Ep. 18 -- Wile E. Coyote: Dog, Demon, or Super Genius?

Are coyotes dogs? Are they deadly menaces? Or are they mostly harmless, fascinating, and surprisingly reassuring signs of resilience--kind of like the character of Wile E. Coyote himself?

Sit down and face coyote's music with today's guest, Sam Wilber, Naturalist. “So much of ecology and biology is such a bummer in this day and age," says Wilber. "There are so many things that are on the endangered list . . . it’s important to remember the species who are doing awesome. . . . Coyotes are winning against us, and I love that.” Stop fearing and start marveling about the brilliant resilience of this little (and we do mean LITTLE) meso- (not "apex-") predator who is, for all intents and purposes, just another super-smart pup. 

Sam Wilber is a naturalist, zoologist, photographer, and artist based in Tucson, Arizona. She works for Reid Park Zoo and volunteers for the Arizona Master Naturalists and Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection. She also runs her own art business at Sam Wilder Art LLC. Sam has experiences ranging from zoo-keeping to wildlife fieldwork to environmental education and endless stories about her favorite wild animals and wild places.

Want to follow up on our sources or watch any of the videos we mention? Go to ThisAnimalLife.com and click on Show Notes or see below.

 

SHOW NOTES

Sam’s Resources

Population/General Info:

Nat Geo

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/coyotes-expansion-north-america-wildlife-nation

HSUS

https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/why-killing-coyotes-doesnt-work

Arizona Sonora Desert Museum

https://www.desertmuseum.org/kids/oz/long-fact-sheets/coyote.php

LiveScience

https://www.livescience.com/27976-coyotes.html

Farm and Dairy:

https://www.farmanddairy.com/columns/coyotes-are-here-to-stay-and-thats-ok/615795.html

Feral/Outdoor Cats:

HSUS - problematic stance on protecting cats from coyotes

https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/coyotes-pets-and-community-cats

Ecological impacts of cats

https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/pan3.10073

Wildlife Society Fact Sheet on outdoor cats

https://wildlife.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Feral-Cats.pdf

Science News: Feral cats avoid coyotes and are therefore less ecologically harmful

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131113143600.htm

Tohono O'odham:

Creation story:

https://www.sil.org/system/files/reapdata/10/04/67/100467102868469620681332441170203032624/ood_LegendsLore.pdf

Coyote tales

https://www.indigenouspeople.net/coyotal.htm

Map of ancestral homelands to reference indigenous peoples of your area

https://native-land.ca/

Coyotes and Badgers:

My favorite video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bICTWNRrGE

New video just shared recently:

https://news.yahoo.com/badger-coyote-seen-strolling-together-151138501.html

Article on the mutualism:

https://mymodernmet.com/badger-coyote-mutualism/

Rabies:

https://atlantacoyoteproject.org/2016/07/coyotes-and-rabies/

 

Lisa’s Resources

Attacks by Coyotes on Humans, Wikipedia. Only two attacks are known to have been fatal ever, whereas domestic dogs kill 30 - 50 people per year in the US alone. 

“Caught on Camera: Cat Fights Off 3 Coyotes,” CBS Los Angeles, January 11, 2020.

Colangelo, Lisa L., “Coyotes deserve a warmer welcome from New Yorkers, says wildlife biologist,” New York Daily News, April 2015.

“Coyotes Are the New Top Dogs,” Scientific American

Coyote Attacks Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyote_attack 

Flores, Dan, Coyote America: A Natural and Supernatural History, Basic Books, June 2016.

Gehrt, Stanley D. “Urban Coyote Research Project,” 

Gehrt, Stanley, D. et al. “Is the Coyote a Misanthropic Synanthrope?” Cities and the Environment, Vol. 4 Issue 1, July 2011.

“How to Haze a Coyote,” YouTube

Humane Society, “Coyotes and people: what to know if you encounter a coyote,” HumaneSociety.org 2021.

iNaturalist interactive website https://www.inaturalist.org/ 

Interactive Map of Coyote Sightings in Florida

Lovejoy’s Islands, Wikipedia redirects to Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project.

Martin, Douglas, “Central Park Coyote Will Live in Queens,” New York Times, April 1999.

“NYC Coyote Existential: Where do they come from and where are they going?” Out Walking the Dog blog.

“Otis (Full Song),” by Moose & Elephant, YouTube, April 2021.

Perkins, Chris, “Coyote population booms in Florida,” Channel 4 News, June 20, 2021. 

Pollan, Michael, “Why Mow? The Case Against Lawns,” The New York Times Magazine, May 1989. 

Ryden, Hope, God’s Dog: A Celebration of the North American Coyote, iUniverse, May 2005.

Thompson, Linda Briggs, “Living with Coyotes,” Broward County Parks, YouTube, April 22, 2021.  Excellent history of coyote population trends.

Wegner, Helena, “Aggressive coyote attacks woman walking dog--nips at others, Arizona police say,” Charlotte Observer, October 19, 2021.

Wild Dog Foundation