Coyote

This morning, my main man and I were on the road early on our way to a day on the slopes in Colorado.  The sunrise was a beautiful orange and pink, which this picture gives an impression of, but like many photographs, it doesn't quite capture how impressive the sky was in the moment.

Not long after that pretty start to the day, I spotted a coyote, Canis latrans, prowling the sagebrush prairie on the side of the road.  It wasn't light enough for photography (with my camera) and the road was not suitable for stopping, so I chalked it up to a cool (if brief) sighting and continued on the way.  After a great day of skiing, I took a different route home, and, in the early evening, saw a different coyote (this coyote was a good hundred miles from where I saw the other one, so I'm calling it a different one).  Since this road was empty and suitable for stopping the car, I managed to snap a quick shot before the coyote trotted away from the roadside.

Coyotes are very adaptable creatures, who will eat almost anything--though they seem to prefer meat--and have managed to adjust to life near human development.  Unlike wolves, coyotes sometimes live alone or only in pairs, though they do sometimes form small packs of related animals.  I have only ever seen coyotes one at a time.

I have read that coyotes have been known to form hunting collaborations with badgers, with the badgers digging out prey like prairie dogs when the rodents escape underground and coyotes capturing the critters if they run away above ground.  If the prey manages to avoid one species of predator, the other one potentially gets it. 

This coyote wanted nothing to do with me (and my big, scary car) and was on the move as soon as I slowed down.  I hope I didn't deprive him of a meal.  I didn't see any badgers around to help with his dinner.