Searching for the truth behind the myths and the symbols, Wayne Grady draws from scientific literature, discussions with experts, and his own experience to explore the nature of this complex member of the canid family. In a lucid and gracefully written text, Grady describes how coyotes mate, including their lyrical love duet proclaiming their bond; how they defend their territory; and how they communicate through scent marking and eleven distinctive types of howls. He also discusses the coyote's extensive range and seemingly infinite adaptability.In later sections, the book illuminates the long-standing relationship between coyotes and human beings, beginning with the Aztecs and the early North American Native people, who kept domesticated coyotes as beasts of burden and a source of food. Later, as ranchers began to raise livestock, people began to call for the total eradication of the coyote. Today, as the range and population of the coyote have increased, so has conflict between coyotes and farmers throughout North America. Grady discusses this conflict by exploring the opposing viewpoints of hunters, biologists who want to protect coyotes, and ranchers who claim to have lost stock to coyote packs. Read Less