Coyote

by Carmel de Bertaut

WCSV receives many different kinds of animals each year, including songbirds, birds of prey, squirrels and predatory mammals. On July 12, 2000, a coyote pup was brought to us by an animal control officer after what appeared to be a dog attack.

Coyotes (canis latrans) weigh 20-40 lbs, stand 23-26 inches tall, are 41-52 inches long, and have a reddish coat and a bushy tail with a black tip. They are prevalent throughout the bay area, staying mostly in the hills. The females give birth to their young in April or May after a 60-63 day gestation period. The litter size is around 6 pups, who will stay in the den for 10 weeks. The mother has them fully weaned at 8 weeks and will bring them rabbits, birds and rodents to eat, which she may have hunted, or as a carrion eater, may have found the carcass. Once they leave the den, she will teach them to hunt and how to find other food. During winter months they eat a lot more vegetation than in spring and summer.

Unlike other canines, coyotes are rarely found in packs (although pairs may mate for life), and although blamed for the deaths of a large number of livestock over the years, due to their size and solo hunting habits they would be unable to take down a large animal. As carrion eaters, however, they can be seen in groups feeding on a carcass, which may be why the kill is blamed on them.

Over the last few years, these animals have been seen closer to homes than in the past. As humans move further into what remains of their territories, they will continue to lose den sites, food supplies and fear of humans.