Ritual greetings are used in coyote packs to confirm the social order. Here a young coyote approaches the Alpha, who is his mother, to greet her with kisses and muzzle rubs. Note that his ears are always back. She seems to only accept it and to put up with it — she does not return the behavior in any way. In fact, the young one did not approach with his usual wiggly joyfulness — maybe because that had already happened an hour earlier?
Coyote Yipps
Information and stories about San Francisco coyotes: behavior & personality, coexistence & outreach, by Janet Kessler: Unveiling first-hand just how savvy, social, sentient and singular coyotes really are!
- Home
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- My YouTube VIDEOS
- SF Families to 7/22
- Take A Short Coyote Survey
- Territories & Population in SF
- UrbanCoyoteSquared: GALLERIES
- *FIRST: A Guidelines and Safety Box
- Introducing My Coyote Yipps Blog
- San Francisco as Habitat and Place
- Contents By Topic
- Resources
About My Site and Me: This website reflects my 16 years of intense, careful, and dedicated field-work — empirical observations — all photo-documented without interfering or changing coyotes’ behaviors. Be welcome here, enjoy, and learn!
Coyotes reappeared in San Francisco in 2002 after many years of absence, and people are still in the dark about them. This site is to help bring light to their behavior and offer simple guidelines for easy coexistence.
My information comes from my own first-hand observations of our very own coyotes here in San Francisco. They have not been studied or observed so thoroughly by anyone else. Mine is not generic information, nor second-hand.
Note that none of the coyotes I document and photograph is “anonymous” to me: I know (or knew) each one of them, and can tell you about their personalities, histories, and their family situations. There have been over 100 of them, distributed among over twenty families, all in San Francisco. Images and true stories have the power to raise awareness and change perspective.
Contact: Janet@coyoteyipps.com
© All information and photos in my postings come from my own original and first-hand documentation work which I am happy to share, with permission and with properly displayed credit: ©janetkessler/coyoteyipps.com.
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Coyote Behavior Photo Display at Randall Museum ran from February 2019 to Fall of 2021
Zoom Talk: Coyotes in San Francisco: Population, Family Life, Stewardship
(A crash course in SF coyotes!)
October 18th Presentation at PHS/SPCA: Inside the Lives of Urban Coyotes
(Another crash course in coyotes generally!)
Instagram: Coyoteyipps
This is the ten-year-old female calling for her mate before the evening rendezvous yesterday. She called for him repeatedly, but he never answered. Know that this is just a few minutes of a much longer *calling* that went on and on, and the sequence was repeated three times during an hour-long period. You might be able to hear a yearling’s quick response at 2:11, but that was obviously not who she was searching for.
I guess I spoke too soon — jumped the gun — regarding the posting of two days ago about the abandoned ten-year-old female. I had seen her male companion several times in the next territory over, romancing a young female, and then he didn't turn up at home for three weeks. I concluded he had left her and speculated it might have been due to an aging female's low hormones. But I was wrong, even though this could have happened. Only several days after that posting, the male turned-up back on his and her territory, as though he had never left. This photo shows HIM, HER, and one of their male yearlings back on their territory. The romanced female, as expected, is not around.
As might be expected, gophers sometimes fight back for their lives. In this case I could tell from the coyote's flinching back, that the gopher had actually bitten the coyote. The coyote then circled around his victim more carefully before picking it up by its tail (avoiding its teeth) and tossing it into the air, hoping to wear out both its resolve and its energy and hoping to avoid another bite to his face. Hunting technique is fascinating, but watching the hunt and battle is not easy, as nature is extremely brutal. Few wild animals reach their full potential lifespans -- they are taken down by another species, their own species, or the myriad of forces in nature that life must confront, be it disease, weather, environmental hazards, humans, etc. Life is usually short in the wild.
Ten. I've known her since birth. Her younger mate left her this year for a younger woman, so I don't think she'll have pups this year. Then again, maybe her reproductive years are over? It occurred to me that her hormones and reproductive odors might be waning, which is possibly why her mate left her? I know odors play a huge role in the lives of coyotes, which is why this possibility occurred to me. She’s also left without a co-defender for her territory. We’ll have to wait and see how this story unravels.
