What’s the deal with coyotes? It seems like people are seeing them more and more and some coyotes have unusual behavior. What’s going on?

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People also seem to really hate them, but do they deserve such a bad wrap? This is so interesting to me because so many people love dogs!

In this episode, I talk all about coyotes with a focus on coyotes in the eastern United States. This is a wide-ranging conversation that will likely answer questions you have about this super adaptive species. I clear up many of the most common coyote misconceptions.

Specifically, I go over:

A brief history of coyotes
How they’ve expanded their range in every direction in North America: east, west, south, and north
Why they are so good at expanding their range and occupying new niches
What coyotes look like at the most southern area of their range and why
Are coy wolfs/coydogs a real thing?
Coyotes in urban areas: LA, NYC, and Chicago
My study on investigating boldness in coyotes and other animals
Coyotes and domestic cats
Coyotes and white-tailed deer: Are coyotes causing deer declines?
My study on deer fear of coyotes – can they act as apex predators?
Some weird stories of people being followed by coyotes
Should you be scared of coyotes?
If killing coyotes is an effective way to control populations

Resources and Sources Mentioned in Coyote Misconceptions

How coyotes conquered the continent – a study from my former lab!

Yes, eastern coyotes are hybrids, but the ‘coywolf’ is not a thing

Coyotes living near cities are bolder: implications for dog evolution and human-wildlife conflict

So this coyote walks into a Quiznos …

Spatial and Temporal Variation in the Diet of Coyotes in the Chicago Metropolitan Area

Man calls 911 about aggressive coyotes near NC State in Raleigh

Coyote Attacks on Humans in the United States and Canada

Coyotes in Panama

Do Deer Fear Coyotes, Hikers, or Hunters?

#31: Can Coyotes and Humans Replace Apex Predators in the Eastern USA?

Effects on White-Tailed Deer Following
Eastern Coyote Colonization

White‐tailed deer fawn recruitment before and after experimental coyote removals in central Georgia

Coyote in Quiznos in Chicago:

Rabid coyote in North Carolina

Schuttler Stephanie

Stephanie Schuttler is a wildlife biologist with 17 years of experience in mammal ecology and conservation, education, and outreach. Read her inspirational story, “My Unexpected Journey Into Science” to find out how she went from the daughter of a jeweler to a Ph.D. in wildlife biology. Feel free to contact Stephanie here.