to intrude. Dogs which the coyote has become visually familiar with over time are the only ones I have ever seen approached in this manner by a coyote. In this case, the dog did not respond to the coyote but just walked on, so the coyote moved in a different direction. If you are going to walk in a coyote area with your dog, it is a good idea to carry a “shake-can” – a six ounce aluminum juice can filled with 10-15 pennies with packaging tape over the opening. Shake it aggressively and vigorously.
A few days ago I was following a coyote on a path to see what might be in store for the day. There were two minor encounters with dogs. In the first, a woman and her small Vizlu appeared over the crest of a hill as the coyote was walking in their direction. Neither knew of the other and both were surprised. The dog, off-leash, ran after the coyote in a playful manner. The coyote could not turn around and run off because I was on the path in back of it. So the coyote ran up a grassy hill where the small dog followed it. The coyote immediately went into its “Halloween Cat Posture” as a warning for the dog to keep off. The woman yelled for her dog, but before the dog obeyed, the coyote had come up to the dog and attempted to nip its leg. We found no bite marks. If a coyote feels threatened, this is a possibility that everyone should be aware of. A dominant female will react this way, whereas betas in a coyote group would probably just flee.
The same thing happened again — a walker blindly coming upon a coyote on a path. This time the walker could not see the coyote because of tall grass growth and curves in the path. Again, I was following behind the coyote when the coyote came to a dead stop — so I knew someone was coming down the path in its direction. I tried turning back and then getting off the path, but the walker’s dog already had whiff of the coyote and went after it — not viciously, but it went after it. The coyote put on its warning display. This time the woman was able to grab her dog quickly. She turned around and went the other way. As she went the coyote began following her. I yelled out that the coyote was in back of her. She picked up a couple of stones which caused the coyote to flee off the path.
More Family Dynamics & Communication
28 Jun 2010 Leave a Comment
in communication, coyote behavior, family interactions, feelings & emotions, group activity Tags: coyote greetings
Here are some photos of another “greeting”: there is always a lot of affection. But also I’m noticing little irritations with each other, as can be seen by their expressions: eyes, ears, snouts, even noses and posture. I can’t read everything that is going on, but a lot is happening. Try looking at the facial expressions and body language. I see constant interaction and communication about feelings, desires, expectations, relationships. For instance, in slide #9 coyote on the left draws his lips up as his sibling approaches; #10 this same coyote gets BETWEEN that sibling and his mother, #11 mother stiffens in reaction.
Actively Hunting
28 Jun 2010 Leave a Comment
in coyote behavior, group activity, hunting, rest and sleep
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
SLIDESHOW HAS 24 SLIDES
Here is hunting sequence. It began with two coyotes hunting right in the same spot, but one went off. The hunting session lasted about twenty minutes. Note that when the lone coyote stood still, which was not often, its tail swished slowly back and forth, back and forth, revealing the coyote’s excitement and tension. There was one pounce, but nothing was caught. In the end, the coyote curled up, right there in the open, right at the hunting spot, but at a considerable distance from any path, and fell asleep! Hunting might last awhile, as it did here, or, it could be totally effortless, lasting a mere split-second — as if the coyote had gone to the refrigerator and pulled out a coke!
In this instance, the coyote seemed to look directly at whatever he was after. But another technique the coyotes use is “triangulating”, where they will cock their heads from side to side for auditory signals which will tell them exactly where the prey is.
Snakes Are Not For Eating
27 Jun 2010 Leave a Comment
in coyote behavior, hunting, perfume bath, playing Tags: coyotes and snakes
I have seen coyotes pick up dead snakes before, snakes that had already been killed either by them or some other animal, but today I actually watched as a coyote caught a live snake. The coyote was quick and exact in its hunting techniques: it only took one plunge before the coyote had the snake. I watched intently, thinking that this was a “fresh” snake, and might be eaten, but that was not to be. I don’t think that coyotes eat snakes if they don’t have to.
