Urban Coyotes

Coyotes (Canis latrans) are, arguably, one of the most famous of urban animals in North America and, in particular, Alberta. These charismatic canines are close relatives of the wolf and domestic dog, all of which belong to the scientific genus Canis. Coyotes are not considered under any risk in terms of extinction threat, which means we do not see decreases in their population sizes, and they seem to adapt to the changing human-centric world far better than many other species do.

Identification

Coyotes have a variety of colors, but typically their coats are a mixture of mainly grey, light brown, and rusty red colors with some black and white. Coyotes look like they're about the same size as a medium-sized dog, but they weigh only about 13 kilograms (30 pounds) on average. The animals seem larger than they actually are because of their thick fur that allows them to survive cold winter temperatures. The small size of coyotes makes them fast animals; because they do not have to move large amounts of weight, they can move quickly at speeds of about 60 km/h.

History

Coyotes originated in the western areas of North America. However, over the past 200 years or so, they have spread to cover the entirety of the continent besides its northernmost regions. In the eastern areas of the continent, coyotes are larger than ones living in the west. This is likely due to crossbreeding with larger wolves. During the eastward spread, coyotes encountered human cities and, being adaptable animals, moved in to them to set up new habitats to live in.

Photo by Jim Cumming

Benefits

Coyotes are carnivorous animals and avid predators on small mammals like rodents. Because of this, they provide valuable pest control services. They’re also an animal that is unique to North America and have cultural significance to some Indigenous groups on the continent. The Blackfoot have stories of Napi (Old-Man) and Kipitaakkii (Old-Lady), both of whom are demigod figures that fill the role of creators of many animals, including humans. They are both well-intended tricksters and have strong connections with coyotes.

Coyotes also present interesting study areas for scientists. One study has found them interacting and cooperating with badgers to hunt ground squirrels. While coyotes are fast animals, they’re not good diggers. Badgers, on the other hand, have huge digging claws, but short legs and aren’t very fast. The two cooperate by having the badger dig up ground squirrel tunnels and, when the squirrel leaves, the coyote will chase it down and then share with the badger.

Photo by Charles G. Summers Jr.

Problems and Solutions

Being carnivores, coyotes can also attack pets. It is recommended that pet owners keep their pets inside their homes or supervise them while outside to ensure attacks do not happen.

Despite being a common sight in cities, coyotes do not like to interact with humans. If one is encountered, acting aggressively towards it by throwing rocks, making noise, and making yourself appear large can scare the coyote away. You also should not feed coyotes because this will cause them to overcome their innate fear of humans and could lead to further interactions and potentially attacks between coyotes and humans. Despite their presence in urban environments, it needs to be emphasized that coyotes are still wild animals and interaction should be avoided whenever possible.

Coyotes have been shown to carry a parasitic tapeworm known as Echinococcus multiocularis. Albertan coyotes in particular have high infection rates. This tapeworm poses a threat to humans, as it can parasitize them as well if they interact with an infected animal. Again, the best way to avoid infection is to avoid interaction with wildlife, and practice good hygiene by properly cleaning yourself after spending time outside.

Many attempts have been made to try and remove coyotes from cities. Despite successfully removing some, others just move in to take their place. As such, it seems that the species will become a permanent fixture within cities across the continent.

Photo by Jaymi Heimbuch

Sources

Hinton, J., Heppenheimer, E., West, K., Caudill, D., Karlin, M., Kilgo, J., Mayer, J., Miller, K., Walch, M., von Holdt, B., & Chamberlain, M., 2019. Geographic patterns in morphometric and genetic variation for coyote populations with emphasis on southeastern coyotes. Ecology and Evolution 9(6), 3389-3404.

