Ques­tions about coyotes?

Every­body has them. Don’t be afraid to ask. And you won’t have to ask if you just get this new book, appro­pri­ately titled, Fre­quently Asked Ques­tions About Coy­otes. It’s pub­lished by the West­ern National Parks Asso­ci­a­tion and Illus­trated by Paul Mirocha. FAQ Coy­otes won a 2009 media award for pub­li­ca­tions by the Asso­ci­a­tion for Part­ner in Pub­lic Lands.

For instance, do coy­otes chase road­run­ners? Not really. In fact they may be allies. Coy­otes prey on many of the roadrunner’s ene­mies. Stud­ies have shown that there are more birds in places where coy­otes live than nearby areas with­out coyotes.

Do you ever won­der where the word “coy­ote” comes from? I thought not. In any case, it’s from the Aztec word, Coy­otl, mean­ing “singing dog.”