There are certain places that appear to be habitually marked. I’ve seen coyotes return to these same spots over and over again. They smell for messages, and then leave their own message there! We humans of course have little understanding of what these messages are about, but we can make studied guesses. It seems pretty certain that a coyote can tell more than just WHO has been there. Even if the “messenger” happens to be unknown, the markings convey various states or modes that a known or unknown coyote might be in: a defensive state, an aggressive state, a fearful state or maybe even a contented “all is well” state. Age, sex and health may also be revealed.
This information can be conveyed because pheromones and other biochemicals which have flooded the body during these states are also excreted and become “messages” or “tell-tale evidence” when a knowing nose sniffs the “marked” area. We need to give animals much more credit for what they know and what they can find out.
