2110_2205 Confrontation Part 2: Who's Yer Daddy?
Yesterday we saw a Coyote approach from the right. That Coyote is now on the left, and following a very brief tussle and snapping of jaws, the other has had enough.
Look at their body language. The fleeing Coyote has its tail tucked, a sign of submission. The other is reaching out almost playfully, striking with a front paw, designed not to injure but to dominate. Its ears are up, too; looks like it is having fun. And no harm done.
Thanks to everyone who took a guess yesterday as to what was going to happen. Jen Hall, you came closest. I think the Coyote on the left is an adult and the one on the right is a juvenile, maybe offspring from last spring's litter. If so, the "Who's Yer Daddy?" title can be taken literally. The larger one may be simply asserting dominance, making it clear who is the top dog within the family group.
Or the young one may be getting kicked out of the family to make room for next year's litter. I don't know how large packs can get; this is a sparse, dry prairie, and no doubt wildlife must adjust their numbers so that all who are fit can survive. How many acres does it take to support one Coyote? I don't know. The greatest number of Coyotes I've seen hunting together in this park has been four.
I did some significant cropping here, as well as upscaling with ON1 Resize, and noise reduction via Topaz DeNoise.
More to come...
Photographed in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2021 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
2110_2205 Confrontation Part 2: Who's Yer Daddy?
Yesterday we saw a Coyote approach from the right. That Coyote is now on the left, and following a very brief tussle and snapping of jaws, the other has had enough.
Look at their body language. The fleeing Coyote has its tail tucked, a sign of submission. The other is reaching out almost playfully, striking with a front paw, designed not to injure but to dominate. Its ears are up, too; looks like it is having fun. And no harm done.
Thanks to everyone who took a guess yesterday as to what was going to happen. Jen Hall, you came closest. I think the Coyote on the left is an adult and the one on the right is a juvenile, maybe offspring from last spring's litter. If so, the "Who's Yer Daddy?" title can be taken literally. The larger one may be simply asserting dominance, making it clear who is the top dog within the family group.
Or the young one may be getting kicked out of the family to make room for next year's litter. I don't know how large packs can get; this is a sparse, dry prairie, and no doubt wildlife must adjust their numbers so that all who are fit can survive. How many acres does it take to support one Coyote? I don't know. The greatest number of Coyotes I've seen hunting together in this park has been four.
I did some significant cropping here, as well as upscaling with ON1 Resize, and noise reduction via Topaz DeNoise.
More to come...
Photographed in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2021 James R. Page - all rights reserved.