As seen here, coyotes can really get into their grooming!
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
- Bio
- Coyote Voicings: Howls, Yips, Barks, & More
- My YouTube VIDEOS
- SF Families to 7/22
- Take A Short Coyote Survey
- Territories & Population in SF
- UrbanCoyoteSquared: GALLERY
- *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
That’s a turtle. I didn't see it being eaten, but I'm sure that's what this coyote did. And then the shell became his guarded treasure. As I watched, the coyote played with it, caressed it, rolled on it and finally carried it off, probably to hide in a secret spot that only he would know about! Swipe to see all four images.
Crossing a high-speed, cloverleaf-intersection during rush hour. There he was, walking past me, crossing a street to the island of grass bordering the freeway. The traffic noise was deafening, and the relentless whooshing-by of speeding cars on the many-laned road was absolutely overwhelming. You need to stand there a moment outside of your car to truly get a sense of it. I can’t imagine but that the coyote’s senses must have been stretched to the limit, as mine definitely were. His pace and gait showed that he knew exactly what he was doing and where he was going. Swipe through all six photos.
Relaxing. Here is that same hunting gal from my last posting. After she hunted and didn't capture anything, she wandered a few paces over to where she dug a little depression. Then she turned a few circles around and lay in it. She proceeded to groom herself, licking her underside, her tail and her paws, and then she just sat there and looked out between the tree branches that were hiding her. This is when this photo was taken.
Hunting in action: swipe through all ten burst- mode images. In spite of her exquisitely choreographed effort, the little rat (or maybe it was a gopher) got away. No reward this time for this recently widowed (she lost her mate recently) young female. I'm the one who got the reward: my takeaway was these photos. She took it in stride: she settled down to thoroughly groom herself right there by the fence, hidden from viewers by distance and the trees, except from exactly where I stood.
I don't remember being winked at by a coyote before! Made me think of Wynkin, Blynkin and Nod -- all wrapped up in one coyote youngster. [https://poets.org/poem/wynken-blynken-and-nod]. He and his family slept the daylight hours away, and then got-up-and-going at dusk. I spied them through the foliage. It was too dark for photos by the time they left. Swipe through the series.
More of the arboreal coyote, a yearling, not yet two years old. A scar on his right foot was pointed out in the last posting. Here you have a better view of his ankles with bumpy remains of plenty of trauma. As a pup, he had bulbous and swollen ankles with concomitant limping for an extended period of time -- I don't know what might have caused this. I see plenty of coyote leg and paw injuries here in San Francisco, and they've all seemed to heal. At the same time, however, I've seen the more severe leg injuries re-appear latently years down the line as renewed limps.
Here's an arboreal coyote! Actually, there are 19 subspecies of coyote, but "arboreal" is not one of them. This yearling explored the fallen tree while I sat back and watched. He was up there mostly for height, giving him a fuller and longer view of what was around. I'll post several of the pictures I took.
Our rains continue, with a few breaks in-between. This hunt was in the rain a couple of days ago. Coyotes remind us that, “life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning how to dance in the rain . . .” [VivianGreene]
Drenched. Our rains continue. There have been more downed trees and flooding, and more storms are on their way. Downpours with lightening, thunder and hail which we seldom see in San Francisco. California has asked for and is now getting Federal aid, including FEMA help, and seven states have sent over their emergency crews to help deal with the situation here. Our Governor Gavin Newsom has appropriately called it "whiplash weather": in a very few short weeks, we've gone from several years of bone-dry to saturated and inundated. All the water has created new gullies and fast-moving streams in addition to loosening shallow soil which is creating unstable conditions for some of our top-heavy trees, resulting in some toppling over.
More mischief. Prankster. Mischievous prankster! The brave little imp eyes her target before committing her trick/prank/crime -- she knows exactly what she's doing! Here, she jumps up and grabs the rope and slices it, scissor fashion, which is exactly what those back teeth are meant to do: "SNIP"! Then, she looks over at those of us watching her: "Ha, ha! Foiled you again!" Later in the day the snips will be repaired with knots. Although she'll probably never totally outgrow this behavior, it will diminish substantially when she becomes "involved" with another coyote: she'll move on when she finds a mate -- a lasting relationship -- within the next year or so. Until then, those of us who get to see her antics now and then will continue to appreciate the personality behind WHO this little coyote is!
Mischief. Coyotes are full of it. This is a yearling whose siblings have all left, so she's all alone and often in need of a little entertainment. Repeatedly taunting and sabotaging the gardener's work appears to fit the bill: Coyote undoes the gardener's work, and then the gardener redoes it. This is, of course, repetitive. One of her tactics is battling these poles by bumping and pushing them, gnawing at them and pulling them down, and then leaving them lying on the ground. The youngster coyote then watches as the gardener repairs the (minor) damage. The next day, the activity is repeated. BTW, the gardener loves the antics so the entertainment has a trickle down effect, even though it's a little extra work! :)
This photo was taken during the downpour three days ago -- against the distant background, you can see all the raindrops. More heavy rain is expected tomorrow and the next day, brought in by "brutal" "atmospheric rivers". So much rain on bone-dry soil here in the San Francisco Bay Area has brought flooding, landslides, mud flows, huge deep puddles, fallen trees, sinkholes, rushing streams, and raindrops on everyone's heads, as in this photo here.
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: GALLERY
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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 
Feb 20, 2015 @ 17:48:09
What a wonderful picture! I love seeing them through your eyes!
Feb 20, 2015 @ 17:50:33
Thank you, Cathy! Yes, they really are cool little critters and very interesting. So glad that you, too, appreciate them! Janet