Coyotes Are Territorial

Driving on a back road I saw this coyote running full speed parallel to the road and in the same direction I was driving. I had my camera in my lap and got a couple of quick shots of him. I noticed him looking back a couple of times and there some distance behind him was the reason for his apparent panic

This coyote was coming like gangbusters. It was a marvelous animal, bigger than the other, and looked to be a much more powerful animal, running, leaping and digging in, giving it all he had in what appeared to be a chase after the first coyote. As they went up over the hill and out of sight, we had to drive farther up the road to the other side of the hill to a place we could park and get out of the car.

As we got out of the car, here came the first coyote, the one who was being pursued, around the bend, still glancing back, panting, but no longer running for his life. I am guessing that this coyote was in the other coyote's territory and was being run out. Once he was over the hill and gone the pursuing coyote gave up the chase. It was a very dramatic scene.

A bit later, and in a different area altogether, we came upon this little guy. He look to be young, of a smaller stature, and seemingly less of a coat. Notice his tail which is not bushy at all. I know coyotes get mange but I don't know what that would look like. Any thoughts on whether this coyote has mange?

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Notes To My Mother

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