Wolves and Coyotes

As I mentioned yesterday, it’s Wolf Awareness Week and we are doing our best to do a daily update on our blog about little known wolf facts. Today we’re covering the very cool topic of wolves and coyotes.

Did You Know:

• The coyote evolved separately from the wolf over 500,000 years ago.

Now, in the event you have a hard time recognizing the difference between species, there are a lot of great resources out there to help you. Below you can see the differences for yourself:

GRAY WOLF (Canis lupus) Height: 30″ average Length: 4.5 feet to 6.5 feet Weight: 50 to 100 pounds

COYOTE (Canis latrans) Height: 18″ maximum Length: 3 feet Weight: 25 to 45 pounds

Thanks to the DNR for this very valuable information. Remember, wolves are protected and as far as I’m concerned, coyotes should be as well. But, for those of you who don’t think that’s the case, feel free to argue the point with me. Fair warning – if your “point” is that a coyote recently killed your cat, you’re going to hear me tell you to keep your cats indoors (this is coming from someone who loves cats, so I know what I’m talking about! Also – feral cat day is coming up Oct. 16 so don’t forget! More about that later!). And if your point is that two coyotes were lounging on your patio yesterday, well – hand them a towel and move back to the city. Life’s too short. Humans are the biggest predators in the world and until we start regulating ourselves, we should leave everything else alone and quit infringing on their territory.

Until tomorrow, I bid you happy howls. Remember to visit Defenders of Wildlife and make a donation to help preserve the noble wolves whose ancestors have become our friends and protectors over the years. We must find a way to overcome our impact on them.