Coyotes (Alpha female)

[joebryant]

In the book Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver, the author states that coyotes in groups are ALL females, and only the alpha female has pups. All the other females help raise/train those pups.

Edit: BTW, she also talks about how clearing land to raise food commercially kills very much wildlife, and that you cannot be a vegetarian and not hurt animals unless you grow all of your own food.

GOOD BOOK!

 

[DTchickens]

like the last line.. haha

 

[CoonX]

I think she forgot to tell the 'yotes around here that.

Will

 

[chickbea]

That is precisely why we should be aiming to support small-scale organic farmers, not huge farming corporations whose mega tractors crawl over the land in hordes.
Here in Vermont where most farms are small simply because there isn't enough flat land anywhere to have a big spread

, most wild critters exist happily right along with the farm. There have been great books written about how wildlife adapts to living near a farm.

As for the coyote info, I think you are right about only the alpha breeding. However, I think that sometimes loosely related groups get together for hunting purposes, and then you may see youngsters from different litters learning together.

 

[AngieChick]

Quote:
I feel I must point out that the land needed to grow food to feed cows is much larger than what you need to feed a human. The amount of caloric energy (and land) lost by feeding the cow to then eat is very high. It's pretty inefficient (I admit it's definately very tasty, boy do I miss me some cheeseburgers

). Though I am a fan of Kingsolver, in her new book she states that eating local meats makes it environmentally okay. However, she misses the point that it isn't the transport of the meat that is the issue, but that animals with multiple stomaches (cows, sheep, etc., not chickens or pigs) put out huge amounts of methane, also known as cow farts

. That is where the real greenhouse gas issue is coming from with these animals, not the transport. Gross, but true. So though she is technically right with the quote you sited as well as the one in her newer book, it is overly simplistic and doesn't take into account the fact that all we can all hope to do is lessen our impact, it's not all or nothing.

As a side, I just picked up the book you quote on tape from the library today, and I'm really excited to listen to it while putzing with my weaving.

 

[stacym]

Since I come from a farming state I'll jump in with what I know. I agree that cow and sheep really do a number on pasture. They travel the same trail to and from water over a period of years and it leaves deep ruts in the land. Overgrazing the land also leads to noxious weeds and little space for wildlife.
Even on small operations you will run over nests and small animals with your tractor. It's a given. Even a horse drawn farm implement will do the same thing. The bar mower will cut anything in it's path and the horse will step on the rest.
Read Louis Bromfield's Malabar Farm. He has some very good points on how to try to farm responsibly and yet live in harmony with the wildlife.
It appealed to my bipolar conservative/liberal side(s)

 

[Dodgegal79]

A pack of coyotes do have the same structure as a pack of wolves. If you want to screw the pack up shot the alpha female, she will usually be the second one you see if you see them together. We did this with the pack we were having problems with, after we shot her we didn`t loose anymore aniamls too them. They couldn`t figure out what to do and moved, from what we figure.

 

[seminolewind]

Joe, do yourself a favor and read "The Poisonwood Bible" by the same author instead. I've read it 4 times to make sure I've sucked the whole book in, LOL. and plan on reading it a few more times.

 

[Reinbeau]

Quote:
I have that one up in my pile - now your post will pull it closer to the top!

 

[brandywine]

That's a crock about coyote pack structure.

Groups are typically the mated pair, their offspring of the year, and sometimes offspring from the previous year.

Canids being nothing if not adaptable and flexible, while it's generally true that the pack will raise only one litter per year, and that litter will be the alpha pair's offspring, there are as many exceptions as the rule. If food and space are plentiful, there may be multiple litters, raised together. Small packs may join together once the pups are mobile. A subordinate female may be the mother of the young of the year. Coyote pack structure is typically looser than wolf families, and groups are smaller -- but again, that's a generalization

But all-female groups, notsomuch.