Urban coyotes

Dogged persistence

The coyote is quietly conquering urban America

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Readers' comments



for those with an interest in the urban environment, the emergence of the coyote as a new top predator strikes an interesting note as it carries out its role in controlling the flood of deer and feral cats in cities.No one wants to touch Bambi but Bambi is overwhelming native and imported vegatation in both public and private landscapes (and never mind the car wrecks). and the estimates of predation by feral cats on the songbird population is mind-boggling. In the absence of effective control policies, nature reverts to the default. The coyote has occupied this new niche because this new niche is available to be occupied.


In my east-coast suburban town, we've had lots of coyote sightings. Once in a while they attack a small cat or dog. People worry about them if they have small children, although we've never had them attack a human. They will run away if you yell at them or make noise in general.


I would be very interested to see if or perhaps how long it would take for the coyote to start self domesticating. I doubt that dogs are the only branch of the family to be able make the jump.

jouris - old account

Part of the coyote's evolutionary advantage is that they look a lot like dogs. Plus, they have the advantage that they are enough smaller (i.e. less threatening) than wolves that they don't get reflexively killed on sight. And, as the wolves have been killed, the coyotes can compete in new territory.

McGenius in reply to jouris - old account

I think this is quite insightful. They look close enough like man's best friend so as not to be destroyed by man when living amongst man. Lots of species have this attribute that allow themselves to be integrated into another species' environment.



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