There’s Wolves In the Prairie?
There aren’t wolves in our Texas prairies, but a close relative is. I present to you the coyote, Canis latrans. Once only found in the West of the United States can now be found in 49 states with the exception of Hawaii. Back when Lewis and Clark explored the West starting in 1804, Lewis described in his journal an animal they had never seen before that resembled a fox and a dog. They referred to this animal as a “Prairie Wolf”. Now we can confidently say the animal they were referring to was likely a coyote.
Coyotes have been known of long before Lewis and Clark. Many folklore tales include this majestic creature. Stories among the indigenous people include the coyote being a trickster, a shapeshifter, an omen of death, or a god of music and dance. The coyote is also known to be a world jumper, a bringer of gifts, and known to be a patron of the elite Mexica warriors. The reason I am drawn to this beautiful creature and why I think we can all learn from their spirit is their story of resiliency. Despite all odds against them, they have persevered. Coyotes carry a long, sad past and it continues today. This very well may be one of the most misunderstood predators. Did you know predators serve a crucial role in our ecosystems? They are part of a very important food web that lives right outside our doors whether you live in the country or right in the middle of the city.
Predators keep populations of certain animals in balance. On Earth, there must be a balance to all things. In North Texas, coyotes happen to be our apex predator (top of the food chain). Without these guys, there can be a major imbalance of biodiversity in our ecosystems (Trophic Cascade). History and the present show that coyotes are either feared or looked at as a nuisance. They have and are being hunted with one goal in mind … to wipe out or control their populations. Due to this hunting, coyotes have spread throughout most of the United States. Through successful fission-fusion tactics, they were able to break off solo or into smaller packs for survival. Another reason hunting is not successful management is because female coyotes have a hormonal response to lack of calls when she howls and yips at night. Fewer calls back trigger a response for the female’s next litter to increase in number. With the absence of hunting, it’s possible coyote populations will balance themselves out based on food resources like nature has done time and time again. So why are they being hunted? Why are there sports supporting literal massacres of these magnificent creatures? You can find out more about that and how you can help at Project Coyote, but please be WARNED some of the content is NOT for the faint of heart.
There is hope yet through education my friends! Below you will find resources for some ways we can successfully coexist with our song dog neighbors. There are so many reasons to love and admire coyotes. They are adaptive, intelligent, playful, bold, patient, shy, curious, wary, and depending on their personalities can more or less be dominating or submissive. I can see how some cultures can see them and stories told about them as a reflection of ourselves as human beings. While admiring from afar, we must remember that we can still coexist, but they have to be treated just like any other wildlife with caution and respect.
I hope I have inspired you to dig into their tragic past and also understand their modern hurdles in life today. Perhaps we can all help educate so that the next time someone hears their howls and yips in the distance within the darkness of night, they too can hear the magic that I hear within their voices.
Coyote
Resources
It all starts with education because when we know better, we can do better.
