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- less dominant coyote #2 sitting close to a path
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- dominating coyote #1 to our right approaches coyote #2
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- dominating coyote #1 sits as less dominant coyote #2 moves off
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- less dominant coyote #2 moving off
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- less dominant coyote #2 sniffs a spot, then urinates on it & moves on
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- dominating coyote #1 comes to the same spot to mark it
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- after marking, dominating coyote #1 looks in direction of coyote #2
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- dominating coyote #1 approaches & attempts to mount coyote #2
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- less dominant coyote #2 snaps at coyote #1 who has come over to him
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- dominating coyote #1 retreats back
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- less dominant coyote #2 moves off as dominating coyote #1 stands with hackles raised
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- less dominant coyote #2 sits and looks away while dominating coyote #1 seems to accept the rebuff
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- dominating coyote #1 turns around and marks a spot
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- after marking, dominating coyote #1 moves away
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- less dominant coyote #2 decides to move on
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- dominating coyote #2 again follows, seemingly to take over
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- less dominant coyote #2 moves off again and sits down
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- dominating coyote #1 again walks towards less dominant coyote #2 who keeps his gaze diverted from the first one
Although these 18-month old male coyotes continue to spend time together, I’ve been noting a growing dissonance between them, and growing separation. The angry snapping in self-defence by the less dominant coyote #2, has become more routine. The dominant coyote #1 persists in attempting to dominate, while the less dominant #2 tends to move off or look away to avoid the first one. At this point I would not call coyote #2 submissive, after all, he snaps in self-defence. However, coyote #1 is definitely dominating in his behavior. Coyote #2 deals with the hounding by moving away and averting his gaze. His patience is wearing thin: “If you want to boss me around, go fly a kite.” I’ve labeled what went on today in the sequence of photos above.
