This thing has been around since it was little a few years ago.
Very shy & spooky. Been a while since it came to eat in the daylight.
Definitely a Coyote.
Looks like his tail got injured - all the hair is gone.
I agree.
Do you put food out for it? Keep your cats (small dogs, too) inside.
Oh, sure, I know that one. That’s Jeffy.
Definitely Coyote. A lot of them look scrawny in the wild, that one looks fairly sickly. I’m surprised you got a daylight photo like that. Probably the result of desperation. I’ve heard several stories, one documented, about sick or starving coyotes becoming docile and seeking food and water from humans, or at least tolerating contact. I wouldn’t recommend feeding them though. You don’t want coyotes getting comfortable around humans.
That’s definitely a coyote, as has already been noted, but I’ve seen plenty of them in daylight. This one looks like it’s in bad shape, so I doubt if he cares what time it is when food is available.
Wasn’t this almost the exact basis for the chupacabra rumors? A mangy coyote? Although this one still does have some hair remaining.
While we’re at it, I’ve heard that one can distinguish coyote tracks from dog by the fact that coyotes walk in straight lines from point A to point B, while dogs tend to meander.
Yeah, though I’ve also heard the coyote/dog hybrid theory. Well, and the space alien batboy theory as well, obviously. I find the mangy coyote theory the most plausible.
I’d also agree the picture in the OP looks a lot like a coyote that’s been injured and probably has mange as well. I’d also second the advice about keeping small pets inside if it’s in the area. Where I live, there are always notices about missing pets, with the owners earnestly posting a reward if found…I don’t have the heart to tell any of my neighbors what the most likely fate of their beloved pet actually is.
-XT
Ugh. Put the poor thing out of it’s misery. Mange is hell on the animal. And you’d better hope it’s demodex and not sarcopic, otherwise he’s highly contagious.
That animal is likely sick and perhaps rabid. Don’t go near it. They make unpredictable moves.
Hell yeah, put it down ASAP. IME, any coyote that wanders around in daylight probably has a serious ‘health issue’ and has been chased away from others. Typically, the hunting is at night due to safety, etc and this guy is barely making ends meet. I’d guess it would take/attack whatever it could out of simple desperation.
It is also a big disease vector and as said, mange is no fun for an animal.
Chances are that, if the area was natural (ie populated with predators like cougars/bobcats that kill weak things) that animal would already have been culled from existence. A more ‘domestic’ setting (with homes/roads/etc) gives such weak/sick animals a bit more of a haven to prolong their miserable existence, so to speak. And also allows the disease-spreading vectors to roam widely (particularly in daylight!) and unchallenged.
That is the sickest, scrawniest wild animal I think I’ve ever seen. I agree with the above – it needs to be put down, before it suffers more, or spreads whatever it has to domestic animals.
Amen.
It’s not me.
I have nothing else to add but I am required to post in any coyote related thread. My work here is done.
Also, Not me
Mange is a big deal? I thought it was just a slight problem. Also, how can you tell that the animal is rabid just from those pictures? The fact that it’s out in the daytime? I honestly had no idea that the animal looked sick from the pics–my first thought was, “Awww!”
Depends on the type of mange. Demodectic mange is controllable and non-contagious and can go away on its own in domestic dogs. Sarcoptic mange is highly contagious and can result in secondary infections of the skin lesions. I would imagine that if the animal had sarcoptic mange, it is in a lot of pain from the itching and what not.
I would inquire with animal control about obtaining a live trap and humanely euthanising the coyote. It would be a health risk to any domestic animals in the area if it indeed has sarcoptic mange.
Okay. What about him looks mangy, though? I looked at the wiki pictures and the coyote looked in way better health than they did. His hair looks short but I just didn’t see it as unhealthy. What should I be looking at?
Well, it’s tail, to start. That’s NOT a healthy-looking tail. It’s almost nude. Any form of mange could cause that, though there are some other conditions that might also be responsible. Especially look at the haunches - near and around the tail. Clear signs of bare hide showing, a classic symptom of mange.
Next, look at the lower legs - Coat appears to be thin, and mostly gone, with ‘flea bite’ or ticking prominent. Could be unusual markings, or could be scabbing. On the forlegs, there appear to be bare patches of hide in the ‘armpit’ region - again, a sign of serious issues with the coat, and one of the classic symptoms.
Over all, the coat looks patchy and unhealthy to my eye. Mind you, I suspect that this is not a pure coyote, but is a coy-dog, and unusual coat markings might counterfiet mange at a distance. Likewise, if this is a coy-dog, the tail might be characteristic of whatever dog breed is involved.