Remember Wile E. Coyote? That mangy rascal, endlessly trying to catch the clever roadrunner? Truth, as usual, is much stranger and more unpredictable than fiction. In Coyotes, the first book from the Look West series, nature writer Lauray Yule reveals many surprising facts about Canis latran, whose scientific name translates as "barking dog." In fact, coyotes were named for an Aztec god. No one really knows the meaning of a coyote's howl. They rarely eat roadrunner, but do snack on chili peppers (spitting out the seeds!) And, perhaps oddest of all, coyotes are well known to form hunting partnerships with badgers. With Lauray Yule as your guide, take a look at coyotes in their own habitat. Frolic with coyote pups in their den, and gaze into the "dark-rimmed, golden-yellow eyes that reveal the calculating intelligence and curiosity of a high-order predator." From Native American legends to salt & pepper shakers, from wilderness to city streets, coyotes seems to be everywhere. Thirty colorful illustrations and photographs show not only the coyote itself, but the culture of the West as it has evolved around and expressed the spirit of this spooky, fascinating, and elusive creature. About the series: Look West: What do you find? Wide, wild landscapes...extraordinary plants and animals...rugged people rich in history...ghost towns and working ranches...ancient pueblos and ultramodern urban areas. In the West, coyotes howl. Native Americans endure and flourish. Kokopelli, the mythical humpbacked flute player, prances across the cliff dwellings and into popular cultureand thousands of curio shops. Every small, handsome book in Rio Nuevo Publishers' new Look West series presents a unique aspect of the American West. Using words and pictures, each volume explores a special Western topic or phenomenon, and all have been written and illustrated by regional experts. Each of these attractive 6 x 6-inch hardcover books contains 64 pages of text, illustrations, and photographs. And each one allows the reader to capture the spirit of the West in the palm of a hand. Read Less