The Clever Coyote by LIndsey Teague :)
My name is Lindsey. When we we’re in Washington we saw two coyotes and we heard them howl at night so I decided to write an essay about them.
Have you ever heard something howl at night? It was probably a coyote. Coyotes can be called song dogs because if you listen closely to their howls it can sound like a song. Coyotes are amazing animals because they are adaptable, they are excellent parents, and they are tough.
Coyotes are one of the most adaptable animals because they do well in new situations. For example, they live in every state but Hawaii. You can find them in the woods of the Pacific Northwest to the sandy beaches of Florida. Coyotes can hunt in packs or alone. If they hunt in a pack they do something similar to a relay where they chase their prey until one coyote gets tired then they will trade spots. Another reason that coyotes are adaptable is their diet. They eat mice, rats, gophers, mountain beavers, rabbits and in the summer they eat grass, fruit, and berries, too. In the cities, they adapt to eat garbage and pets.
Coyotes are excellent parents. For example, they dig their dens where the sun rises in order to keep their pups keep warm. They teach them how to hunt by tackling them. Coyote parents also teach their pups how to howl so if you hear an awkward howl it is a baby coyote learning to communicate. The mother has to nurse the pups so when the female can’t do the hunting the alpha male does it. This is an example of how coyotes work together which makes them good parents.
Coyotes are very tough. We have killed coyotes for over 200 years although they are not a significant threat to humans. Sadly, we still kill approximately 500,000 every year. However, even if we kill them, they repopulate quickly. Normally, coyotes will have 2-3 pups but it they are under pressure they will have 5-6 pups. Since we are building our houses on theirs coyotes’ wild territories are shrinking. However, the number of coyotes is not decreasing but growing.
Coyotes are an important part of our healthy ecosystem because they eat all the mice and rats and carrion that is on the side of the road. Coyotes are responsible parents and excellent survivors. Coyotes are not a significant threat to humans. We need to stop killing them and learn about them so we can change how we react to these amazing animals.
Teague Trek 
Great post, Lindsey!!! I’ll make sure Paige and Maggie read it this afternoon. We have been hearing coyotes in the woods behind our house these last few weeks. Now I feel more informed — I didn’t know they were great parents, I didn’t know about their ‘relay’ hunting, that they tag-team the mommy role. Very interesting. But I DID know that they eat PETS in the city! There was an article in our local paper just last week about cats and little dogs disappearing…..!!