RE: [APML] Critter stories (Was NGC7000 in Tech Pan)

["Greg Harp" <gregharp@sbcglobal.net>]

I live in a Dallas suburb that (for the moment, still) borders some farm
land and larger chunks of property than the average
build-em-as-close-as-possible modern neighborhood.  The street that leads up
to my build-em-as-close-as-possible housing development is dark, and I
pretty much have to keep my foot ready to slam on the brakes in case a
coyote, rabbit, possum, skunk or armadillo decides to cross in front of me.
It happens about once a week.  The coyotes are the most common things we
see.

We often hear them yapping away in the evening, especially within a couple
of hours of sunset which is I guess when they do most of their hunting, but
they never, ever howl.

At our dark skies site, which is obviously in a much more rural location, we
occasionally hear them yapping but more often the first sound out of the
coyotes as a bunch of howling.  I've always thought it was a curious
difference, given that there are only about 90 miles separating the two
locations.

My understanding (right or wrong -- it's what I was told one time when I
asked) is that they howl when they are signaling to other coyotes in the
area that they have spotted a larger prey animal than they would normally
take down solo.  They yap when they are chasing small prey or feasting on
whatever they caught.

It sounds plausible at least.

--Greg


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