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Species information: Coyotes and Foxes:
Overview When our concrete jungle becomes so barren, cold and loud that we can no longer bear the “comfort” it provides, we move out of the city and build a home nestled into the woods. Or, we remain within the urban cloud and join together unanimously to pass ordinances that protect the remaining natural area that surrounds us, hoping that we will be able to preserve our little piece of the pie and prevent further destruction. We may even decide, in a moment of revelation, that being nestled in the trees is so wonderful that we should improve on nature and add a water feature. Ahh…. the calming influence of water and our primal connection to it. Just thinking about it is soothing. So we bulldoze the trees, excavate the landscape, fill it with water, stock it with fish and voila, a perfect example of nature at it’s finest. How wonderful it will be to see the deer grazing in the morning sun, the chipmunks stuffing their cheeks, and the hummingbirds hovering at the window. We can watch herons fish, ducks skim the surface of the water as they land and swallows show their acrobatic skills as they control the mosquito population. All of these will be wondrous benefits of our plans. We have designed the most inviting natural habitat in the area. Imagine the wellness we will derive from our little Garden of Eden. If we build it, they will come and they have. Coyotes, foxes, snakes and other predators have also come to take advantage of the smorgasbord or prey animals we have invited. With prey comes predator; that is how nature works. We tend to forget that we have displaced all of the wildlife that existed here before we moved in. As adaptable as humans are, we can not compete with the adaptability of the wildlife we find in urban environments. The fact is that these animals will always adapt in spite of our trapping and poisoning or our walls and fences. In an urban setting, it is not unusual to see coyote, fox, raccoon, opossum, bobcat, skunk, armadillo, flying squirrels, snakes, turtles, beaver and countless species of birds. - When we cut down the trees that provide them with shelter, they learn to adapt by using the structures that we build in place of the trees.
- When we bury or divert their water supply, they adapt by moving into our storm drains or using our man made water features.
- When we destroy their natural food sources, they adapt by eating our gardens, our pet’s food or our pets.
None of this is surprising. Given man’s destruction of natural habitat we must expect that these adaptable creatures will use what we have left for them. The beauty and extraordinary diversity that our natural areas provide belongs to each of us. When misguided fears result in the removal of an animal from a habitat, we all lose a piece of the puzzle. As Landlords of the Planet every wild animal and natural resource is ours to protect and provide for. I don’t believe that anyone wishes to see animals die, but misinformation, sensational journalism and false rumors about the unknown cause innocent wild animals to become victims of our fears. The coyote and fox have been unfairly labeled the villains by some pet owners who believe that the only way their cat can be happy is to roam free. When that free roaming pet is lost to a coyote or fox, the one-sided, shock headline by the press and the assertions by the pet owners place the blame on wildlife. The fact that leash laws apply to cats as well as dogs is lost in the telling of the story. Cats are the only domestic animal that we allow to run loose in nature. We even contain and protect cattle, horses, lizards and snakes. Why don’t we feel a responsibility to protect our cats? Allowing cats to roam free subjects them to life-threatening cars, disease, abuse, and natural predators that we wouldn’t dream of exposing any of our other animals to. We assert that it is their nature to stalk and kill small wild animals and they couldn’t possibly be happy without this right. We can’t have it both ways. If we allow our cats to roam free and participate in nature, we can’t blame the other animals for defending their home range or attacking an animal that we have decided is a “natural” part of that process. This process includes predation on all participants, including cats. Cats are domestic killing machines reeking havoc on our wildlife. A free roaming cat kills between 200 and 400 small mammals, birds and reptiles every year. These wild animals that die belong to you, me and the cat owner. We must re-think our responsibility to both the cat and our wildlife. AWARE can offer cat owners a solution that will extend the life of their cat by an average of 30% and make them happier than they have ever been without ever killing another wild animal or being killed themselves. For more information, please see our section on cat enclosures. -Michael Ellis, Director Atlanta Wild Animal Rescue Effort (return to top)
Coyote (Canis latrans) ORDER: Carnivora FAMILY: Canidae Coyotes are among the most adaptable mammals in North America. They successfully make their homes in cities in every state in the US, Canada, and throughout Central America. They are omnivorous, eating plants, animals, and carrion. Some live alone, in mated pairs, and in packs, which may consist of one mated pair, their new young, and offspring from the previous season that have not yet left their parents. They are primarily nocturnal animals but are commonly seen during daylight hours, especially during baby season. With extra mouths to feed, they must hunt even during the daytime. Sexual Dimorphism: Males are larger than females. Length: 750−1,000 mm Weight: males: 8−20 kg; females: 7−18 kg (return to top)
COYOTE Questions & Answers QUESTION: Will a coyote attack me or my child? ANSWER: Not under normal circumstances. Coyote attacks on humans are extremely rare and typically happen: - If it is cornered and the only way out is literally through your body (If you are blocking the only exit and you leave an 18 inch opening on one side of you, the coyote will invariably choose to run right by you without stopping).
- If it is infected with rabies (The canine rabies virus variant is no longer in circulation in the US).
- If you appear to be threatening its pups.
