’Toons and truth about the wily coyote
The Spurs Coyote may be a man, er, mammal of few words, but even the usually silent mascot has something to say about peacefully coexisting with real coyotes.
At least through a statement from Spurs Sports & Entertainment. The Coyote is “proud to represent his species,” the statement said. “He encourages everyone to learn more about coyotes in the wild from a safe distance, and to leave the coyote photo ops up to him.” If only real coyotes had spokesmen. Perhaps then they wouldn’t be so misunderstood.
Often mistaken for wolves in both appearance and attitude, coyotes get a bum rap as wily predators that eat just about anything that breathes, be it a deer in a meadow, a goat on a farm or a beloved pet in a backyard.
The truth is, coyotes simply adapt.
“They’re incredibly intelligent and resourceful,” said Lynn Cuny, founder and president of Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation. “Again they’ve had to be because of (their) situation in the world and the urban area that has become the wild for them. They are survivors. That is who they are.”
Here’s a closer look at that mammal behind the Spurs mascot.
A North American native. The coyote is a canine species native to North America, with a range that covers most of Canada and the United States, as well as Mexico and Central America.
Coyotes historically favored forests and prairies but now live in deserts and mountain regions, too. They also thrive in suburban and even urban territories, thanks to increasing development that provides more food sources with little to no predators.
That’s not a wolf. Cuny gets calls all the time from people who swear they saw a wolf in their neighborhood. But that’s most likely a coyote because, Cuny noted, wolves don’t venture in or around the city.
It’s easy enough to tell coyotes and wolves apart. Coyotes are smaller, usually topping out at about 3½ feet long, fuzzy tail included. Coyotes also have grayish brown fur, big pointy ears and a long snout. Wolves have a grayish black coat with small ears and a broad snout.
Diurnal in the wild, nocturnal closer to civilization.
Coyotes for the most part are diurnal, meaning they’re active both day and night. Coyotes closer to urban areas, however, tend to be more nocturnal so as to avoid crossing paths with humans. But you still may spot one in daylight if he’s hungry enough.
Mostly meat eaters.
Coyotes are opportunistic carnivores that like fresh meat they can kill. That usually means hunting smaller animals such as rabbits, rodents, lizards and snakes. Coyotes do eat deer, though usually one that’s been hit and killed by a car or suffered other injuries.
Coyotes also prey on sheep and goats, but Cuny said as a general rule, it’s going to take more than one coyote to bring down such a big meal. And while coyotes do need meat to live, they’ll also munch on fruits, grass and nuts.
They’re fast runners and even good swimmers.
Guess Wile E. Coyote must be out of shape. Real coyotes can run up to 40 mph — twice as fast as the typical roadrunner. And true to their canine roots, coyotes also can swim, usually when threatened.
Real howlers.
Spurs Coyote aside, real coyotes are some of the most vocal mammals on the planet, with at least 11 different
vocalizations. No wonder their binomial name, Canis latrans, means “barking dog.”
“They have a range of calls,” Cuny said, “from yips to a little bit of a bark to these wonderful high-pitched howls. They talk to each other and let each other know where they are.”
Coyotes tend to bark or woof as alarms or warnings. They growl at nearby threats and yelp as a sign of submission. And those yippy howls at night likely indicate a group of coyotes greeting each other.
They’re devoted to family.
Coyotes are strictly monogamous and will stop pursuing a female once she chooses her mate.
While the pregnant mother lies in her den, the father forages for food. Then after she has her litter, both parents share feeding and guarding duties.
“They’re very devoted to each other and they’re very devoted to their families,” Cuny said.
They have just enough pups.
Coyotes usually have litters of four to six pups, depending on how much food and how many other coyotes are in their shared territory. “They don’t overpopulate,” Cuny said.
Coyotes are rarely rabid.
Coyotes can carry plenty of parasites and diseases because they range so widely, but it’s rare to encounter a coyote with rabies. Bexar County records show an extremely low occurrence of rabid coyotes in Texas, according to Animal Care Services.
Keep them away with dogs or donkeys.
Coyotes can be a threat to livestock, so Cuny said it’s common in Texas to see coyotes shot or poisoned. But there is a more humane way to keep them away.
Donkeys or large dogs can deter coyotes from venturing too close to sheep or other farm animals, Cuny said. Even llamas can intimidate and frighten coyotes.
A wily reputation. Coyotes long have been associated with cunning and trickery, especially in American Indian folklore. But as Cuny pointed out, the coyote’s wily reputation speaks more to his adaptability, not antagonism.
“Mother Nature has endowed them with abilities to figure things out, to live in the wild with other species,” Cuny said. “They don’t have any malicious intent, because trickery has to do with a malicious intent.”
Wile E. Coyote, a not so wily icon. Pop culture’s most famous coyote has to be Wile E. Coyote, that cartoon canid who’s been chasing the Road Runner ever since the 1949 animated short “Fast and Furry-ous” by Chuck Jones and Michael Maltese.
Jones based the Coyote on Mark Twain’s description of the animal in his 1872 book, “Roughing It.” Twain referred to the coyote in his semi-autobiographical travel book as a “sick and sorry-looking skeleton” that was “always hungry.”
After nearly 50 cartoons, Wile E. continues to embody such furry futility as the desperate desert coyote who just can’t make a meal out of his fast feathered nemesis.
The Spurs Coyote, Entertainus Carnivorous.
Of course, you won’t find a more famous coyote in and around San Antonio than the Spurs Coyote. The NBA mascot first appeared April 13, 1983, when the Spurs beat the Los Angeles Lakers twice in a rare pro-hoops doubleheader.
In addition to winning the hearts of Spurs fans on and off the court, the Spurs Coyote also has won NBA Mascot of the Year (2014) and NBA Video Skit of the Year (2007, 2010, 2014 and 2015). And he’s a member of the Mascot Hall of Fame.
When pressed to say more, a spokesperson for Spurs Sports & Entertainment said the Spurs Coyote was available for comment but only offered “what sounded like an enthusiastic miming of sophisticated ideas.”
Like we said, coyotes are so misunderstood.