What's Causing This Coyote Fur Damage?


CroppedRubSpot.jpg




I think he ran over to Massachusetts and I got him. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Seriously I have taken 4 in the last couple weeks looking the same way all from different packs and three were males.
So I think its rubbing and not mange. We have had a very mild winter before this and the cold weather is only a few weeks old here.

Nice picture!
 
They are rubbing it is breeding season. I am not a biologist just see it every year around this time. If you have any randy anderson vids he talks about it every now and then.
 
Actually the top dog looks like a "hot spot". If it was "weepy" with clear fluid I'd say definitely, but never experienced it on a critter in the winter.

I'd forward these pics to the closest University with a Vet Med program. Those fellas could tell ya in a hearbeat. Might want to get copies to the local DOW as well.
 
I have shot some like that before, furbuyer told me they get like that from breeding or if you get some warm weather. I dont know if he was giving me the run around though.
 
I'm with FlyingV, It looks like damage from a low entrance/exit to a den. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif Too bad, very nice looking dogs.
 
I doubt you would find coyotes on a den in the middle of Febuary? You would know if it was a female she would be lactating and you could count placental scars as well. I haven't heard of coyotes denning and raising pups the first weeks of Febuary, that would be very strange.
 
to me it seems like some sort of tick or something, they can't reach that spot to bite and maybe they are rubbing against something to ease the itchyness and thats why the lose of hair???

just a guess
 
Dr Mike Jaeger at the National Wildlife Research Center at Logan told me that this occurs in late Jan into Feb and is caused by a grooming behavior between mated coyotes that is a prelude to actual breeding.
 
Tac 20- hope you still view this, first as a former Iowaian sometimes these marks were on coyotes using metal flow tubes in that area but I have seen this many many times here.

Next time you get one part that hair where it is rubbed and look real close, sometimes there is what I believe to be some form or lice or something similar, the fur will be greasy in there. You will see them moving on the hide.Greasy larvae looking things.

I have watched coyotes repeatedly rub that spot with a back leg, the one spot they can really get going on with the back leg, right between the shoulder blades, my theory is that the spot right between the blades get hit the hardest by the back paw and the where down the fur there. I have seen them scratch for long periods of time with that back leg right on that spot.30 minutes at least.It is the only real good spot they can scratch like that.I'm thinking those whatever they are make then itch and that is the one spot they can get at

Just my theory, I'm no vet or bioligist.

Also I see you are from Esterville, we used to live in Sibley, had a nephew that played BB for Esterville on a state tourney team Todd Roede.

Do you know Tex Adams, I was an ITA director with him. If so when you see him tell him Hi.
 
I have seen it before and have always attributed it to barbed wire. We have lots of it and there is usually hair on fence at every crossing.
 
Shot two coyotes like that this winter, i would have to say its mange in its early stages and like R.R. stated they have been scratching the heck out of that area...
 
Two Winter snowfly's ago. 1dog & I watched a pr of coyotes, doing what appeared to be pre-mating body contact. These two coyote's were around 1/2 mile away.

The smaller[female?] kept putting one of her paw's & forarms on & over the shoulder area of the larger coyote[male?].

Large coyote acted disinterested et would slowly pull away, while the other would "hobble" behind keeping her paw across his shoulder's. The male[larger] eventually pulled away. Then the female came up & pushed her body across his chest & against his side's repeatidly. Like a body block.

Then she went back to, a paw/forearm across the male's shoulder's. This went on for a 1/2 hr or so. She also lowered her chest in front of him as he stood there. Slowly she raised/sliding her muzzle up under his, blocking him from forward movement. He just stood there, looking off into the distance, appearing to be dis-interested.

We moved on.
 


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