Gray wolf - short, rounded ears, broad face, large nose fleshĭogs also look different from both coyotes and wolves. They will also prey on domesticated livestock or eat carrion - already dead animals - if no fresh meat is available. If they need a secondary food source, they will also hunt beaver, hares, birds or small mammals. Gray wolves, found in the continental U.S., prey on large, hoofed animals such as deer, moose, elk and the like. However, they also have back molars with large chewing surfaces which makes it easy for them to also eat fruit, grass, insects, trash and even pet food if it is left outside. They hunt rabbits, mice and other small mammals and sometimes will prey on deer. Coyotes are technically carnivores, meaning that they eat meat. The fact that coyotes will search for food in more urban environments shows that they are less picky eaters than wolves. Wolves, however, are skittish, tend to stick to forest cover and avoid people if at all possible. They have adapted to the presence of people, because where people are is often where they can find food. Our environmental education coordinator called coyotes the kings of adaptation, because although they are native to prairies, they have adapted to live in urban environments, suburban areas, forests, meadows and prairies. Coyotes don't care about humans as much as wolves. Here are five ways to tell the big predators apart, and some hints on how to tell them apart from domesticated dogs as well.ġ. It's also interesting to see the pretty obvious differences between coyotes and wolves. It seems unlikely that wolves will make a home in Iowa anytime soon, but it's still interesting to think about as populations increase in our northern neighbors. The coyotes had all found each other as night approached and the nocturnal coyotes banded together.Ĭoyotes (Canis latrans) are a common sight and sound in Iowa, but as breeding populations of gray wolves ( Canis lupus) increase in border states such as Minnesota and Wisconsin, the bigger predator has also been sighted in the northeastern part of the state. The howling ended as quickly as it had begun. My husband and I stopped to listen and watched the reaction of our Olde English Bulldog, who apparently has no instincts and didn't pay attention to the ruckus at all. ![]() On a walk at Kettleson Hogsback, the sun started to set above the calm shallow lakes, and a high-pitched howl began in the distance. I still remember the first time I heard a coyote pack howl as dusk began to settle on the Iowa Great Lakes area.
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