Evolution: Sometimes called “coywolves”, eastern coyotes are a result of people. When Europeans came to North America, they hunted the wolves on the east coast to near extinction. When development progressed westwards, they encountered coyotes and tried to hunt them to extinction too. Coyotes behave very differently than wolves however, when hunted, a pack will split up and spread out over a larger area of land. As Europeans hunted coyotes in the west, they were instead pushing them to the east where they hybridized with what wolves remained, creating the eastern coyote. Now, all coyotes in eastern North America have some wolf DNA in different frequencies giving them a thicker coat and heavier build. In many urban environments, eastern coyotes have also been documented breeding with domestic dogs resulting in patterned coats and even golden and ginger coyotes.
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Urban Areas: Coyotes have adapted well to city life and can be found in a variety of parks, ravines and even backyards. They spend their time hunting for small rodents and avoiding people whenever possible. Although rare, coyote attacks have been known to occur, although are almost always human induced. Feeding coyotes is one of the major causes, coyotes that learn to associate humans with food are less likely to fear people and are more likely approach someone. Keeping dogs on a leash is also a good strategy to avoid coyote confrontation. While a domestic dog may think it’s “playing”, the coyote is often fearing for its life and may feel the need to defend itself or its young who may be hiding nearby. For coyotes that have grown used to people, one strategy that is often recommended is to “haze” it by making loud noises and scaring it away, re-teaching it that humans are best avoided.
Sources:
"Embracing the Urban Coyote." Coyote Watch Canada, 20 Oct. 2018, www.coyotewatchcanada.com/site/blog/2018/10/20/embracing-the-urban-coyote. Accessed 28 Feb. 2022. "Living with Wildlife - Coyotes." Ontario SPCA and Humane Society, 11 July 2018, ontariospca.ca/blog/living-with-wildlife-coyotes/. Accessed 28 Feb. 2022. Way, Jonathan G., and William S. Lynn. "Northeastern Coyote / Coywolf Taxonomy and Admixture: A Meta-Analysis." Wolf Conservation Centre, IUCN/SSC Canid Specialist Group, 2016, nywolf.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Northeastern-coyote-coywolf-taxonomy-and-admixture_A-meta-analysis.pdf. Accessed 28 Feb. 2022. |