Fleeting Impressions

Someone told me they saw a coyote at Fort Snelling this morning, but though I was there for nearly 2 hours, I never saw it. I think the tracks in the second photo above may have been made by it, though. Whatever made them, I love those little puffs of snow alongside the actual tracks.

The two photos below are of a coyote that was in the park in the early spring of 2007.

Coyotes (Canis latrans, or "barking dog") live in small, loose packs of about 6 animals, and typically hunt in pairs. They usually eat small animals such as rabbits, voles, and small household pets, but occasionally take down larger prey such as deer. They can run up to 43 mph, and jump about 12-13 feet into the air. They are found throughout North America, and live about 10 years in the wild. Coyote is often a trickster figure in Native American legend.

All photographs by Baya Clare, CSJ unless otherwise noted.