Minta, S., Minta, K., & Lott, D., 1992. Hunting associations between badgers (Taxidea taxus) and coyotes (Canis latrans). Journal of Mammalogy, 73(4), 814-820.

https://www.alberta.ca/coyotes.aspx#:~:text=Coyotes%20in%20urban%20areas&text=Many%20urban%20areas%20in%20Alberta,coyotes%20and%20other%20wildlife%20species

https://www.edmonton.ca/residential_neighbourhoods/pets_wildlife/about-coyotes

http://www.native-languages.org/napi.htm

 

Frogs of Alberta

Northern leopard frog

The northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens) is a small-sized frog, averaging 5-8 cm. It is either green or brown in body colour with large, dark spots, giving the frog its name. Leopard frogs have raised ridges on the sides of their back, also called dorsolateral ridges, which are lightly coloured.

There are three populations in Alberta: the plains population, who live in southeastern Alberta, the boreal population, who live in the northeasternmost part of the province, and the Rocky Mountain population, who live west of the Rockies and are a part of British Columbian populations.

Historically, northern leopard frogs have been endangered in Canada. Over the last 20 years, the Albertan provincial government has taken measures to increase the population of northern leopard frogs, particularly in the Rocky Mountains. In 2022, the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo (WICZ) released 1,929 frogs into the wild to help boost their numbers.

Wood frog

The wood frog is known to scientists by the name Rana sylvatica, but may also be known by the name Lithobates sylvatica. In 2006, a researcher named Darrel R. Frost wrote an article called "The Amphibian Tree of Life" where he restructured the amphibian family tree, and changed the genus of the wood frog from Rana to Lithobates. Wood frogs have very prominent dorsolateral ridges that are lighter than the body colour, which can be red or brown. They also have a dark blotch on each side of the face, behind the eyes. The pattern on the body can be different from frog to frog. In Alberta, the wood frog can be found in every corner of the province, and is distributed in every province and territory of Canada.

Columbia spotted frog

Photo by United States Fish and Wildlife Service

The Columbia spotted frog (Rana luteiventris) has a brown body with lightly-coloured spots and dorsolateral ridges. They are found west of the Rocky Mountains of Alberta and in eastern British Columbia. Columbia spotted frogs enjoy a semi-aquatic lifestyle, meaning they can live on both land and in water, and will swim to the bottom of the nearest water body to hide when frightened. It is considered to be a true frog because it is a member of the family Ranidae.

Boreal chorus frog

Photo by J. N. Stuart

The boreal chorus frog (Pseudacris maculata) is a type of tree frog with a green or brown coloured body, and a dark stripe running along its side and passing through the eye. It is small, with the largest size for an adult being 4 cm. It is widespread in Canada, with its distribution including Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and the Northwest Territories; as well as extending into the United States. Boreal chorus frogs have a buccal sac on their chin, which they fill with air to make a call to other frogs in the area. The frogs can use their calls to announce their location to possible mates, or warn other frogs of predators in the area.

Canadian toad

The Canadian toad (Anaxyrus hemiophrys), unlike many of the frogs in Alberta, is brown or gray in colour, with black or red spots. It possesses a large bump on its head, called a "cranial crest," which sits just behind the eyes. On each hind foot, there is a claw which the Canadian toad uses to dig burrows. In Alberta, Canadian toads live mostly in the eastern region, extending into Saskatchewan and Manitoba. They will dig burrows below the frost line: a line which marks how deep the soil will freeze during the winter. Below the frost line, the soil will not freeze, and Canadian toads will hibernate until spring. They will also burrow into the soil to avoid the heat during the hottest months of summer.

Boreal or western toad

Photo by J. N. Stuart

This toad is known by two names: the boreal toad, and the western toad (Anaxyrus boreas). Its body is green or brown and covered in bumps, and it does not have any cranial crests on its head, unlike other toads in Alberta. The boreal toad possesses large parotid glands on the back of its cheeks, which create spit and special toxins called "bufotoxins."

In Alberta, boreal toads are found in the western central region, with the majority of its range in British Columbia and the western United States.

Great Plains toad

Photo by Drew R. Davis

The Great Plains toad (Anaxyrus cognatus) is green or brown in colour, with lighter-coloured skin on its belly. It is also covered in dark splotches, and has a cranial crest on the back of each eye, forming the shape of an L. Great Plains toads are found in southeastern Alberta, and southwestern Saskatchewan, with most of their distribution in the United States. They are nocturnal, which means they are most active at night and will spend their days burrowed underground, hiding from predators and the heat of the sun.

