I thought it was only the repulsive rats that benefit from the human ever-expanding footprint. Interesting to know other species are also adjusting.
Domestic dogs, many crops, and feral-descended populations (like wild pigs and pigeons) also benefit
Coyotes Poised to Infiltrate South America
11–20 of 66 posts
Re: Coyotes Poised to Infiltrate South America
#12Other than eating the occasional housecat (which is bad) Coyotes, in general, seem like good partners for our current urban/suburban life. They make hidden dens in our parks, like to eat rats and other small rodents and are scared of dogs and households. https://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich/2010/12/08/131876027/6...
Well, they can't eat a cat if the cat is kept indoors, which it should be to protect wild animals that it might kill for fun (e.g. birds).
Considering Australia is culling feral cats as a conservation effort, the coyotes might be doing our ecosystem a favor in that regard as well.
Re: Coyotes Poised to Infiltrate South America
#13"Then, around the turn of the 20th century, nature’s barriers began to crumble. Forests began to fragment," It's impressive how wrong that statement is. 1900 is when forests stopped fragmenting, not when they started. Between 1630 and 1900 forested area of north America declined from 46 percent to 34 percent. That declined only slightly to 33 percent in 1997 and has since increased to 36.2 percent.
Fragmenting and loss of overall area are not the same thing.
A fragmented drinking cup may weigh the same as an intact one, but one of them is a lot better at holding water.
A power line through a forest, for example, incurs minimal deforestation, but provides a highway for animals to transit through the surrounding forest.
Re: Coyotes Poised to Infiltrate South America
#14Other than eating the occasional housecat (which is bad) Coyotes, in general, seem like good partners for our current urban/suburban life. They make hidden dens in our parks, like to eat rats and other small rodents and are scared of dogs and households. https://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich/2010/12/08/131876027/6...
Once coyotes establish themselves, you can never get rid of them. If you try to exterminate them, they just start having larger litters until their population recovers. They are adaptable and cunning. I hope that South America’s animals are ready for them, because they can permanently change an ecosystem.
Re: Coyotes Poised to Infiltrate South America
#15Other than eating the occasional housecat (which is bad) Coyotes, in general, seem like good partners for our current urban/suburban life. They make hidden dens in our parks, like to eat rats and other small rodents and are scared of dogs and households. https://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich/2010/12/08/131876027/6...
This may be anecdotal, but it's said that coyotes drive foxes out, and foxes are better at keeping a neighborhood clear of varmints. The years when there are foxes in our 'hood, the rabbits are much less bothersome. I only hope coyotes can do as good a job. Last year was terrible.
Re: Coyotes Poised to Infiltrate South America
#16I thought it was only the repulsive rats that benefit from the human ever-expanding footprint. Interesting to know other species are also adjusting.
Domestic dogs, many crops, and feral-descended populations (like wild pigs and pigeons) also benefit
Strange list. Other domestic animals (cats, pigs, chickens...) benefit the same way domestic dogs do. That's the whole point of being domesticated.
Re: Coyotes Poised to Infiltrate South America
#17Other than eating the occasional housecat (which is bad) Coyotes, in general, seem like good partners for our current urban/suburban life. They make hidden dens in our parks, like to eat rats and other small rodents and are scared of dogs and households. https://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich/2010/12/08/131876027/6...
This may be anecdotal, but it's said that coyotes drive foxes out, and foxes are better at keeping a neighborhood clear of varmints. The years when there are foxes in our 'hood, the rabbits are much less bothersome. I only hope coyotes can do as good a job. Last year was terrible.
If you have a plague of rabbits you need a lynx to eat rabbits and keep foxes out of the area :-) nothing new under the sun.
Re: Coyotes Poised to Infiltrate South America
#18Other than eating the occasional housecat (which is bad) Coyotes, in general, seem like good partners for our current urban/suburban life. They make hidden dens in our parks, like to eat rats and other small rodents and are scared of dogs and households. https://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich/2010/12/08/131876027/6...
Once coyotes establish themselves, you can never get rid of them. If you try to exterminate them, they just start having larger litters until their population recovers. They are adaptable and cunning. I hope that South America’s animals are ready for them, because they can permanently change an ecosystem.
Big Felines and wolves erradicate it. Is just that we, humans are not good at that.
Re: Coyotes Poised to Infiltrate South America
#19Other than eating the occasional housecat (which is bad) Coyotes, in general, seem like good partners for our current urban/suburban life. They make hidden dens in our parks, like to eat rats and other small rodents and are scared of dogs and households. https://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich/2010/12/08/131876027/6...
They have begun interbreeding with wolves and dogs, sometimes creating larger and smarter breeds of canids than coyotes.
Re: Coyotes Poised to Infiltrate South America
#20I thought it was only the repulsive rats that benefit from the human ever-expanding footprint. Interesting to know other species are also adjusting.
Domestic dogs, many crops, and feral-descended populations (like wild pigs and pigeons) also benefit
Raccoons are doing well, as are crows.