coyotes mating (Coyote Ménage-a-Trois)

It is a great day when I get to photograph wildlife. It is an amazing day when it is celebrating Valentines Day at my house! Love is in the air....

All my years in Tucson, I’ve seen many coyotes...but I’ve never seen this!

Ok, they are mating. But, are they also some rare genetic mutation not previously seen outside of Northern California??? Read my previous blog post for that story. I did end up submitting those photos to Nat Geo, and was met with some interest.

On this day, our band of 4 are acting every bit the same as our dogs during the courting ritual. It occasionally looks scary but no one was hurt.....well, any more hurt than they kinda look already. They are wild, and living in an unforgiving desert.

The 2 light eyed coyotes are follicle challenged— lots o’ bald spots. Their tails are just naked twigs. They also seem older, judging by their teeth. They are missing a few and they are very yellow. I think these two are brothers. While both are light, one has lighter eyes than the other.

I’ve been on the lookout for coyotes, and one in particular for his very light eyes. Read my previous blog post for the story regarding National Geographic.

Coyotes generally have brown eyes, but we have at least 2 here at home with light grey eyes. Are they blue-grey? Green-grey? Golden-grey?

It all depends on the light, and to date, all my photos have been in poor light with thick cloud cover. Notice there are no shadows. So, unfortunately they are grainy if they are cropped too much, or zoomed in to see the eyes.

One of our light eyed Romeos did get the girl! 

He is the one flat on his back.

What he lacks in fur, oral hygiene and stamina, he must make up for in personality...or a penetrating smokey-eyed stare. She, on the other hand, has excellent dentition, a respectable coat, and a feisty disposition. This is not a typical “survival of the fittest” pairing, but maybe our young female hottie is playing the field. She is a flirt!

While they were tied together, the young stud kept trying to get in on the action, but she was not having it....usually. Fickle maybe. When she did engage, our reclining friend snapped to attention.  Ouch! Ouch, ouch, ouch!

After their date, she played with anyone and everyone, and struck a pose like any good super model. Mr. Grey-Eyes may have fallen asleep, then he licked and scratched and even did the butt spin in the dirt. Hilarious!!! 😂 the female coyote

Somewhere in the middle of it all, the handsome frustrated one went and caught a meal. He came back chomping on what I think was a rabbit...or part of one. 

It was a treat to photograph this foursome, and maybe I’ll get the opportunity in 63 days, plus a month or so, to see some pups. I wonder what color eyes they will have???

In regard to the aforementioned Nat Geo article, google “Mutant Blue Eyed Coyotes”. The article is written by Callie Broaddus. She has encouraged me to continue photographing them. Unfortunately, as of late, I am leaning toward thinking they are in the green-grey continuum. This would likely be a variant, and not a true mutation. What a dream it would have been to have been able to capture images of an actual coyote mutation in Arizona....oh well, I still think these are pretty cool.

I’ve obviously been thinking about this a lot, and why I’ve never noticed light eyed coyotes before. Maybe it is rare also? Maybe not. Odd though, because around here I don’t know anyone who has never seen a coyote. They are not elusive, they are ubiquitous!!!

But, in my experience they have always had standard issue brown eyes......or am I just taking them for granted. handsome stud...looking at girl brothers in neighbor's driveway

See the Coyote “Action” gallery for all the photos.