How To Recognize A Coyote By Appearance, Paw Prints

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More and more coyotes are being spotted within urban areas of Southern California. Here’s how to recognize a coyote.

The coyote may look like a dog, but it can be distinguished by a pointed nose and bushier tail. Although it resembles the larger wolf, it differs by keeping its tail between its legs when running. Foxes hold their tails straight out when running.

OCR-L-COYOTE-PROFILE

(1) Ears: Proportionately large in relation to the head. Hearing is acute and is used for detecting prey and avoiding danger. Movement and position of the ears are used to communicate mood and rank. (2) Fur: Varies from grayish-brown to yellowish-gray on the upper region and buff or white on the throat and belly. (3) Nose: The coyote’s sense of smell is highly developed and is used to detect prey, carrion and scent left by other coyotes as territorial markers.

OCR-L-COYOTE-FOOTPRINTS

Coyote prints are often difficult to distinguish from dogs.  Coyote prints often only show the claws on the middle two toes and they are usually much narrower than a dog print.

coyote-tracks-graphic

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