Although there is no central tracking agency, an overall view of data suggests between 300 and 700 attacks have occurred in the past 50 years. These were typically on children under 5 years of age, when an adult was not present. In comparison, 4.7 million domestic dog attacks occur every year in the U.S. alone, and this is with leash laws in place. Your fears should more accurately be directed toward your neighbor’s pet. | | Dog Bites
| Lightning
| Coyote attacks
| Death by dog
| Death by lightning
| Death by Coyote
| | Yearly | 4.7 million
| 1100 | 14 | 12-15 | 58 | 1 (in 50+ years)
| | Daily | 12,876 | 3 | 0.38 | 0.33-0.41 | 0.158 | 0+ |
QUESTION : Will a coyote attack my dog or cat? ANSWER : Yes. Cat kills are the main reason that people complain about coyotes, not fear of human attacks. Attacks on dogs are very rare. In fact, the coyote is more likely to make friends with your dog or even try to mate with your dog, in season. This is, yet, another reason to have your dogs spayed or neutered. - AWARE promotes a Cat Indoors Campaign. Data collected over the last 10+ years indicates that the average life expectancy of a cat can be extended by at least 30% if kept indoors or in an indoor/outdoor enclosure. This one fact suggests that cat owners who allow their cats to roam are in fact NOT providing the care these animals deserve.
- We can show anyone how to make their cat and themselves happy to have the animal contained and protected from being run over, poisoned, infected with diseases, injured by other cats, or attacked by wildlife. This will, at the same time, prevent the cat from killing wildlife needlessly.
QUESTION : Can coyotes carry rabies?
ANSWER: Yes. Coyotes are considered a Rabies Vector Species (RVS), along with skunks, raccoons, foxes and bats. RVS are species that have a variant of rabies named for them (i.e. Canine Rabies); however, any mammal has the potential to carry rabies. Some species carry a higher degree of risk of rabies than others and coyotes are still listed as one of these. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “[t]here were no reported cases of the dog/coyote rabies variant in the US in 2006. These findings support the contention that the canine rabies virus variant is no longer in circulation in the US.” (Source: Blanton JD, Hanlon CA, Rupprecht, CE. Rabies surveillance in the US during 2006.) (return to top)
 Red Fox
(Vulpes vulpes) ORDER: Carnivora FAMILY: Canidae Red foxes are the most widely distributed wild carnivores in the world and can be found in North America, Asia, Europe and North Africa. Their range in North America has expanded since colonial times, as their competitors, wolves, were eliminated. At the same time, their range has also contracted in areas where they are in competition with coyotes. Red foxes prey on voles, rabbits, hares, and other small mammals, and also eat birds, fruits, and invertebrates even beetles and earthworms. A male-female pair typically inhabits a territory, and older, usually female, siblings help care for the younger offspring by bringing them food. Sexual Dimorphism: Males can be 15−25% heavier than females. Length: 827−1,097 mm Weight: 3−7 kg (return to top)
 Gray Fox
(Urocyon cinereoargenteus) ORDER: Carnivora FAMILY: Canidae Gray foxes are adept at climbing trees. They are active at night and during twilight, sleeping during the day in dense vegetation or secluded rocky places. Nursing mothers and pups use a den— a hollow log, abandoned building, tangle of brush, or cracked boulder—for shelter. When nursing small pups, the female stays within a few hundred meters of the den. Otherwise, adults may range over a 2 to 5 square km area. Pups begin to forage on their own at about four months of age, and maintain close ties with the mother until they are about seven months old. By about ten months, both males and females are old enough to reproduce, and most females will have a litter annually from then on. Also known as: Zorra, Zorra Gris, Gato de Monte Sexual Dimorphism: None Length: 800−1,130 mm Weight: 3−7 kg (return to top)
FOX Questions & AnswersQUESTION: Will a fox attack me or my child? ANSWER: Not under normal circumstances. Fox attacks on humans are extremely rare and typically happen: - If it is infected with rabies.
- If you appear to be threatening its kits.
- If it is allowed to become unafraid, due to feeding or complacence by humans.
QUESTION: Can foxes carry rabies? ANSWER: Yes. Foxes are one of the Rabies Vector Species (RVS), along with skunks, raccoons, coyote and bats. RVS are those species that have a variant of rabies named for them (i.e. Canine Rabies); however, any mammal has the potential to carry rabies. Some species carry a higher degree of risk of rabies than others, and foxes are one of those. Foxes accounted for 6.7% of the reported rabies-positive wildlife tested in 1996 in the US. QUESTION: Will a fox attack my cat or dog? ANSWER: Yes. There have been rare reports of cat attacks; however, cats and dogs are not a chosen prey of foxes. It is likely that the attacks occurred because the fox was defending itself or its young. (return to top)
Coyote and Fox Trapping/Removal: Can we relocate them? The short answer is No. There are many reasons why this is not recommended, and even if it was physically possible, it would not solve the problem. 1. It is against many state wildlife regulations to relocate rabies vector species. - Georgia is one of those states.
- Trappers are required to kill them, even though many trappers will tell you that they relocate them.
2. Relocation is a biologically unsound practice. Each habitat has a carrying capacity for each species. - Removal of a predator will cause other members of that species to competitively over breed to fill the gap created in that home range.
- Like species of surrounding ranges will aggressively compete to fill the gap.
- When we introduce extra numbers of any species, breaching the number that the habitat can support, the same number that we introduce must die to maintain the balance.
- Due to our interference, both home ranges become overpopulated and once again we have compounded our problem.
3. Relocation offers only a 5 to 15% chance of survival for the species being relocated. 4. There is no habitat left in which to relocate any species. 5. Relocation will have a cascading effect on the balance of other species within the habitat. - If you remove a predator, its prey will flourish.
- Remove coyotes or foxes, and you will see an abundance of rats, mice, rabbits and feral cats.
We removed the wolf and grizzly bear; now the coyote and fox flourish. When will we learn that it is we who must adjust to nature, not nature to us? (return to top)
Can we eliminate them? No. Coyotes and foxes already occupy every wild, urban and suburban range from Canada to South America. Virtually all suitable habitats have already reached their carrying capacity. This is true for most urban and suburban habitats as well. (return to top)
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