A lot of people in our area are upset and concerned after a local coyote was spotted, appearing disoriented. While it’s always very important to exercise caution around an animal that seems to be sick, confused, or fearless, please be aware that the risk of rabies from coyotes is extremely small in the United States!Continue reading “Rabies: Rare in Coyotes”
Tag Archives: coyotes
Rethinking Tennessee’s Prairie Wolf
We think it’s way past time to rethink how people view coyotes in the Southeast. Often maligned and viewed as an invasive nuisance, they’re actually a critical part of our ecosystem just like their closely related predecessors, the red wolves. It’s nothing new for a closely related animal to fill in the gaps left whenContinue reading “Rethinking Tennessee’s Prairie Wolf”
Don’t Leave Medicine for Sick Wildlife
Have you ever heard of a doctor treating disease this way? When a doctor is in the mall and sees somebody coughing and sneezing, they don’t come back and leave a bowl of candy laced with Tamiflu. That would be a bad idea for a number of reasons. The doctor can’t make a diagnosis fromContinue reading “Don’t Leave Medicine for Sick Wildlife”
Montana’s Government Intentionally Spread Mange in Wildlife
Whenever a coyote or fox is admitted to For Fox Sake, the very first thing we do is treat them for sarcoptic mange. The few who come to us without symptoms invariably have the mites in their skin and, without treatment, will develop symptoms within a few days. No matter what part of the stateContinue reading “Montana’s Government Intentionally Spread Mange in Wildlife”
Heard Coyotes Kill a Dog?
“I just heard a pack of coyotes kill a small dog.” Have you seen (or made) this statement in neighborhood groups on social media? It’s one of the most common sources of panic in the suburbs. And, in almost all cases, it’s actually not true. Coyotes live in small family groups of 2-8 individuals, usuallyContinue reading “Heard Coyotes Kill a Dog?”
Coyotes: Not Very Big!
Human perception is a funny thing. We can’t count the number of times that someone has brought us a “huge, twenty or thirty pound” fox that barely weighed seven pounds, or reported a coyote “the size of a German shepherd” that was actually smaller than a border collie. For whatever reason, people’s minds play tricksContinue reading “Coyotes: Not Very Big!”
Tennessee Coyotes: Natural Mutts
Happy National Mutt Day! Did know that coyotes in Tennessee (and everywhere else east of the Mississippi River) are naturally-occurring mutts? After humans killed off most of the red wolves and gray wolves that once dominated North American forests, wolves were left with so few available mates that they had no choice but to cross-breedContinue reading “Tennessee Coyotes: Natural Mutts”
Don’t Kill Coyotes to Protect Cats
Coyotes are frequently killed out of a cruel and misguided attempt to protect pet cats. This is unfair not only to the mother and father coyotes, but also to their pups who get left behind. How can any cat owner say they care about animals if they would sentence puppies to such a horrible, scaryContinue reading “Don’t Kill Coyotes to Protect Cats”
Opossum Bites: Not So Scary!
Opossums get killed frequently for looking “scary” or “fierce,” but they’re actually much weaker and less intimidating than they look! An opossum has fifty pointy teeth— more than any other land mammal— and will use those chompers to try to scare people away when they’re frightened. While we don’t recommend getting bitten by any animals,Continue reading “Opossum Bites: Not So Scary!”
The Coyote’s Violet Gland
If you’ve been lucky enough to see wild coyotes up-close, you might have noticed that many have a prominent dark spot on their tails. Just under this spot is a nifty organ called the supracaudal gland or violet gland! It gets its name because it produces a musky oil that smells very strongly like violets.Continue reading “The Coyote’s Violet Gland”