The coyote put down the snake, rolled on it, and played with it, tossing it high in the air. The episode took a little over a minute. I learned that an animal does not have to have decomposed for a coyote to want to roll on it — maybe snakes are strong smelling to begin with. When the coyote was through with these activities, it moved on to making its rounds. Interestingly, the coyote returned to this snake about 40 minutes later, searching for it and picking it up just for a second before dropping it and continuing on the path. Ten minutes later I came back to find the snake was gone: it had probably been picked up by either a red-tail hawk or a raven which are seen constantly flying above.
A Bit of Sibling Rivalry For Mom?
25 Jun 2010 Leave a Comment
in communication, coyote behavior, family interactions, feelings & emotions Tags: coyote sibling rivalry
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- A pup has Mom to himself as the other approaches
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- First pup (R) narrows eyes, looks away
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- Eyes narrow more & ears go back
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- Mom (C) stiffens as 1st pup (R) eyes the other with narrow eyes & paw on Mom
This posting actually goes along with the last one, the one about affection and love, but I wanted to separate these photos out because of something new I saw. At first glance the “greeting” appeared to be a pile-up of mutual affection between a mother and her two yearling pups. On closer examination, I could see that it actually consisted of puppy-love for their mother. Of course, Mom is the one that came looking for the pups, knowing full well that her presence would elicit their affection, and she accepted their affection. She seemed to be very even handed with them.
After even further examination, I could see that there were instances of rivalry between the two pups for contact with Mom. In this sequence of photos I saw one of the pups narrow his eyes a number of times at the other yearling when he came close. Hmm. I wonder how this will develop over time!!
Pounds of Love and Affection
25 Jun 2010 Leave a Comment
in affection, care for the young, communication, coyote behavior, family interactions, feelings & emotions, greetings, group activity Tags: coyote greetings
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THERE ARE 39 SLIDES IN THIS SEQUENCE
I was watching two yearling coyotes when their mother appeared trotting down the path in their direction. The yearlings had been casually hunting but were now sitting on a bare spot. I wondered if they were waiting for their mother? They saw the mother first. They waited just a moment before running at her, delightedly and joyfully. They couldn’t seem to get enough of her. I have now seen this “greeting” lots of times. It is an indication of the extremely strong family ties which include lots of love, care and concern for each other.
The young coyote body movements alone communicated lots of happiness and affection: leaping, piling up, jumping right over a sibling. In addition, there were the facial expressions and movements: kisses, mouths agape, ears back, head rubs, pint-size nips, smiles, squinting, reaching for the tip of the snout with a snout, a snout around the mothers, paw on mother’s back. Note that these actions are carried out by the young coyotes towards their mother.
The mother made her way, with all this activity, up to a safer place off the trail. She was the recipient of all the affection. Her expressions were different from theirs. I did not see her outright kiss either one of them. Her reactions included licking her lips, tip of the tongue out, tongue extended further out, squinting, ears back, and . . . . ducking the onslaught!!
This greeting lasted just under three minutes. Beforehand the two younger coyotes had been hunting together. Now the three of them went off together, led by the mother. I have seen where she “gathers” them together to lead them off. And I have seen them engage in a play session after such a gathering. Very often, as far as I have seen, this morning meeting will signal a time for them to “go in” for the day.
More Toying With Prey
24 Jun 2010 Leave a Comment
in coyote behavior, hunting Tags: coyote toying with prey
I saw a coyote toying with prey today — the same way a cat does sometimes. This is the second time I’ve seen this. I think the coyote was kind of bored as it wandered. The coyote appeared to be meandering about without being too hungry, but then happened upon an easy catch. The coyote shot up and pounced down effortlessly. The occasion presented itself for some playtime or entertainment, so the coyote used the opportunity for simple amusement before gobbling down the food, seemingly as an afterthought. Please note that the coyote was careful not to crush the prey, lifting it only by the skin at the nape of the neck at first — this was probably so as not to disable the rodent totally. This actually showed me how careful a coyote could be if it wanted to. Mothers, of course, carry their pups this way. I could not see the vole until it was tossed up in the air several times, by which time it WAS disabled. The entire episode from catch to down-the-hatch took about two minutes.
