When a plant or animal can easily manage to survive and share the ever-changing world around humans, we frequently assign it one of two titles. “Invasive” (see above), or “Pest”. But what other words should we consider? “Successful”? “Thriving”, now that’s a word that doesn’t apply to many species worldwide in this time of mass extinction. Maybe “Adaptable” or “Resilient”, just as many of us have learned to be over the past few years. 

The eastern coyote has been called all of these things. While they are indigenous to North America, their ancestors only moved into the northeast when colonists eradicated their biggest competition, wolves. With miles of forests, fields, and farmlands freshly available with no bigger predators to push them out, coyotes became very successful in the northeast. The subspecies that lives around us has genes from wolves and dogs too, but now for the most part they stick to groups of their own species. When big families get together they can get chatty (like a lot of human family gatherings, I’d say), and their yelping and howling can make an evening feel like it has just a bit more wildness than before. 

The eastern coyote is one of those animals that everyone is certain to be an expert in, even if maybe their facts are a bit exaggerated. That doesn’t mean there aren’t neat things to learn about this relatively common species!

Did you know that in addition to eating meat, coyotes spend their summers munching on insects, plants, and berries?

Did you know that the eastern coyote, while larger than the western subspecies, are still typically only 20 to 45 pounds? That’s about the size of a border collie or a cattle dog!

Did you know that in addition to farms and fields, coyotes have been known to live in the Bronx and Queens?

Did you know that coyotes help keep the ecosystem tidy and free of disease by eating roadkill and other carcasses?

Did you know that coyotes are monogamous and mate for life?

While they get blamed for all sorts of scary phenomenon and many people are nervous of all of our local predators, it’s important to remember that they are just doing what works well for them to survive. After all, we moved (and continue to move) into their spaces. But, coexisting with coyotes is possible!

https://wallkillvalleylt.org/2022/01/species-spotlight-coyote-and-mugwort/