Our Neighbors the Coyotes

Have you ever taken a second out of your life to think about coyotes? Well, Oliver Martinez certainly has. This week, Oliver explains the history of coyotes, along with riveting tales of local encounters with them. – Levi Kassinove, Editor

By Oliver Martinez, Middle-School Correspondent

In my three years of being in this school, I’ve heard many stories of students and even teachers seeing coyotes on campus. This made me wonder how coyotes even got to campus, or even how they got to the desert. 

Photo Source desertridgelifestyle.com

Where do coyotes originate?

The coyotes have been native to North America for 1 million years. Currently they are still found in North America, from Southern Panama, to Northern Mexico, through the United States and Canada. (nationalgeographic.com)

How coyotes got to the desert

Coyotes are native to the desert. They might migrate to the east, but they originate from western America. According to the National Park Service, Coyotes attempted migration from the west of the United States to other places, but they are still native to the west.  Coyotes can live just about anywhere, but they prefer open areas. This is why coyotes are found frequently in the deserts of California. (urbancoyoteresearch.com)

Experiences with Coyotes

I went and asked people about their experiences with coyotes. Tal, an eighth grader, told me his story. He woke up in the middle of the night to a coyote howling outside; he heard it making noises as if it were struggling. Creeped out, Tal went to sleep.

Another story comes from Ms. Zachik. Ms. Zachik was walking with her dog in a wash on a path, when she found herself having a staredown with a coyote. She quickly grabbed her dog and walked off and around the path to avoid the coyote.  

If you happen to see a coyote, Dr. James Danoff-Burg, Conservation Director at the Living Desert, says, “Most of the time when you see a coyote out in the wild if you make yourself big by waving or yelling they’ll run away. If they don’t run away you are probably near the den.” The most likely time you’ll see coyotes will be at dawn or dusk. (kesq.com)

Coyotes are interesting creatures. A reason to like coyotes is because they maintain a balance in the ecosystem by being the top carnivores. Says Dr. Danoff-Burg, “Coyotes . . . help control the rodent population and even eat insects, including cockroaches.” Coyotes help maintain healthy ecosystems.