Animals like to play as much as we humans do. I’ve seen videos of crows and dogs “sledding” down a slippery slope, simply for the fun of it. I have postings of a coyote playing with a ball and playing chase with a sibling. Might “toying with prey” be something akin to us humans with a wind-up-toy?
Pups’ Growing Dominance or Just Affection Allowed by Mom?
24 Jun 2010 Leave a Comment
in care for the young, communication, coyote behavior, dominant vs. submissive, family interactions, feelings & emotions Tags: coyote affection or growing dominance
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- yearling’s paw and muzzle over his mother’s muzzle
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- paw on top of the mother
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- mounting the mother
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- mother’s ears low, airplane fashion
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- mother’s ears back in anger with teeth bared
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- asking for forgiveness by licking UNDER her muzzle
I’ve noticed in the last few months that the dominant female in a group of coyotes I watch, although still very protective when it comes to defending her family, appears to not be as assertive or in-your-face about it as she once was. I see her less often these days than I used to, and when I do see her, I feel that there is less dominance in her as compared to several months ago. For instance, she will often get up and leave her perch instead of continue to monitor when certain dog groups walk by. Even so, the year-old pups still look up to her for guidance, and they always greet her ecstatically when they meet her on a path after, probably, only a few hours of separation.
I’ve noted that within her own family her dominance seems to be rather casual, and wonder if this is normal within a family. Or, could it be a phase? There were no new puppies this year, which could simply be a coyote’s method of controlling the population, or, it could mean that this coyote is getting weaker older. Within her own family, I’ve noticed that care, concern, love and affection are supreme: these are really uplifting to see, and I see them all the time. It may be that the several instances I’ve seen of the mother’s apparent casual dominance, or tolerance, in certain situations has nothing to do, in fact, with dominance, and has everything to do with family ties and affection.
Both younger coyotes have put a paw up on top of their mother’s muzzle, and their muzzle over hers. As far as I have seen, it is the dominant one whose paw and muzzle is always on top. My own dog made this very clear to me once. We went to a pet store where Park lay on the ground, Sphynx-like with forelegs extended. The owner, whom my dog had never seen before, came up and put her hands on top of my dog’s paws. He reacted ferociously, withdrawing his paws from under her hands and moving away — it scared us all. My dog was always very obedient and did what I asked of him quickly. However, even when I put my own hand on his paw, he would smile at me and then slowly lift his to be over mine!!
The other thing I’ve seen is one of the male pups mounting his mother. Both of these instances — the paw on the muzzle and the mounting — look much more like expressions of extreme affection than expressions of dominance by the pups, so I’m wondering how and if the dominance factor fits in here.
The latest item of relevance to this is when I saw the mother’s ears airplaned out to the side and down when in the presence of her pups. In my own dog, this always indicated that the dog was succumbing, maybe under duress, to whatever was going on: a kind of resignation to the circumstances which included a knowledge of what was going to eventually happen. As an example: We had a little female cattle-dog mix. She, of course, was the center of attention always. Then, one day we were walking in Golden Gate Park when a filthy, bouncy little four-month-old puppy began tailgating her. This was “one of the many events” that occur on walks and was exciting only to that extent for my little dog. We scanned the place for an owner — there was none to be found. We decided that we should take the puppy to the SPCA. So we put our dog into the car, and then the puppy. The minute our dog saw that this puppy was coming home with us, she decided that she would flee — she did not want to put up with this dirty and mannerless homeless fellow. There was no aggression or growling on her part, rather, she simply tried escaping the situation by attempting to jump out the car window — fortunately she didn’t make it. Her ears went way down and out. We ended up keeping the puppy, which Cinder was never happy about, because, as I later figured out, she knew, right from the start, that this puppy would become the dominant one and that her unique status was going to be compromised.
I wonder if the coyote mother might have a similar inkling? She, however, is not going to flee because these are her own offspring and this is her territory. Could the ears down indicate her own forbearance for now? Maybe there will come a time when she will snap, when she will lay down the law, when she will ban them from her presence. The time for this is not now. These are just thoughts that occurred to me based on my own limited observations on coyotes and my own dogs. I’m sure that these behaviors will fall into place as I see more.
