Coyotes love romance

We aren't the only species who turns to thoughts of love in February

Note 1: Houston! I’ll be at the Houston Museum of Natural Science on February 20 to talk about PESTS! I’m super excited and I hope to see you all there!

Note 2: Who loves Valentine’s day?

Coyotes do actually! The coyote breeding season is roughly January through March (varies depending on location, of course).

What does this mean? Well, both male and female coyotes disperse when they reach adulthood, and establish territories. During mating season, often the males will disperse more, checking out females.

Then, romance begins. And honestly I know some humans who have had less romantic relationships. Coyotes form monogamous pair bonds that last for years.* During the courtship phase, they’ll groom each other and play-fight. Often the female initiates this by running away flirtatiously getting the male to follow her, which shows that coyote packs and schoolyard politics aren’t so different after all. Once they’re official, they’ll communicate back and forth with yips and howls, making them far better in terms of communication than many humans.

For birth, the female finds a den to her liking. She digs it out, and gives birth in private while the male stands guard or waits outside the den.

Pouncing coyotes are my favorite coyotes. Image via Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 2.0

The coyote pair is doing this in a territory, one they patrol and control and hunt in together.

And during mating season, that control and patrol is going to be more intense. They will also be hunting more intensely. Because the female coyote isn’t eating for two. She’s eating for up to 8.

And this means that during mating season, coyotes can be more aggressive toward other canines, and more likely to go after things they see as prey.

Like your chihuahua. Or your outdoor cat.

And here’s where I want us all to take a breath. The coyotes are not evil. They are not slinking into places they don’t belong. They live here, just like you do. They are behaving just like they normally do.

But I can tell you when a dog gets attacked your neighborhood listserv is going to light up like a Christmas tree. Because we’ll respect a stop sign, we’ll gripe at people not using the sidewalk, but dang if we don’t want to “right” to walk a chihuahua without a leash.

And so I’m asking you all, as a Valentine to me. As a Valentine to the coyotes. Don’t just let your tiny dogs out in the yard. Keep an eye on any indoor-outdoor cats (or, keep them in). DO NOT FEED the coyotes.

They are your neighbors. But they are not your friends. Treating them with respect means understanding what they need, and realizing that we may need to change what we do to live with them. It means boundaries. Live and let live.

Where have you been?

I hope it’s reading this amazing list by Rebecca Solnit on how to comment on social media because it is perfection in every way.

Where have I been?

You’re hearing from me in the past, In the future, which is now, when you’re reading this (or maybe it’s the present? The future is now?), I am actually out of the country. Maybe I’ll tell you where I’ve been when I get back. But I’m sure your imagination would create a way better answer, so maybe not.

Anti-Discourse Actions

This year when I get the urge to Discourse and seek out effortful misery, I’m instead doing things that matter, and we have PROGRESS!

I finally got a response on a public safety issue in my community that I had to bug a MERE seven organizations to get. BUT they might actually get to it. IT WORKED!!

*This is not to say that monogamy is inherently romantic or the only form of true romance. This isn’t about you. It’s about coyotes.