Can
you identify what's in this photo?
Each Wednesday morning
on Camp Lutherlyn's Facebook page
the Lutherlyn Environmental
Education Program posts a photo.
Readers
have all morning and afternoon
to
make their best guess about what the photo is.
Around
6 pm LEEP provides the answer and a brief explanation.
Each
week's What is it Wednesday post
will
also be posted on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog,
after it is posted on Facebook,
sometimes
with additional bonus information.
In
addition to bringing you current editions of What is it Wednesday
on the
Nature of Lutherlyn blog,
we
will be reposting old editions,
creating
a What is it Wednesday archive.
This
photo was posted as a What is it Wednesday on
May 23, 2018.
And
the answer is....
These tracks found alongside Shawnee Run at Lutherlyn belong
to a coyote.
We often see evidence of coyote at Lutherlyn, such as tracks and
scat, and occasionally hear their yips and howls at night. But they are sly and
mostly nocturnal animals and are rarely seen.
Eastern coyotes migrated into
Pennsylvania through Canada through the mid-1900’s, interbreeding with wolves
along the way: Eastern coyotes are larger than their western cousins, and have
verified wolf DNA. They are opportunists and generalists, living in a variety
of habitats and feeding on a mix of plants, small animals, and scavenged
carcasses. As one of Pennsylvania’s largest remaining natural predators,
coyotes fill an important role in the ecosystem, and are not a threat to humans
(though it may be wise bring pet food and small pets inside to keep them safe).
We’re glad to have these clever critters around!
Like and follow Camp Lutherlyn on
Facebook, to see What is it Wednesday posts when
they come out and have the opportunity to share your guesses in the comments!
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