Neighborhood coyotes, advice needed!

[PirateGirl]

Coyotes are a fact of life on our Texas ranch. They will kill newborn calves, dogs, chickens. You name it. We have had some success with the red blinking solar lights on the chicken coops. Theoretically the coyote thinks it is seeing the eyes of another predator. It doesn't seem to deter possums or raccoons though.

I have heard of these lights, but didn't realize there were ones that are solar. I might look into this.

 

[Howard E]

Coyotes are a fact of life on our Texas ranch. They will kill newborn calves, dogs, chickens. You name it. We have had some success with the red blinking solar lights on the chicken coops. Theoretically the coyote thinks it is seeing the eyes of another predator. It doesn't seem to deter possums or raccoons though.

Hmmmmm.......predators eyes don't glow. From this website......

https://io9.gizmodo.com/the-science-of-how-eyes-glow-in-the-dark-1600183971

Their eyes appear to us to glow when shining a light towards them because of a layer called the tapetum lucidum just behind the retina. This layer reflects light because that's exactly what it's meant to do. Cats, dogs, deer, and other nocturnal animals have good night vision because whatever the photo-receptor cells in their retina doesn't catch, hits the tapetum lucidum and takes a second pass at the retina again.

What we see as red eyes of predators at night is not a glowing eye, but light being reflected back at us as if from a mirror.

Unless and until Coyotes start shining flashlights towards what they think is another predator.....they won't see any red eyes blinking back at them either, so this pretty much blows up the blinking light theory.

Plus what the website above mentions, many of these predators have what is seen as built in night vision googles, so they can operate effectively at night. They would not just see the blinking light was we do......they would see the whole predator.

 

[cluckaluck]

They also seem to deter owls. All I’m saying is that we have had some success since putting them around the chicken coops. The theory may be incorrect but for us they have helped keep them away from the house and yard. My son uses them and we thought it was worth $20 to give it a try.

 

[PirateGirl]

Hmmmmm.......predators eyes don't glow. From this website......

https://io9.gizmodo.com/the-science-of-how-eyes-glow-in-the-dark-1600183971

Their eyes appear to us to glow when shining a light towards them because of a layer called the tapetum lucidum just behind the retina. This layer reflects light because that's exactly what it's meant to do. Cats, dogs, deer, and other nocturnal animals have good night vision because whatever the photo-receptor cells in their retina doesn't catch, hits the tapetum lucidum and takes a second pass at the retina again.

What we see as red eyes of predators at night is not a glowing eye, but light being reflected back at us as if from a mirror.

Unless and until Coyotes start shining flashlights towards what they think is another predator.....they won't see any red eyes blinking back at them either, so this pretty much blows up the blinking light theory.

Plus what the website above mentions, many of these predators have what is seen as built in night vision googles, so they can operate effectively at night. They would not just see the blinking light was we do......they would see the whole predator.

Eye shine is a fascinating thing. It can be one clue in identifying what lurks about in the dark. At one time there was a thread on BYC about eye shine and how well you know your own animals... do you know what color eye shine each animal on your property has? Could you identify for example your own dog lurking in the dark vs a predator just by the eyes in your flashlight beam?

 

[llombardo]

Eye shine is a fascinating thing. It can be one clue in identifying what lurks about in the dark. At one time there was a thread on BYC about eye shine and how well you know your own animals... do you know what color eye shine each animal on your property has? Could you identify for example your own dog lurking in the dark vs a predator just by the eyes in your flashlight beam?

Interesting because I took a picture of my dogs and it was dark. One had yellow and one had green in the dark. I got to find that picture.

 

[PirateGirl]

Interesting because I took a picture of my dogs and it was dark. One had yellow and one had green in the dark. I got to find that picture.

One of my dogs has yellow and one is blue. I always know who is who!