Reply #24: coyotes weren't found in Europe [View All]

[TorchTheWitch]

Their environment is the American continent which had much fewer people and a much later civilization growth. They live in packs of fewer number and hunt in pairs rather than in packs as wolves do so they aren't as sociable as wolves thus less likely to mingle with the human species. They also reach full adulthood at one year of age rather than wolves who reach full adulthood by age two, so they're more aggressive by nature. Though they're a canid like the wolf, they're more closely related to the jackal then they are to wolves. The behavior, sociability and pack structure of wolves more closely resembles that of humans than the behavior, sociability and pack structure of coyotes do, so I'm guessing that wolves more easily and more willingly adapted to mingling with humans. I think they're also nocturnal or were nocturnal originally before humans came into their habitat.

I can't remember if this was part of that same series or not but I'm sure I probably learned this stuff from one of the PBS nature programs... I love these kinds of programs.