Plains spadefoot toad

The Plains spadefoot toad (Spea bombifrons) is not a member of Bufonidae, the family of true toads, unlike the other three toads found in Alberta. It has a brown or gray body covered in bumps, a large cranial crest between the eyes, and a vertical pupil. They also have a keratin-covered horned "spade" on each hind foot which it uses to dig burrows. In Alberta, the Plains spadefoot toad is found in the southern region of the province, and extends all the way across the United States, into Texas. Like the Great Plains toad, Plains spadefoot toads will burrow into the soil during the day to escape the heat, and burrow below the frost line in the winter to hibernate.

Frogs in an urban wildlife context

Alberta runs the Alberta Volunteer Amphibian Monitoring Program (AVAMP), which provides information about the frogs and salamanders that make Alberta home. Through AVAMP, Albertans can submit online their observations of amphibians in the wild. Observations aren't just seeing the animal, they also include hearing the noises that one makes, referred to as calls. They also provide tips for attracting amphibians to your yard.

Encouraging amphibians to move in

Frogs and salamanders prefer quiet, cool, and wet environments. A good first step is to pick a secluded area that is unlikely to be disturbed by pets or children. Allow any shrubs, greenery, or grass to overgrow and become "wild," the frogs and salamanders will hide in the leaf litter during the day and enjoy the moisture from the plants. Amphibians are semi-aquatic, so if there is a water feature or garden without fish, they will be very happy. 

For more information, visit https://www.ab-conservation.com/avamp/overview/.

Sources

Frost, R. Darrel et al. 2006. The amphibian tree of life. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 2006(297):1-291 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1206/0003-0090(2006)297[0001:TATOL]2.0.CO;2

https://www.myeastkootenaynow.com/25180/news/endangered-frogs-reintroduced-to-wetlands-near-kimberley/

https://www.naturewatch.ca/frogwatch/alberta/

https://www.ab-conservation.com/avamp/identification-keys/juvenile-and-adult-amphibians-of-alberta/

https://gonefroggin.com/2018/03/03/frogs-toads-alberta-canada/

Image sources linked on image

Salamanders of Alberta

Tiger salamander

Photo by Drew R. Davis

Tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum) have broad and flat heads with small eyes. They have no single pattern, and can be green, brown, gray, orange, or yellow with lighter-coloured blotches. They are found in central and southern Alberta, and are nocturnal, which means they are most active at night. 

Long-toed salamander

Photo by Connor Long

Long-toed salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) are an at-risk species in Alberta, which means their population is at risk of getting smaller. They are brown or green in colour, with a yellow stripe on their backs, and long toes on their hind feet. It is found west of the Rocky Mountains, and is nocturnal, like the tiger salamander. As a member of the family Ambystomatidae, it has costal grooves, which are ridges running top-to-bottom on the sides of its body.

Salamanders in an urban wildlife context

A CBC article from 2021 describes research undertaken by the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute (ABMI) to look for salamander populations in the Edmonton area. The technology, called Environmental DNA (eDNA), has been used in the monitoring of other animal populations, such as otters and minks. 

What is an axolotl, and are they present in Alberta?

An axolotl is a type of salamander that becomes sexually mature but retains features of baby salamanders, in a process called paedomorphism. As babies, salamanders live entirely in the water and have gills on the sides of their necks, which help them to breathe. Once the salamander is older, it undergoes metamorphosis, where the gills are absorbed and the salamander grows lungs. It then moves out of the water and onto land for the rest of its life. Baby salamanders also lack eyelids and tongues, and have flattened, tadpole-like tails.

These special salamanders are quite often the subject of viral online videos, but they are not restricted to only one species. Tiger salamanders in Alberta have been known to experience neoteny, which is a type of paedomorphism. Neotenic salamanders resemble baby salamanders but are full-grown adults. According to the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), neotenic tiger salamanders have been found in Tyrrell Lake, Alberta.

Sources

http://www.savingalbertasherps.org/species/tiger-salamander

http://www.savingalbertasherps.org/species/long-toed-salamander