LL-L "Folklore" 2003.01.30 (06) [E]

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From: Ed Alexander <edsells at cogeco.ca>
Subject: LL-L "Folklore" 2003.01.30 (02) [D/E]

At 07:41 AM 01/30/03 -0800, Gabriele Kahn wrote:


  time for a biologist to join the wolf discussion (finally rising to the
  bait). First of all, Ed: a coyote is NOT a wolf, but a very different
animal
  altogether. It is also strictly a New World creature and has never roamed
  the woods of Europe.

How do you mean "altogether"?  Although I am not a biologist, I've seen both
in the wild, and I doubt if most people would be able to tell the difference
unless they saw them together.  Of course, they are both close relatives of
dogs, but are much more similar to each other and have much larger ears than
dogs (that's the first clue that it isn't a loose dog when one sees it at,
say, 100 meters), and a characteristic large bushy tail.  The colourings are
probably the most noticeable difference, with the coyote having a reddish
coat, while the true wolf is more of a dark, brownish grey.  They tell me
that the wolf is larger, but frankly, there's not much difference to the
eye.

There's a large forest preserve in northern Ontario (Haliburton Forest)
where one can go and observe a small wolf family in a very large compound in
the woods, so at feeding time one can see them at about 10 meters from the
sealed off observation platform.  Several years ago, one of the girls who
was trained to look after them broke the rules and entered the compound on
her own with no observers present.  They found her body shortly after that.
However, in the wild, the wolves would have been free to observe her from a
distance and not feel threatened the way they would in this enclosed space,
even though it is several hectares.

My sources say that wolves and coyotes are very, very close relatives, which
have been differentiated in nature to survive more successfully in different
habitats, with the wolf being a true deep forest dweller, and the coyote
specializing in open country, which is why they have been so successful in
southern Ontario with its vast tracts of farmlands interspersed with tracts
of forest.  However, you'd be very hard pressed to know which one you were
tracking, since the paw prints are virtually identical, with the unique
"in-line" pattern distinguishing the two from wild or loose dogs, with their
"side-by-side" pattern.

I also know that coyotes hunt together, as I have seen them following deer
in the spring, though I think they probably don't form packs as large as
those of wolves.  Of course, this is all typical dog-like behavior, and
people regularly get attacked by packs of dogs that owners allow to run
loose in local parks, dogs that at home would never exhibit such behavior
(yes, this is illegal here).

Personally, I carry pepper spray with me when I run in the woods, but not
for coyotes, rather for loose Dobermans, Pitbulls, Labradors, and other
"domestic" animals much more to be feared that the reclusive "bush wolf".

Ed Alexander, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

----------

From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Folklore

Ed (above):

> My sources say that wolves and coyotes are very, very close relatives, ...

So do mine.  How different can they be, being considered members of the
genus (_Canis_ 'dog') with eight species?

Canis aureus (golden jackal)
Canis simensis (Simien jackal)
Canis adustus (side-striped jackal)
Canis mesomelas (black-backed jackal)
Canis latrans (coyote)
Canis lupus (gray wolf)
Canis rufus (red wolf)
Canis familiaris (domestic dog)

By the way, coyotes can also be seen here in Seattle.  I've even seen a
couple in the backyard.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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