Pupping season is just around the corner! Remember that best practices involve staying away from them and walking away, especially if you have a dog. An ounce of prevention is worth much more than a pound of cure. This mom last year was very demonstrative about keeping dogs away from herself and her denning area. This is what they want, and it’s so easy to do. You are not being fair to either your dog or the coyote if you don't steer clear of them in a big way. In the Presidio, some trails have again been closed to dogs until fall to help you remember to keep away from them.
Coyotes are known as scavengers, meaning they can feed on carrion, dead plant material and refuse. And they are opportunists, meaning they are good at taking advantage of opportunities -- including food opportunities -- that present themselves.
Right in the middle of an intersection seemed like an appropriate place for an ear scratch -- why not? It was rainy and early (the photo has been lightened considerably to compensate for the minimum dawn lighting). Few people were out, and fewer cars. It was such a mundane thing to glimpse, yet at the same time interesting because her need was obviously immediate -- I saw her shaking her head right before this. She was actually hurrying by with a definite purpose to her gait and a definite destination -- just like the rest of us hurrying off to work and our early commute, and then the need to scratch struck her. And then she hurried along her way.
This is the high tippy-toe hair-pin back stretch. It really gets all the kinks out. Try it!
If a coyote catches an owl, you can be sure that owl has been rat poisoned. Please talk to your neighbors about not using it. Copy and paste this link for more information: https://discoverwildcare.org/take-action-against-rat-poisons-rodenticides/
In one of the territories I observe, a territorial battle is going on right now. These fights can be quick and over within a few days, or they can go on for months, with both the female and the male fighting for their territory. I don't have images of this fight, so I’ve pulled one up from several years ago.
Her mate, who she had been paired up with only since last August, disappeared from the scene at about the time we entered the new year. Since then, she's been seen alone until very recently, when she turned up with the sole surviving male pup belonging to that mate (whose previous mate and mother to this pup disappeared). So she will not be producing a family this year, but at least she has company. It's interesting how some coyote families have been stable and on the same territory for generations, while others go through quick cycles of tragedy and change. This coyote belongs to the latter group.
More "getting to know you".
Be A Coyote Ambassador!
INTRODUCTION PAGES
- Introducing My Coyote Yipps Blog
- Contents By Topic
- Resources
- Take A Short Coyote Survey
- San Francisco as Habitat and Place
- UrbanCoyoteSquared: GALLERIES
- Coyote Voicings: Howls, Yips, Barks, & More
- Bio
- *FIRST: A Guidelines and Safety Box
- My YouTube VIDEOS
- Territories & Population in SF
- SF Families to 7/22
Top Posts & Pages
Coyotes: What to Know and Do
Download & Print Flyers
- Como espantar a un coyote para que se vaya
- Conflictos con coyotes
- Coyote Advisory from our video
- Coyote Coexistence & Dogs
- Coyote Facts & Fiction
- Coyotes Playing With Dogs
- FACTS MATTER, #resist (STOP TRAPPING)
- Farms and Ranches: the Futility of Killing Coyotes as a Management Tool
- Guía Para Coexistir Con Coyotes Urbanos
- Guidelines For Coexistence
