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Tag Archives: mammals

Coyote Ugly

As spring approaches, it is not unlikely to hear the all-too-familiar howls and yips from our less than friendly neighbors, the coyote. People tend to report seeing more of these predators this time of year because they are breeding. Their breeding season typically begins in January and runs through March, depending on the weather; with this year’s mild winter, it’s safe to say the mating season is well underway.

People are most likely to spot coyotes during their mating season, which occurs in Michigan from mid-January to March. As the fall months approach, pups begin leaving their den sites to establish home ranges of their own. Unfortunately, these young dispersing animals can wander into urban areas. Coyotes are active both day and night; however, activity peaks at sunrise and sunset, and they generally feed in the night.

Diet & Habits

According to Michigan’s DNR, coyotes are opportunistic creatures and will eat almost whatever is available. Smaller mammals such as shrews, mice, voles, squirrels, and rabbits are their preferred food sources. However, as true omnivores, they also feed on berries, fruits, insects, frogs, birds, snakes, seeds, and plants.

In urban areas, coyotes eat garden vegetables, garbage, and pet food. They also tend to prey on unattended household pets if the opportunity arises. Some coyotes even learn to kill smaller livestock, such as calves, goats, sheep, and poultry.

Although coyotes have become a common sight throughout Michigan, including in urban areas, they are generally timid and do try to avoid or limit human contact. According to the Michigan DNR, their presence in subdivisions and urban or suburban areas, while surprising to many folks, as a result of increasing populations (both coyote and human) and encroachment of human environments into their natural habitat.

In most cases, you can avoid a coyote by posing a threat. The coyote will typically retain its fear of people and easily scare away. This may not work, however, if the coyote is being fed or if there are food sources like pet food or bird feeders in the area.

Coyote Mating

Coyotes are monogamous and can maintain couplings that last for several years. New mates are only accepted after the removal of one of the pair. Mated male coyotes attend to the females who give birth to the annual litter in an underground den; these dens are often used year after year unless the coyotes feel threatened. Because their breeding season runs from January through March, the pups are born in the early spring. Litter size depends on a variety of factors but typically ranges from four to seven.

Not only can they make a meal of your beloved pet, but they can try to mate with them as well. It is important to always spay or neuter your dogs. Coyotes are attracted to and can mate with unsprayed or unneutered domestic dogs. Unspayed female dogs in season can attract male coyotes. While there has been successful hybridization of “coydogs”, this is not a recommended practice.

When you see a coyote

  • Never approach or touch a coyote.
  • Never intentionally feed a coyote.
  • Eliminate all outside food sources, especially pet foods and bird feeders.
  • Put garbage out the morning of the pick-up day.
  • Regularly clear out wood and brush piles; they are suitable habitat for squirrels or mice and can attract coyotes.
  • Do not allow pets to roam free— consider keeping pets indoors or accompany them outside, especially at night.
  • If you spot a coyote, make a lot of noise to scare it away (yell, clap your hands)

Though the propensity of encountering a coyote is greater due to population increase, there are ways you can go about avoiding a potentially dangerous situation. If you are experiencing issues with a particularly pesky coyote, be sure to contact a professional. We do provide Urban Marksmanship services, and would be happy to assist you! Give us a call today.

All About Opossum

Opossums are North America’s only marsupial. They live everywhere except for the Rocky Mountains, plains of the west, and areas in the northernmost region. Opossums live in solidarity and are mostly nocturnal. They are distant relatives of the kangaroo; however, opossums are much slower and produce a nauseating smell when threatened. The opossum can survive in a wide range of conditions and locations due to their flexible diets and reproductive tendencies. If you are potentially dealing with an infestation, removal should be handled by a professional.

Opossums can reach up to 40 inches in length, which is about the size of the average housecat. Their bodies are covered in grayish-white hair. Opossums have a narrow, pointed face with hairless ears and a bald, rat-like tail. Additionally, the female opossum has a pouched stomach for holding their young.

Although the general public may use the terms “opossum” and “possum” interchangeably, they are different. A possum is a term used to describe a marsupial found in New Zealand, Australia, and China though they happen to be similar in appearance.

Habits

As mentioned before, opossums are nocturnal marsupials, which means that they are mainly active after dark. They are typically known to live in solidarity when they are not actively breeding. Though they prefer to travel by land, opossums are also skilled swimmers and can use their opposable rear thumbs and long tails to climb trees and other structures effectively.

Opossums enjoy a diet of grains, fruits, and insects, but will also eat out of garbage cans, compost piles, and pet food dishes if easily accessible. They will even eat fish, birds, and other mammals if need be.

Opossums usually bear two to three litters each year, with an average of seven young per litter. Like many marsupials, the newborn young spend their first several weeks of life in their mother’s pouch. After this period, young opossums will leave their mothers in search of their own home.

Opossums do not hibernate through the winter. Their greatest challenge, especially in colder climates, is simply to survive. In many cases, opossums will alter their foraging and sleeping habits during the winter months, coming out during the day instead. It is not uncommon for opossums in northern states to suffer from frostbite during these frigid periods. Their tails are particularly susceptible to frostbite as they have no fur to protect them.

Habitat

Opossums will seek out pre-existing structures such as hollow logs, tree cavities, brush piles, garages, or animal burrows when looking for a place to live. They are partial to environments near swamps or streams but also can survive in diverse areas, ranging from moist to arid, open fields to forests. Opossums will always prefer to make a home with proximity to water and food.

Threats

Though not dangerous to humans, opossums do cause somewhat of a structural risk. Opossums can den in garages and attics where they will construct a messy nest. They can also tear insulation and ductwork if they gain access to the interior of a home. When searching for food, they can also damage lawns. Opossums may destroy the nests of game birds and poultry. When startled, they tend to bare their sharp teeth and hiss.

Although the lifestyle habits and overall appearance of opossums make them seem like prime hosts for rabies, they are not. Their body temperature is too low to house the disease, and it is only in rare cases that they can contract it. However, opossums can carry an array of other conditions; this includes, but is not limited to, leptospirosis, tularemia, and tuberculosis. They may also become infested with mites and fleas, especially in urban regions.

Opossums have been known to “play possum” when startled or harmed; this can give a witness the impression that the opossum is diseased. They play possum by drawing back their lips, baring their teeth, producing saliva and foaming around their mouth, as well as secreting a foul-smelling substance from the glands of their anus. Rather than a sign of disease, this act is a natural defense mechanism. In other moments of extreme distress, opossums are known to play dead.

Opossum Removal

To prevent an opossum from shacking up in a home or other structure, homeowners should always store trash and compost in sealed bins with animal-proof lids, preferably in a locked shed or outbuilding. It is good practice to bring pet food dishes inside at night to avoid attracting not only opossums but other nuisance wildlife as well. Homeowners should also remove other apparent sources of food from the property, such as fallen berries and fruits. It is imperative to inspect the outside of the home or structure(s) for holes and access points, such as broken vent covers. To further limit opossum accessibility to a home, tree branches hanging near roofing should be trimmed, as opossums are skilled climbers and leapers.

If you suspect an opossum infestation in your home, contact a licensed pest control professional to conduct an inspection and work with you to develop an opossum treatment plan. Opossum removal techniques, such as traps and fencing, may be used. A professional can also provide more helpful opossum facts that can help prevent future infestations.