WILD SPACES
With the success of many re-wilding projects taking place across Europe, talk has turned to the notion of reintroducing our own former top predator, the Grey Wolf. In this article Martina Caplice gives us a unique insight into another predatory canid, the American Coyote.
24
Adult coyote strolling on the same path a mother and five pups were
also spotted, perhaps belonging to the same pack, credit Martina Caplice
A Dog’s Life T
he prairie song dog Canis latrans, the coyote, can be heard singing to the endless sky anytime from dusk until dawn throughout North America. The coyote belongs to the family Canidae, the dog family, along with 36 other species such as the domestic dog, wolf, fox, jackal, dingo and dhole. Coyotes have 11 different vocal noises they use to communicate, as well as many different olfactory (odour) and visual signals (such as facial expressions, tail position, postures and gaits). The scientific name Canis latrans translates to mean “barking or roaring dog”, and they are known to be the most vocal of the North American mammals. Along with many predators, these wild singers have been persecuted throughout the years. In order to make brutal methods of controlling them acceptable, propaganda instilling hatred and fear about these little song dogs was widely spread. Coyotes mainly feed on small rodents, but are opportunistic scavengers with a diet that varies greatly from plants and animals to the odd discarded boot. They have been seen to eat fish and will climb obstacles to obtain food. It is no wonder, then, that just like our native red fox, the coyote
Irish Wildlife Autumn ‘19
030_IWT Autumn 2019_IWT Wild Spaces.indd 24
31/10/2019 11:03