- How To Handle A Coyote Encounter: A Primer
- Killed By Rat Poison – Flyer
- Sign in CHINESE: 土狼警讯
- Sign in SPANISH: ALERTA COYOTE
- Sign: Coyote Advisory
- Simple Rules for Coexistence
- Trilingual Video Poster
- Truth About Coyote Conflicts
- 共存简要守则 – Guidelines in Chinese
Published Articles & Recap
- A View Transformed: from fear to understanding
- Bay Nature Connections Interview
- Bay Nature: Raising Kids In The City
- Beware of the Alpha, by Molly Hetherwick
- Ciudadanos Coyotes: Vamos a conocerlos: Una introducción
- Coyote Behavior & Peaceful Coexistence
- Coyote Town: Leave SF's Coyotes Alone, by Julia Wong
- Coyote Whisperer Warns of Coyote Encounters During Pupping Season
- Coyotes: Beyond The Howl
- EXHIBIT: Coyotes, Beyond the Howl
- Family First: Wily Coyote's Here to Stay, by Linnea Due
- How To Coexist With Wild Coyotes — From SF's Own 'Coyote Whisperer'
- How to get Along With Coyotes As Pups Venture Out, Bay Nature
- How To Handle A Coyote Encounter: A Primer
- Inside A Coyote Family
- Janet Kessler: The Urban Coyote Watcher, by Leath Tonino
- Keep Our Coyotes Safe & Wild
- Making Peace With Coyotes by Tripp Robbins
- On First-Name Basis With San Francisco Coyotes
- Pacifica: Neighbors in the Night
- Photographer's Raccoon Adventure in GGPark
- Recap: My Position Regarding Coyotes
- Reservoir Coyotes, by Tom Molanphy
- San Francisco Residents Coexisting With Coyotes, by Robin Hindery
- SF Coyotes PODCAST 2/2020
- SF's "Coyote Lady", SacBee
- Sharing Bernal Hill With Our Coyote: A User's Guide
- The Bernal Hill Coyote is a Female and Human "Kindness" Could Kill Her
- The Coyote Whisperer, by Shelby Carpenter
- The Need For Wildness, by Tara Lohan
- The Need for Wildness, by Tara Lohan
- The Woman Who Follows Urban Coyotes
- Urban Coyotes Have Lives (PDF version)
- Wildlife In Focus: Coyotes
- YIPS & HOWLS EXAMPLES
TRANSLATION
Web Advocacy and More
- Anticoagulant Intoxication Fact Sheet
- Aversion Conditioning by Lesley Sampson
- Beware of the Alpha (PDF), by Molly Heatherwick, 3/15/2023
- Beware of the Alpha, by Molly Hetherwick
- Caught On Camera: Presidio Coyotes
- Citizen Coyote: Let's Get To Know Them: An Introduction
- Ciudadanos Coyotes: Vamos a conocerlos: Una introducción
- Cook County, Illinois, Coyote Project
- Coyote Lives In Maine
- Coyote Photos by Charles Wood
- Coyote Settles the South by John Lane
- Coyote Tracker
- Coyote Watch Canada
- COYOTECOEXISTENCE FACEBOOK
- CoyoteCoexistence Facebook (alternative link)
- COYOTECOEXISTENCE.COM
- Coyotes As Neighbors: Video
- Coyotes, wolves, cougars. . forever
- Coyoteyipps INSTAGRAM
- Eastern Coyote/Coywolf Research
- FACTS MATTER, #resist (STOP TRAPPING)
- History of San Francisco's Native Plant Program, NAP
- How To Coexist With Wild Coyotes — From SF's Own 'Coyote Whisperer'
- International Consensus Principles for Ethical Wildlife Control
- Mapping Expansion of Coyotes Across the American Continent
- Melanie Furr: America vs. the Coyote
- Micromanagement of Nature Benefits Few Animals
- NapRap
- Rat Poisons Are Harmful
- Save Mount Sutro Forest
- Saving Trees In The Bay Area
- SF Coyotes PODCAST 2/2020
- SFForest.Net
- The Need For Wildness, by Tara Lohan
- The Woman Who Follows Urban Coyotes
- Urban Coyotes Have Lives
- URBANWILDNESS.COM
- Wild Dog Foundation
- WildCare: Live Well With Wildlife
- Wildlife Services: License to Kill
Published Articles & Recap
- A View Transformed: from fear to understanding
- Bay Nature Connections Interview
- Bay Nature: Raising Kids In The City
- Beware of the Alpha, by Molly Hetherwick
- Ciudadanos Coyotes: Vamos a conocerlos: Una introducción
