It’s coyote mating season

#MiddleburyCT #Coyote #MLT

This eastern coyote displays the most common coloration; variations include dark brown, reddish or even blond fur. The fur is thick and the bushy tail is carried low. The large ears are pointed and upright, the snout slender, and the eyes yellow. Larger than their western cousins, the eastern coyote is highly adaptable. (Photo courtesy of CT DEEP)

By JANINE SULLIVAN–WILEY

February is all about valentines and romance … and that includes some of our four-legged wildlife. February is right in the middle of the January to March breeding season for eastern coyotes (Canis latrans var.).

Middlebury has a robust population of these fascinating canids. This writer has been lucky to hear them some nights, yipping and howling as they greet each other. Good to know when you hear them is that 1) it is not – as frequently assumed – that they have just killed something and 2) that they modulate their voices so that two or three can sound like quite a bigger group.

When you are out in the woods or on any of the Middlebury Land Trust property trails, you are unlikely to hear them. But that doesn’t mean they are not around, which is why their mating and pup-rearing times are important to know.

Coyotes are monogamous – they mate for many years to life – and they protect their territories against competitors. The males will attack any potential competition for their mate during this annual breeding time. They will drive out a coyote that wanders in from another territory.

It is up to you to make sure that the competitor in their cross hairs is not your dog. While Connecticut law requires that dogs be leashed in any state park and while on any land trust property, keeping your dog leashed in the woods is also important for the safety of your dog and wildlife. If an unleashed dog should inadvertently wander near a den or into a coyote’s territory, there is the real risk of that dog being defensively attacked. Your dog may be big, but it doesn’t hunt to live – a coyote does. This is not a safe conflict for a dog.

Pups are born about 63 days after breeding (so March to mid-May). The litter size varies, ranging from as few as one to a dozen pups, but usually is 6 or 7. That means a lot of mouths to feed! Both litter size and the survival rate of pups are largely dependent on the availability of food. Coyotes primarily hunt at night. Pups may begin to hunt with their parents as young as 12 to 13 weeks old. Young from the previous year may still be with the family and will help raise the pups.

Coyotes’ normal diet consists of small mammals like mice, voles, squirrels and rabbits. They also eat deer (especially wounded or dead), insects, fruit and berries, and – when available – human garbage or pet food. Unleashed or wandering cats and smaller dogs (under 25 pounds) are vulnerable to become prey. It is very important that (as with bears), people do not accidentally or intentionally feed coyotes – they should not ever associate people with getting food. If you see a coyote in your yard, you should make noise or otherwise try to scare them away.

Their lifespan in the wild is typically only about six years, with a maximum known age of 14.5 years. In captivity, one coyote lived three times the typical span – 18 years – a clear reflection of how tough life is in the wild.

One of my favorite facts about eastern coyotes is how different they are from their western counterparts. The former weigh from 25 to 30 pounds, and are always a tannish color, while ours range from 30 to 50 pounds and while most commonly a grizzled gray, they come in a range of colors. That difference is a result of the eastern coyotes having acquired up to 25% Canadian and gray wolf DNA on their move from west to east over many decades. That interbreeding doesn’t work with domestic dogs for two reasons: the male dog doesn’t remain with the female to raise the pups (a very two-animal job) and the pups that survive are often infertile.

While you may enjoy hearing or even seeing one of these clever canids, please keep your pets safe.

Happy hiking! Contact this writer at jswspotlight@gmail.com. You can visit the Middlebury Land Trust on Facebook or the website at middleburylandtrust.org.