- Coyote Behavior & Peaceful Coexistence
- Coyote Town: Leave SF's Coyotes Alone, by Julia Wong
- Coyote Whisperer Warns of Coyote Encounters During Pupping Season
- Coyotes: Beyond The Howl
- EXHIBIT: Coyotes, Beyond the Howl
- Family First: Wily Coyote's Here to Stay, by Linnea Due
- How To Coexist With Wild Coyotes — From SF's Own 'Coyote Whisperer'
- How to get Along With Coyotes As Pups Venture Out, Bay Nature
- How To Handle A Coyote Encounter: A Primer
- Inside A Coyote Family
- Janet Kessler: The Urban Coyote Watcher, by Leath Tonino
- Keep Our Coyotes Safe & Wild
- Making Peace With Coyotes by Tripp Robbins
- On First-Name Basis With San Francisco Coyotes
- Pacifica: Neighbors in the Night
- Photographer's Raccoon Adventure in GGPark
- Recap: My Position Regarding Coyotes
- Reservoir Coyotes, by Tom Molanphy
- San Francisco Residents Coexisting With Coyotes, by Robin Hindery
- SF Coyotes PODCAST 2/2020
- SF's "Coyote Lady", SacBee
- Sharing Bernal Hill With Our Coyote: A User's Guide
- The Bernal Hill Coyote is a Female and Human "Kindness" Could Kill Her
- The Coyote Whisperer, by Shelby Carpenter
- The Need For Wildness, by Tara Lohan
- The Need for Wildness, by Tara Lohan
- The Woman Who Follows Urban Coyotes
- Urban Coyotes Have Lives (PDF version)
- Wildlife In Focus: Coyotes
- YIPS & HOWLS EXAMPLES
Download & Print Flyers
- Como espantar a un coyote para que se vaya
- Conflictos con coyotes
- Coyote Advisory from our video
- Coyote Coexistence & Dogs
- Coyote Facts & Fiction
- Coyotes Playing With Dogs
- FACTS MATTER, #resist (STOP TRAPPING)
- Farms and Ranches: the Futility of Killing Coyotes as a Management Tool
- Guía Para Coexistir Con Coyotes Urbanos
- Guidelines For Coexistence
- How To Handle A Coyote Encounter: A Primer
- Killed By Rat Poison – Flyer
- Sign in CHINESE: 土狼警讯
- Sign in SPANISH: ALERTA COYOTE
- Sign: Coyote Advisory
- Simple Rules for Coexistence
- Trilingual Video Poster
- Truth About Coyote Conflicts
- 共存简要守则 – Guidelines in Chinese
Web Advocacy and More
- Anticoagulant Intoxication Fact Sheet
- Aversion Conditioning by Lesley Sampson
- Beware of the Alpha (PDF), by Molly Heatherwick, 3/15/2023
- Beware of the Alpha, by Molly Hetherwick
- Caught On Camera: Presidio Coyotes
- Citizen Coyote: Let's Get To Know Them: An Introduction
- Ciudadanos Coyotes: Vamos a conocerlos: Una introducción
- Cook County, Illinois, Coyote Project
- Coyote Lives In Maine
- Coyote Photos by Charles Wood
- Coyote Settles the South by John Lane
- Coyote Tracker
- Coyote Watch Canada
- COYOTECOEXISTENCE FACEBOOK
- CoyoteCoexistence Facebook (alternative link)
- COYOTECOEXISTENCE.COM
- Coyotes As Neighbors: Video
- Coyotes, wolves, cougars. . forever
- Coyoteyipps INSTAGRAM
- Eastern Coyote/Coywolf Research
- FACTS MATTER, #resist (STOP TRAPPING)
- History of San Francisco's Native Plant Program, NAP
- How To Coexist With Wild Coyotes — From SF's Own 'Coyote Whisperer'
- International Consensus Principles for Ethical Wildlife Control
- Mapping Expansion of Coyotes Across the American Continent
- Melanie Furr: America vs. the Coyote
- Micromanagement of Nature Benefits Few Animals
- NapRap
- Rat Poisons Are Harmful
- Save Mount Sutro Forest
- Saving Trees In The Bay Area
- SF Coyotes PODCAST 2/2020
- SFForest.Net
- The Need For Wildness, by Tara Lohan
- The Woman Who Follows Urban Coyotes
- Urban Coyotes Have Lives
- URBANWILDNESS.COM
- Wild Dog Foundation
- WildCare: Live Well With Wildlife
- Wildlife Services: License to Kill
TRANSLATION
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Coyote Yipps 
